A detailed roadmap through the Improve phase of the DMAIC methodology that navigates the user through the various tools and concepts for leading a Six Sigma project.

1. Section & Lesson #:
Pre-Requisite Lessons:
Complex Tools + Clear Teaching = Powerful Results
Improve Phase Roadmap (Level 3)
Six Sigma-Improve – Lesson 1
A deeper look into level 3 of the DMAIC roadmap that identifies critical
steps and tools for navigating a project through the Improve phase.
Six Sigma Overview #05 – DMAIC Roadmap (Levels 1 & 2)
Copyright © 2011-2019 by Matthew J. Hansen. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means
(electronic, mechanical, photographic, photocopying, recording or otherwise) without prior permission in writing by the author and/or publisher.

2. DMAIC Roadmap (Level 1)
o Below is how these apply to the Six Sigma DMAIC project methodology
• Each phase of DMAIC has a high-level question that can be answered:
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Six Sigma DMAIC Questions:
Do you understand the severity and scope
of the problem?
Do you know the potential root causes and
have enough reliable data to test them?
Can you statistically validate what are the
root causes?
Do you know what improvements will fix
the root causes and by how much?
Did the improvements successfully and
permanently resolve the original problem?
Understand
the problem
Gather
reliable info
Identify
root cause
Fix
root cause
Sustain
Improvement
Define
Measure
Analyze
Improve
Control
Problem Resolution: Six Sigma DMAIC:
Copyright © 2011-2019 by Matthew J. Hansen. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be
reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means (electronic, mechanical, photographic,
photocopying, recording or otherwise) without prior permission in writing by the author and/or publisher.

3. DMAIC Roadmap (Level 2)
o The DMAIC roadmap can be followed in detail by asking 3 or 4 questions per phase.
• The recommended tools/resources are identified that may help answer those questions.
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Tool/Resource
CTQ Drilldown, Problem Statement, Project Scope,
Project Financial Savings, Pre-Assessment
(Min/Max Analysis)
Stakeholder Analysis (ARMI), Buy-In/Sponsorship
(CAP model)
High-level Process Map, SIPOC
Project Charter, Project Storyboard
OUTPUTS:
Can you clearly define the problem and its potential impact to the
organization?
Do you have a team that agrees with the project focus?
Do you understand the high-level process related to the problem?
Do you have a method for communicating the project information?
Question Levels 1 to 2
Define
Do you fully understand the severity and scope of the problem?
Project Storyboard, Charter, CTQ Drilldown, ARMI, SIPOC, High-Level Process Map, and Benefits Pre-Assessment.
Project Y (output)
Voice of Customer (VOC), Operational Definitions
C&E Diagram, 5 Whys, C&E Matrix, Data Collection
Plan (DCP), Sample Size Calculator, Short/Long
Term Data
Measurement System Analysis (MSA)
OUTPUTS:
Do you know if your collected data is accurate, repeatable and
reproducible?
Do you know what metric reflects the output described by the
problem statement?
Do you know how to define defects in the process and/or outputs?
Do you have enough data measuring the Y and potential inputs (Xs)?
Measure
Do you know the potential root causes (inputs or Xs) and have enough reliable data to test them?
Updated Project Storyboard, Definition of the VOC, Y & Xs, and a reliable and relatively complete dataset.
Copyright © 2011-2019 by Matthew J. Hansen. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be
reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means (electronic, mechanical, photographic,
photocopying, recording or otherwise) without prior permission in writing by the author and/or publisher.

