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Elements of Define (DMAIC)

July 27, 2008 | Author: PM Hut | Filed under: Project Lifecycle Phases, Quality Management

Elements of Define (DMAIC)
By Steven Bonacorsi

The first phase is Define. During the Define phase, a team and its sponsors reach agreement on what the project is and what it should accomplish. Presuming that a draft of the Project Charter is already in place, the main work in the Define phase is for the project team to complete an analysis of what the project should accomplish and confirm understanding with the sponsor(s). They should agree on the problem, which customers are affected, and how the current process or outcomes fail to meet their customers’ needs through “Voice of the Customer or Critical-To-Quality (CTQ).”

The outcome of the Define phase is:

• A clear statement of the intended improvement (Project Charter)
• A high-level map of the Processes (SIPOC)
• A list of what is important to the customer (CTQ)
• An understanding of the project’s link to corporate strategy and its contribution to ROIC

The tools most commonly used in the Define phase are:

• Project Charter
• Stakeholder analysis
• Suppliers, Inputs, Process, Output, and Customers (SIPOC) process map
• Voice of the Customer
• Affinity Diagram
• Kano Model
• Critical-To-Quality (CTQ) tree

Project Charter

The charter is a contract between the organization’s leadership and the project team created at the outset of the project.

Its purpose is:

• To clarify what is expected of the team
• To keep the team focused
• To keep the project and team aligned with organizational priorities
• To transfer the project from the champion to the team

Steven Bonacorsi is a Senior Master Black Belt instructor and coach. Steven Bonacorsi has trained hundreds of Master Black Belts, Black Belts, Green Belts, and Project Sponsors and Executive Leaders in Lean Six Sigma DMAIC and Design for Lean Six Sigma process improvement methodologies.

The AIT Group, Inc.
Steven Bonacorsi, Solution Provider
Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt
3135 South Price Road, Suite 115
Chandler, AZ 85248-3549
Phone: +(1) 888.826.2484
E-mail: americas@theaitgroup.com
http://www.theaitgroup.com

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• DMAIC And Project Planning
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