Six-Sigma: A Grassroots Explanation
defects improvement lean lean six sigma manufacturing process process variation production quality six-sigma specifications specs supervisor
Six-sigma is a popular buzz word in plants, but do you understand the basics of what it means? The grass roots explanation of six-sigma is this: six-sigma is a mathematical way to evaluate your process variation and then compare this variation to your product specs. And the goal of six-sigma is then to improve the relationship between your process variability and the specs, such that defects are reduced or eliminated.
Every process certainly has process variation. Process variation is caused by small, cumulative sources of variations. For example your raw materials vary slightly and your machines wear-out over time and these events cause variation in your process. Operators run the machines slightly differently from each other, and that causes variation. Even room conditions such as temperature and humidity can cause variation. When you stack all of this variation on top of each other, the process variation can be significant and the resulting product quality pays the price for this variation. The measurable aspects of your products can change part-to-part and also your process can shift and drift over longer periods of time due to this process variation.
The challenge comes into play when your process variation is changing your product performance more than your customer can accept and typically, your customers acceptance criteria are accurately defined in your product specs.
As such, you can improve the relationship between your specs and your process in one of two ways. First - you can widen your specs, or second - you can reduce your process variation. Most often the customer expectations have established your product specs and they are nonnegotiable. So that leaves you with only one option, and that is to reduce process variation. The goal of six-sigma is to reduce process variation so much so that your process variation maintains six standard deviations or six-sigma levels away from your upper and lower specification limits.
The concept of six-sigma is somewhat simple. Six-sigma directs you to reduce your process variation so that your process is driving down a very wide road and thus making it almost impossible to hit the guard rails of your process, that being the specs.
The complexity of six-sigma comes about because the process variation can come from many input
sources including your operators, the mechanical condition of your machine, raw materials, your measurement gages, room temperature swings and other sources that can be unique to your process. The six-sigma methodology provides an array of great tools, some statistical and some not, all there to aid the project manager in reducing process variation. Learning these tools requires an investment of time and practice via practical application but is well worth it when working to improve quality in your plant!
Want to learn some more six-sigma tools? Visit Tools for the Trenches.
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