Lean Six Sigma Problem Statement and Project Charter – Part 2

In this second part of a 2-part series (i.e., follows Part 1), the Define phase problem statement and project charter of the Lean Six Sigma Define Measure Analyze Improve Control (DMAIC) roadmap is further elaborated on, where there is a true integration of Lean and Six Sigma tools in the roadmap.

- Goals for the project should be targeted and measurable. When appropriate, it is beneficial to express goals in Cost of Doing Nothing Differently (CODND) units. CODND has advantages over a traditional Cost of Poor Quality [COPQ] approach since a specification is not required for this type of financial reporting.
Example: Reduce the median call wait time to 40 seconds or less, yielding an estimated $250,000 per year benefit at the ABC office.

- The details for metrics should be described. When defects are reported at the 30,000-foot-level metric, there should be agreement on what constitutes a defect and how it will be tracked should be described. If lead time is the metric, the plans for lead time quantification and tracking should be described. Note, some organizations may choose to report a sigma quality level metric; however, within an Integrated Enterprise Excellence (IEE) implementation this is not recommended.

- Categories for the project’s Supplier-Input-Process-Output-Customer (SIPOC) assessment should be addressed, where the process portion of SIPOC is at high level, containing only 4-7 high-level steps. How the SIPOC aligns with the high-level supply chain map and its needs should be demonstrated along with the gap between process voice and customer voice.

- Team members should be selected so that they provide different insights and skills (e.g., self-facilitation, technical/subject-matter expertise) needed for the successful completion of the project in a timely fashion. Names, roles, and amount of time for project dedication should be addressed for each team member.

- The champion needs to work with the project leader so that the project status is sufficiently documented within a corporate database that can be conveniently accessed by others.

For more information see:

- Lean Six Sigma Project Execution Guide: The Integrated Enterprise Excellence (IEE) Process Improvement Project Roadmap, Forrest W. Breyfogle III, Citius Publishing, 2010.

- Integrated Enterprise Excellence, Volume III Improvement Project Execution: A Management and Black Belt Guide for Going Beyond Lean Six Sigma and the Balanced Scorecard, Forrest W. Breyfogle III, Bridgeway Books, 2008.