QLTY07030 2019 Six Sigma 1 - Introduction to Lean Sigma Quality

Describe why organisations use Six Sigma and the Design for Six Sigma (DFSS) and DMAIC improvement methodology.

Define and describe Lean concepts and tools

Define, select and use the seven quality tools for problems solving, prioritising problems and improving processes. eg. Cause & Effect, Scatter Plots and Pareto charts.

Define, select and use the seven (new) management and planning tools. eg. Affinity diagrams, matrix diagrams and tree diagrams

Generate FMEAs and understand how they are used in risk management.

Calculate process performance metrics such as DPU, FTY, DPMO and Cost of Poor Quality (COPQ).

Collect and summarise data using surveys, descriptive and inferential statistics and graphical methods.

The online teaching and learning strategy will follow the guidelines as developed by Quality Matters:  http://www.qmprogram.org/

Unique to the Quality Matters Rubric is the concept of alignment. This occurs when critical course components - Learning Objectives (2), Assessment and Measurement (3), Instructional Materials (4), Learner Interaction and Engagement (5), and Course Technology (6) - work together to ensure students achieve desired learning outcomes. 

Assessment will be through a series of continuous assessments and a final exam. These will include the use of Quizzes and Minitab assignment submissions via our online learning management system Moodle.

Resubmission of failing elements of the assessments. 

Overview: Six Sigma and the Organisation

A. Six sigma and organisational goals

•  Value of six sigma

•  Recognize why organisations use six sigma, how they apply its philosophy and goals, and the origins of six sigma (Juran, Deming, Shewhart, etc.). Describe how process inputs, outputs, and feedback impact the larger organization.

• Organisational drivers and metrics

• Recognise key drivers for business (profit, market share, customer satisfaction, efficiency, product differentiation) and how key metrics and scorecards are developed and impact the entire organisation.

•  Organizational goals and six sigma projects

•  Describe the project selection process including knowing when to use six sigma improvement methodology (DMAIC) as opposed to other problem-solving tools, and confirm that the project supports and is linked to organisational goals. Understand the roles and responsibilities of six sigma team members (i.e., individual team members, yellow belt, green belt, black belt, process owner, champion and sponsor.)

 B. Lean principles in the organisation

• Lean concepts and tools

• Define and describe concepts such as value chain, flow, pull, perfection, visual management and tools commonly used to eliminate waste, including kaizen, 5S, error-proofing, value-stream mapping, standardised work and TPM.

• Identify the difference between value-added and non-value-added activities

• Identify the seven wastes in terms of excess inventory, space, test inspection, rework, transportation, storage, and reducing cycle time to improve throughput.

• Describe the Theory of constraints 

C. Design for Six Sigma (DFSS) in the organisation

• Quality function deployment (QFD)

• Describe how QFD fits into the overall DFSS process.

• Define and distinguish between design FMEA (DFMEA) and process (PFMEA) and interpret associated data.

• Road maps for DFSS

• Describe and distinguish between DMADV (define, measure, analyze, design, verify) and identify how it relates to DMAIC and how it helps close the loop on improving the end product/process during the design (DFSS) phase. 

II. Six Sigma - Define

A. Process Management for Projects

• Process elements

• Define and describe process components and boundaries. Recognise how processes cross various functional areas and the challenges that result for process improvement efforts.

• Owners and stakeholders

• Identify process owners, internal and external customers, and other stakeholders in a project.

• Identify customers

• Identify and classify internal and external customers as applicable to a particular project, and show how projects impact customers.

• Collect customer data

• Use various methods to collect customer feedback (e.g., surveys, focus groups, interviews, observation) and identify the key elements that make these tools effective. Review survey questions to eliminate bias, vagueness, etc.

• Analyse customer data

• Use graphical, statistical, and qualitative tools to analyse customer feedback.

• Assist in translating customer feedback into project goals and objectives, including critical to quality (CTQ) attributes and requirements statements. Use voice of the customer analysis tools such as quality function deployment (QFD) to translate customer requirements into performance measures.

C. Management and planning tools

• Define, select, and use the following quality tools:

1. Brainstorming and affinity diagrams, (5 Why - 1 How analysis)
2. interrelationship diagraphs,
3. tree diagrams,
4. prioritisation matrices,
5. Force Field Analysis and matrix diagrams,
6. process decision program (PDPC) charts, and
7. activity network diagrams
8. Gantt Charts and Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)

D. Business results for projects

• Process performance

• Calculate process performance metrics such as defects per unit (DPU), rolled throughput yield (RTY), cost of poor quality (COPQ), defects per million opportunities (DPMO) sigma levels and process capability indices.

• Track process performance measures to drive project decisions.

• Failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA)

• Define and describe failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA). Describe the purpose and use of scale criteria and calculate the risk priority number (RPN).

 III. Six Sigma - Measure

A. Process analysis and documentation

• Process modeling

• Develop and review process maps, written procedures, work instructions, flowcharts, etc.

• Identify process input variables and process output variables. Use (SIPOC) (suppliers, inputs, process, outputs, and customers) to identify and define important elements of a process.

B. Collecting and summarising data

• Types of data and measurement scales. Define and distinguish between qualitative and quantitative types of data.

• Identify and classify continuous (variables) and discrete (attributes) data. Describe and define nominal, ordinal, interval, and ratio measurement scales.

• Data collection methods

• Define and apply methods for collecting data such as check sheets, coded data, etc.

• Techniques for assuring data accuracy and integrity

• Define and apply techniques such as random sampling, stratified sampling, sample homogeneity, etc.

• Descriptive statistics

• Define, compute, and interpret measures of dispersion (Standard deviation, range, variance) and central tendency (mean, median, mode), and construct and interpret frequency distributions and cumulative frequency distributions.

• Graphical methods and charts.

• Depict relationships by constructing, applying and interpreting diagrams and charts such as stem-and-leaf plots, box-and-whisker plots, run charts, scatter diagrams, correlation and regression Analysis and Pareto charts.

• Depict distributions by constructing, applying and interpreting diagrams such as histograms. Describe how the Histogram shape (skewed and bimodal) can affect data interpretation.

• Introduction to SPC and Control Charts