“Every problem is a gift — without problems, we would not grow”
Anthony Robbins
Design for Six Sigma (DFSS)
Today, Customers have several choices for many identical products. So, many manufacturing companies are consistently striving to launch completely new products during organization transformation. The company will generally redesign the product, developing & testing several iterations before re-launching the product to market. Multiple redesigns of products are expensive & wasteful. So, it would be beneficial if the product met the real needs and expectations of the consumer, with a higher level of product quality the first time. So, In this article we are going to discuss about the Design for six sigma (dfss).
What is DFSS?
DFSS stands for Design for Six Sigma. It is an improvement system used to develop new processes or products at Six Sigma quality levels in VUCA. DFSS assists in understanding the customer’s requirements and expectations before completing the design. That decreases the need to redesign & reintroduce a product several times, which creates excessive waste. The primary goal of DFSS is to design things right the first time by reducing defects or variations. We use DFSS to perfect products & processes before use or release.
It is accomplished by Six Sigma Green Belts & Black Belts and supervised by Six Sigma Master Black Belts. Design for Six Sigma (DFSS) is a distinct approach to a new product or process development in that several methodologies can be utilized.
Also See- What is Standard Work and Why it is Important?
DFSS vs DMAIC
- Compared to traditional Six Sigma (or the DMAIC process), DFSS seems a little harder to grasp, particularly in the realm of financial accountability and results.
- DMADV is another acronym that we use in place of DFSS. DMADV is part of the Design for Six Sigma program, which we use for developing new products or services. While we use DMAIC for traditional Six Sigma programs which focus on improving existing products or services in VUCA environment.
- While we can define DMAIC as the “find & fix” methodology that improves an existing product or process to decrease defects. We can also define DFSS as proactive & preventative one which utilizes the 5 stages of Define, Measure, Analyze, Design, Verify (DMADV) to find out the needs of customers & then design a solution to meet those needs. Its ability to predict possible issues can save an organization time, validation tests, which results in a less expensive launch.
- The phases of DFSS DMADV are not globally acknowledged like the DMAIC Process, mostly every company or organization will define DFSS distinctly. Due to this, DFSS is more of an approach than a defined methodology.
Several critical DFSS tools are Critical to Quality (CTQ), Design of Experiments (DOE), Quality Function Deployment (QFD), and Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA).
Also See- TPM (Total Productive Maintenance) and It’s 8 Pillars
Leader’s Tip:
Design for Six Sigma (DFSS) focuses on creating robust processes that meet customer needs and reduce variation.
Advantages of DFSS
- DFSS should decrease the time to market by at least 25 %. A conservative interval estimate is a 25 % to 40 % reduction in time to market during quality transformation.
- It is a disciplined approach to implementation accountability in Six Sigma.
- More consistent data collection.
- DFSS leads to cost savings due to total resources utilized, which is highly correlates to time, in the 20% to 40% range. Note that this only resources savings—there are other savings also.
Several methodologies are use for the implementation of DFSS during business transformation. Different versions of DFSS are DMADV (Define, Measure, Analyze, Design, Verify) and DMADOV (Define, Measure, Analyze, Design, Optimize and Validate) and IDOV (Identify, Design, Optimize, Verify).
- Define
- Define who are the customers, what are their requirements, and what are their expectations from you.
- Define project boundaries the ending and beginning of the process of VUCA.
- Define the process to improve by process flow mapping.
The project starts by developing a team charter to identify team members, select the process the team will improve, and clearly define the objective of the project. The project team will then identify the critical to quality (CTQs) to help measure the impact the problem has on the customer. This phase finishes when the team creates a process map that includes the process’s inputs and outputs. The Customer, their CTQ issues, and the Core Business Process included.
- Measure
Measure phase in lean transformation includes generating & executing a data collection plan that provides authentic and significant data. Gather data from different sources to identify types of defects and metrics. The data indicates how the process is performing and helps identify the defects in the Six Sigma narrative – variance.
- Analyze
- Identify gaps between current performance and goal performance.
- Find sources of variation.
- Prioritize opportunities to improve.
The analysis phase identifies the causes of the problems. A sub-process map can help identify the problems in the process and tools such as ANOVA and regression analysis can help limit these problems to root causes. In this phase, the team can check the financial benefit of solving the problem.
We can utilise various assessment tools for transformation like benchmarking or brainstorming to assess how well each of the designs meets customer & business needs and their potential for success. Then the team will evaluate the options and choose a final design using decision-making tools such as a Pugh Matrix or a similar method.
- Design
When the best design is selected, now detailed production work starts. The technology needed, materials, risks, manufacturing process and location, and packaging are all assessed through analysis tools and computer simulation. We use Several techniques such as Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA), Finite Element Analysis (FEA), etc.
FMEA (Failure Mode and Effective Analysis) is a step-by-step approach that uses numerical assignments to find out the risk associated with each input in VUCA. It is a risk assessment tool, that evaluates the severity, occurrence of all possible ways a process or product could fail, and detection of risks to prioritize which ones are the most urgent. FMEA is a tool that determines potential problems & their impact.
- Verify
Now, the team introduces the product or process design, and validation testing performes to verify that it does meet customer & performance requirements for a successful transformation. Generally, a pilot build creates before the actual product launch. The data gathered during the pilot run is then we use to enhance the design of the product or process before a product launch.
The team should offer all needed process documentation and a Process Control Plan. Finally, the project leaders, stakeholders, and sponsors complete the project documentation and share the project results. The complete team should then celebrate project completion.
