Six Sigma Tools

Six Sigma Tools: Six Sigma is a continuous improvement methodology developed at Motorola that is designed to systematically reduce defects for process improvement. There are more than thirty tools available for Six Sigma professionals to use. Here are the top five basic quality tools

I) Project Charter: The project charter holds vital information to the direction and goals of the project. This document provides information on the scope of the work, who the decision makers are, who the project lead is and the project team members. A good project charter is essential for measuring baselines, goals, cost of poor quality, timelines, dependencies and risks. This information acts as a contract or an agreement of sorts between the project team and the project champions, stakeholders, and sponsors.

II) Pareto Chart: The Pareto chart uses the Pareto principle which states that a majority of problems come from vital few causes. This principle established by Vilfredo Pareto an Italian economist originally stated that 80% of the land of his country was owned by 20% of the population.

III) Process Map: When defining the current state of a process, creating a process map is one of the most useful ways to get a clear understanding of how work flows.

IV) Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA): In a six sigma project, the FMEA works as a tool and as an analysis technique that will identify, evaluate and prioritize areas in a process that may be deficient.

V) Cause and Effect diagram: The cause and effect diagram is a powerful brainstorming tool, commonly called a fishbone, is used to identify, organize, and display the potential causes of a specific effect.