4. DMAIC Roadmap (Level 2) – cont’d
o Below is the continuation of the detailed questions for the last 3 phases of DMAIC:
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Tool/Resource
Descriptive Statistics, I-MR chart, Normality Plot
(AD test), Process Capability (with six pack)
Performance Objectives
Hypothesis Testing
OUTPUTS:
Do you know what the process capability is (a.k.a. Voice of Process or
VOP)?
Do you know what the target sigma level or performance objectives
are for the project?
Analyze
Can you statistically validate what are the root causes (inputs or Xs)?
Updated Project Storyboard, key process capability metrics, and hypothesis testing results.
Have you done hypothesis testing to identify which potential Xs are
statistically significant?
Question Levels 1 to 2
Compiling Statistical Test Results, Transfer
Function
Brainstorming Solutions, Impact Matrix (PICK
chart), FMEA
Pilot/Implementation Plan, Pilot Duration,
Scorecard, MSA
OUTPUTS:
Do you know which potential Xs are independent and statistically
significant?
Do you know what improvements can be made to fix the root causes
(inputs or Xs)?
Did you pilot the improvements and get successful results?
Improve
Do you know what improvements will fix the root causes (inputs or Xs) and by how much?
Updated Project Storyboard, list of improvements, data/charts (e.g., scorecard) validating success of the pilot.
FMEA, Pilot/Implementation Plan, Scorecard, MSA
Control Charts
SOPs, Control Plan
Project Closure, Sponsorship
OUTPUTS:
Control
Did the improvements successfully and permanently resolve the original problem?
Updated final project storyboard, control plan, SOP, agreement from entire team that the project is complete.
Did you fully transfer control and responsibility of the improvements
to the process owner?
Did you implement the improvements?
Are the improvements successfully meeting expected results
(sustained and in control)?
Does the team (including the Sponsor & Champion) agree the project
is complete?
Copyright © 2011-2019 by Matthew J. Hansen. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be
reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means (electronic, mechanical, photographic,
photocopying, recording or otherwise) without prior permission in writing by the author and/or publisher.

5. Improve Phase Roadmap (Level 3)
o The DMAIC roadmap can be drilled down even deeper to a 3rd level for each phase.
• Level 3 questions can guide someone to the specific tool(s) for navigating a project or initiative.
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Copyright © 2011-2019 by Matthew J. Hansen. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be
reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means (electronic, mechanical, photographic,
photocopying, recording or otherwise) without prior permission in writing by the author and/or publisher.
Tool/Resource
Do you know which potential Xs are independent and statistically significant?
Have you compiled all your hypothesis testing results for the statistically significant Xs? Compiling Statistical Test Results
Do you know what the inter-relationship (multicollinearity) is between the significant Xs? Compiling Statistical Test Results
Have you built a transfer function? (if possible) Transfer Function
Does the team agree with the analysis results? Buy-in/Sponsorship (CAP model)
Do you know what improvements can be made to fix the root causes (inputs or Xs)?
Did you brainstorm potential improvements with the team? Brainstorming Solutions
Did you assess the impact/benefit vs. difficulty/complexity for each potential improvement? Impact Matrix (PICK chart)
Did you assess the potential risks for the key improvements? Risk assessment (FMEA)
Did you pilot the improvements and get successful results?
Did you build a pilot plan for the key improvements? Pilot/Implementation Plan
Did you define a time & location scope for the pilot? Pilot Duration
Did you build a scorecard for the pilot? Scorecard
Do you know if your scorecard data is accurate, and the method of collecting it (if manual) was
repeatable and reproducible?
Measurement System Analysis (MSA)
Did you get agreement from your team where the improvements will be piloted? Buy-in/Sponsorship (CAP model)
OUTPUTS:
Improve
Updated Project Storyboard, list of improvements, data/charts (e.g., scorecard) validating the success of the pilot
Do you know what improvements will fix the root causes (inputs or Xs) and by how much?
Question Levels 1 to 3

6. Practical Application
o Identify at least 2 projects you led or worked on in the past.
• For each project, review all the questions in the Improve phase level 3 roadmap.
 What questions and related tools/resources were not addressed in the project?
 Why were they not addressed?
 What different outcome or results could’ve been realized if they were addressed in the project?
Copyright © 2011-2019 by Matthew J. Hansen. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be
reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means (electronic, mechanical, photographic,
photocopying, recording or otherwise) without prior permission in writing by the author and/or publisher.
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