When to Implement DFSS?
- When a new product or service developes.
- When developing a high-quality product without any defect, optimize the design, satisfy customer needs, want to be successful for the first time.
- Critical to Quality (CTQ) – We use CTQs to determine the attributes which lead to customer satisfaction. Trees, or diagrams, break down these parameters into critical requirements, quality drivers & performance requirements. We can implement them once we identify the requirements into the design process for successful implementation of business transformation.
- Control Charts – The control chart is a graph that represents how a process changes over time. Control charts are great for analyzing & reducing variation in a process.
- Pareto Charts – Pareto charts are based on the Pareto principle, or 80/20 rule, It states that roughly 80% of the effects from the 20% of the problems.
- Kaizen Events – These are short-term events in which employees focus on assessing and implementing an improvement for a particular issue, typically within one week of work.
- Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) – It is a step-by-step approach that uses numerical assignments to find out the risk associated with each input. FMEA is a risk assessment tool, that evaluates the severity, occurrence of all possible ways a process or product could fail, and detection of risks to prioritize which ones are the most urgent.
- Gage Repeatability and Reproducibility (Gage R&R) – It is a Measurement system to determine the variance and variance of the lowest number that is less than 10% in VUCA.
- Supplies, Inputs, Process, Outputs & Customers (SIPOC) diagrams – We use it to understand the process by identifying the process building blocks such as vendors, inputs, outputs, customers, etc.
DMEDI
DMEDI methodology concentrates on creating processes for a new operation. It’s generally something that organizations do as they become more advanced in their use of Six Sigma. It’s the next level – instead of fixing existing processes developed without consideration of process improvement, it works to design processes correctly from the outset.
Every phase in DMEDI project charter represents a pivotal step in the process. The DMEDI approach can provide a plan for setting up a project, which in turn can lead to a higher chance of success.
Leader’s Tip:
Define, Measure, Explore, Develop, and Implement (DMEDI) is a structured approach for process improvement and new product development.
DMAIC Versus DMEDI
- DMAIC improves the existing process. DMEDI template focuses on developing processes for a new operation.
- DMEDI phases are: Define, Measure, Explore, Develop, Implement. DMAIC phases are: define, measure, analyze, improve and control.
- The design of DMAIC decreases errors in existing processes. For many organizations, it’s how they get an introduction to the potential of Six Sigma and process improvement. DMEDI focuses on preventing possible losses.
- DMAIC is a lower-level approach as compared to DMEDI. DMEDI project charter is a higher-level approach than DMAIC.
Steps of DMEDI
- Define– The define phase is similar to DMAIC define phase. The following question asked:
- Define who are the customers, what are their requirements, and what are their expectations.
- Define project boundaries the ending and beginning of the process.
In the define phase, everything should be explicit: the business challenge, the desired outcome, who will benefit, and the limitations and scope of the project.
- Measure- In the Measure phase, the customer’s input – whether internal or external – is a requirement. It’s essential to know the exact nature of the requirement so that the project of transformation can create to find a solution that best satisfies customers’ needs.
To satisfy the need for clearly defined customer requirements, a quality function deployment (QFD) is used in several iterations and phases to properly define a product or service that the customer truly desires. This phase also defines the success of the project and a way of measuring its effectiveness.
- Explore– The Explore phase focuses on delivering a conceptual design for a new process. This is where creativity comes to the front. In the explore phase, a project manager leads the team to brainstorm ideas – sometimes done through a Kaizen Event where the intense focus is brought to one single challenge. The idea is to develop completely new, but feasible, approaches during digital transformation.
- Develop– At this moment, the team obtains the best ideas from the explore phase and further develops them. This includes looking at each detail of the proposed process & determining ways to make them as efficient and effective as possible. Each detail is thought through beforehand, making it possible to design the best process.
- Implement– A test run of the new process is generally made in the implementation phase of business transformation. Then it is put into place & monitores for possible improvements – note that there will always room for improvements.
Conclusion
When most people suggest Six Sigma, they are referring to the DMAIC method. The DMAIC methodology can use when a product or process is invalid at your organization but is unable to meet consumer specifications or to perform sufficiently.
DFSS is used to construct or re-design a product or service from the ground up. The anticipated process Sigma level for a DFSS product or service is at least 4.5 but can be 6 Sigma or greater relying on the product.
FAQs
Is Kaizen part of DMAIC?
Kaizen events may stand alone or be incorporated into an LSS project incorporating the DMAIC approach. Kaizen events may come at any stage of the LSS project. However, they are generally performed at the improvement stage. They may or may not be directly related to the overall LSS project goal.
What is the difference between DMEDI and DMAIC?
DMAIC, which focuses on reducing variation and defects, produces incremental improvements. DMEDI (Define, Measure, Explore, Develop, Implement) is a creative approach to designing new robust processes, products and services.
What is the DMEDI method?
In the world of Six Sigma, the acronym DMEDI represents five essential steps: define, measure, explore, develop and implement. This model can be used as a blueprint for creating a project management organization and improving the overall success rate of individual projects.
Key Takeaways
- DFSS emphasizes proactive planning to prevent defects, while DMEDI targets process enhancement through systematic phases.
- Both DFSS and DMEDI are data-driven, using statistical analysis to optimize processes and enhance product quality.
- Successful implementation of these methodologies can lead to increased customer satisfaction and business growth.