Six Sigma For Dummies

Use Six Sigma to improve business performance — and reap big profits Millions of people work in companies that use Six Sigma to achieve quantum leaps in performance — in everything from products and processes to systems and even environments. But for beginners, Six Sigma can seem confusing and mysterious. Relax! Six Sigma For Dummies explains it all, whether you need help implementing the methodology or just understanding it. Meet the big Six — get an overview of the Six Sigma methodology, the key principles underlying its applications, and the roles and phases involved in its implementation Size it up — dig into the details of the Six Sigma DMAIC problem–solving road map to discover how to properly scope and launch a project Get to the root — find out how to use the Six Sigma DMAIC analyzing road map to objectively eliminate trivial and unimportant factors Don′t lose your cool — get a handle on the improving and controlling aspects of the DMAIC problem–solving road map to synthesize improvement and lock in your gains Grab some tools — get a listing of the technology tools and information systems that Six Sigma practitioners use Open the book and find: What Six Sigma is and how it works The founding principles and language of Six Sigma How to analyze data through charts and graphs The roles and responsibilities of Belts and Champions Ways to forecast future performance How to design, conduct, and analyze experiments The top do′s and don′ts of Six Sigma Learn to: Grasp what Six Sigma is and how it works Achieve quantum leaps in performance and impact the bottom line Utilize the DMAIC problem–solving method

Introduction 1 Part I: Getting Acquainted with Six Sigma Basics 7 Chapter 1: Better Business and Better Performance: Defining Six Sigma 9 Chapter 2: Linking Quality and Business 17 Chapter 3: Examining the Principles and Language of Six Sigma 31 Chapter 4: Organizing for Improvement 43 Part II: DMAIC: Defining and Measuring 61 Chapter 5: Identifying and Right–Sizing Projects 63 Chapter 6: Launching a Project 77 Chapter 7: Mapping to Identify Possible Factors 87 Chapter 8: Diagramming to Identify Possible Factors 101 Chapter 9: Describing Performance with Numbers 113 Part III: DMAIC: Analyzing 133 Chapter 10: Depicting and Analyzing Data through Charts and Graphs 135 Chapter 11: Analyzing for Value 155 Chapter 12: What’s Normal? Recognizing Normally–Shaped Variation 165 Chapter 13: Assessing Capability: Comparing the Voices of the Customer and the Process 179 Chapter 14: Gauging Gauges: Measurement System Analysis (MSA) 199 Chapter 15: Mining Data and Processes for Insight 209 Chapter 16: Making Confident Decisions 227 Part IV: DMAIC: Improving and Controlling 241 Chapter 17: Forecasting Future Performance 243 Chapter 18: Designing, Conducting, and Analyzing Experiments (DOE) 259 Chapter 19: Standardizing on Improvement 281 Chapter 20: Maintaining Gains through Statistical Process Control 291 Part V: Looking at the Six Sigma Technology Tool Landscape 309 Chapter 21: Eyeing Process Characterization and Optimization Technologies 311 Chapter 22: Tools for Performing Six Sigma Analysis 323 Chapter 23: Managing Six Sigma 331 Part VI: The Part of Tens 343 Chapter 24: Ten Top Do′s and Don’ts of Six Sigma 345 Chapter 25: Ten Ways to Gain Synergies with Lean and Six Sigma 349 Chapter 26: Ten Places to Go for Help 353 Index 357

Craig Gygi is Executive VP of Operations at MasterControl, a leading company providing software and services for best practices in automating and connecting every stage of quality/regulatory compliance, through the entire product life cycle. Bruce Williams is the Senior Vice President & General Manager of Software AG, a global leader in business process excellence.