{"id":10592,"date":"2020-12-03T13:03:22","date_gmt":"2020-12-03T07:33:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.invensislearning.com\/blog\/?p=10592"},"modified":"2026-04-03T11:47:48","modified_gmt":"2026-04-03T06:17:48","slug":"six-sigma-methodology","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.invensislearning.com\/blog\/six-sigma-methodology\/","title":{"rendered":"Six Sigma Methodology for Quality Improvement Explained"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n

Six Sigma is a creative and flexible series of methodologies aimed at<\/a> improving organizational process quality and effectiveness. It provides tools for companies to enhance the potential of their business processes. This increase in efficiency and decrease in process variance helps minimize errors and boost profits, employee productivity, and product or service quality. In this article, let us explore the six sigma methodology in detail.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Characteristics of Six Sigma<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Statistical Quality Control<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Six Sigma is explicitly derived from the Greek alphabet from the Greek letter ? (Sigma), denoting the Standard Deviation in Statistics. Standard Deviation is used to quantify variance and is an essential method in terms of the output’s quality to measure non-conformance.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Methodical Approach<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

In theory, Six Sigma is not merely a quality management technique. It features a well-defined methodical application approach in DMAIC and DMADV<\/a> that can increase output quality. DMAIC is an acronym for Design-Measure-Analyze-Improve-Control. The alternative method DMADV stands for Design-Measure-Analyze-Design-Verify.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Fact and Data-Based Approach<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

The scientific basis of the technique is demonstrated by the statistical and systematic aspects of Six Sigma. This accentuates an essential feature of Six Sigma that is focused on facts and data.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\"Lean<\/a><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Project and Objective-Based Focus<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

For an organization’s project customized to its specifications and demands, the Six Sigma process is applied. In order to get the best results, the procedure is flexible to fit the requirements and circumstances in which a project operates.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

In addition, Six Sigma is also objective-based. In the Six Sigma method, the management needs some incentive to invest. It is aimed at enhancing profitability and generating financial capital.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Customer Focus<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

For the Six Sigma approach, the customer focus is fundamental. The criteria for quality enhancement and control standards are based on the explicit requirements of customers.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Teamwork Approach to Quality Management<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

The process of Six Sigma allows organizations to coordinate when it’s about regulating and enhancing quality. In the Quality Management team, depending on an individual’s role, Six Sigma requires a lot of training.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Six Sigma Methodologies<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Six Sigma offers two main types of improvement processes. One is DMAIC, and another one is DMADV. So these two processes are appropriate for two different situations.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Define, Measure, Analyse, Improve, and control are the five steps in the DMAIC Process, and this process is used for improving an existing process. If you have a process, and you want to improve that process, i.e., you want to bring the process’s performance to the Six Sigma level, and for this case, you will be using the DMAIC process.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

If you want to design a new process, and you want to create in such a way that this new process leads to 6 sigma performance, then, in this case, you will use the method called DMADV. So DMADV is used for all new processes, not the existing processes. This methodology is also called DFSS, or Design for Six Sigma. And the five steps in this process are Define, Measure, Analyse, Design, and Verify.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

As you can see, the first three steps are common in both these processes, and the difference lies in the bottom two processes.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

DMAIC<\/strong> Methodology<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

There are five stages of the DMAIC project methodology<\/a>:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n