Six Sigma is a process that helps solve problems. Processes that have too many variations in their products or services are what we think of. Green Belt training is what we think about. This is what is taught in the Six Sigma Green Belt certification training. There is another side to Six Sigma: DFSS. Sometimes, a process must be designed from scratch.
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You may be asking yourself why you would design a process with so much variation in its output. That is the purpose of Design for Six Sigma, or DFSS. DFSS is Six Sigma’s way of designing a process the first time, so that there is as little variation as possible. There are defects and deficients. This alternative Six Sigma approach is not the same as the Six Sigma main principles.
What is DFSS?
Let’s discuss the DFSS approach for designing a process. Design for Six Sigma refers to a method of designing or redesigning products and/or services in order to meet or exceed customer expectations. DFSS is not a replacement for your product development process. To make DFSS a success, you need a well-documented, well-understood, and useful new product development process. Unlike the DMAIC (Define-Measure-Analyze-Improve-Control) methodology of Six Sigma, DFFS is not a universal process. Design for Six Sigma will be used by every company and organization in a different way. They will use DFSS to meet their specific business needs, industry, culture, and structure. Design for Six Sigma is a process, not a method.
What can you design with DFSS?
DFSS can be used to design products, services, or processes. Here’s what Design for Six Sigma is most commonly used for:
New products/services
New process to create a new product/service
Redesign existing product/service to satisfy customer requirements
Redesign of an existing product/service process
Why DFSS?
DFSS ensures that the Product/Service meets customer requirements and that the process of the Product/Service is already at Six Sigma Level. Design for Six Sigma aims to bring new products and/or service to market with a process performance of at least 4.5 sigmas for every customer need. This requires the ability to understand customer needs and design and implement new offerings with reliability before launch.
Different types of DFSS
Design for Six Sigma refers to a method and attitude that aims to deliver new products and services that are high-performing as measured by customers’ Critical To-Quality metrics. The Six Sigma approach uses the DMAIC methodology (Define Measure, Analyze and Improve, Control), which allows for process improvement. DFSS has a similar methodology that allows for the design and implementation of new products and services. DFSS offers many approaches, including DMADV (Design Measure, Analyze Design, Verify) as well as IDOV (Identify Design, Optimize and Verify).
DMADV, or Design, Measure Analyze Develop, and Verify, is the most well-known DFFS system. The DMADV framework consists of the following phases:
Define customer needs and goals for the product, process, or service
Measure and match performance to customer needs
Analyze and evaluate the design of the process, product, or service
Create and implement the necessary new processes to create the new product or process.
Verify the results and maintain performance
The manufacturing industry is well-versed in IDOV. The IDOV acronym stands to Identify, Design Optimize, Validate and Validate. Let’s take a closer view.
Identify the customer and specify Critical to Quality parameters (CTQs).
Design converts customer CTQs into functional requirements. Reduce it to a few solutions.
Optimize uses advanced statistics