Six Sigma - Improve Phase

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If the project team does a thorough job in the root causation phase of analysis, the improve phase of DMAIC can be quick, easy, and satisfying work.

The objective of Improve Phase is to identify improvement breakthroughs,identify high gain alternatives, select preferred approach, design the future state, determine the new Sigma level, perform cost/benefit analysis, design dashboards/ scorecards, and create a preliminary implementation plan.

  • Identify Improvement Breakthroughs −

    • Apply idea-generating tools and techniques to identify potential solutions that eliminate root causes.

  • Identify/Select High Gain Alternatives −

    • Develop criteria to evaluate candidate improvement solutions.

    • Think systematically and holistically.

    • Prioritize and evaluate the candidate solutions against the solution evaluation criteria.

    • Conduct a feasibility assessment for the highest value solutions.

    • Develop preliminary solution timelines and cost-benefit analysis to aid in recommendation presentation and future implementation planning.

Improvement can involve a simple fix once we discover the causes of defects. However, in some cases, we may need to employ additional tools as well. These include −

  • Solution alternatives
  • Experiments with solution alternatives
  • Planning for future change
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