We know that everything in business is a process, right? Sales people have a list of companies and contacts that they work in a certain fashion to produce a sale, production receives an order and schedules the manufacturing, the product is built, packaged, shipped and invoiced. When the packing department has a problem with their process, though, should they fix it with a DMAIC or DMADV (also referred to as DFSS) type project?
The Similarities of DMAIC and DMADV
Let’s first look at the DMAIC and DMADV methodologies and talk about how they’re alike. DMAIC and DMADV are both:
- Six Sigma methodologies used to drive defects to less than 3.4 per million opportunities.
- Data intensive solution approaches. Intuition has no place in Six Sigma – only cold, hard facts.
- Implemented by Green Belts, Black Belts and Master Black Belts.
- Ways to help meet the business/financial bottom-line numbers.
- Implemented with the support of a champion and process owner.
The Differences of DMAIC and DMADV
DMAIC and DMADV sound very similar. The acronyms even share the first three letters. But that is about where the similarities stop.
| DMAIC | Define Measure Analyze Improve Control |
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When to Use DMAIC
The DMAIC methodology, instead of the DMADV methodology, should be used when a product or process is in existence at your company but is not meeting customer specification or is not performing adequately.
| DMADV | Define Measure Analyze Design Verify |
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When to Use DMADV
The DMADV methodology, instead of the DMAIC methodology, should be used when:
- A product or process is not in existence at your company and one needs to be developed
- The existing product or process exists and has been optimized (using either DMAIC or not) and still does not meet the level of customer specification or Six Sigma level
“I Thought it Was a DMAIC, but it Turned out to be a DMADV!”
Occasionally a project is scoped as a DMAIC for incremental process improvement when it really required a DMADV methodology improvement. And it was a month into the project that you realized this! Do not be discouraged about the work you put into the DMAIC because 1) it has happened to more businesses than just yours, 2) you understand the process at a much greater detail than you did initially, and 3) you were able to practice not just DMAIC skills but also DMADV!
Pick yourself up, dust yourself off and re-craft your define piece of the project so you can begin with a fresh look at the project and solutions. You never know what insights you will have now that you may not have been aware of before.
