Design for Six Sigma ResearchWhen, where and why companies use DFSS and the financial benefits it delivers

Design for Six Sigma Research — When, where and why companies use DFSS and the financial benefits it delivers

To better understand the experiences of companies implementing Design for Six Sigma (DFSS), iSixSigma Magazine conducted a survey to explore how, when and where companies apply DFSS — and the financial benefits it delivers. Not surprising, most respondents said their company does not use DFSS. The responses of those that do, however, indicate that the financial gains rival benefits achieved from projects following the DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control) methodology. The survey also revealed that the companies which use DFSS made that decision early in their Six Sigma deployment. Two factors stood out in distinguishing the companies that use DFSS from those that do not. Read on to find out what they were.

1,112 Number of total survey respondents

$200,000 Median “hard” financial benefits realized per DFSS project

$100,000 Median “soft” financial benefits realized per DFSS project

58.8 Percent of respondents who reported that their company does not use DFSS

84.3 Percent of respondents who said their company began using DFSS within the first three years of its Six Sigma deployment

18 Number of different DFSS roadmaps identified as used in DFSS programs

76 Percent of respondents who said their company uses DFSS in the Engineering function at their company

7 to 12 Number of months most frequently selected to represent the average cycle time for a DFSS project

44 Percent of survey respondents who said 5 percent or less of the full-time Six Sigma team was trained in DFSS at their company

62.1 Percent of survey respondents who reported that their company utilizes internal resources to conduct DFSS training

<1 Percent of Six Sigma projects that are DFSS as reported by 34 percent of respondents

Critical findings of this exclusive benchmarking research include:

FINDING 1: Companies realize wide-ranging financial results from DFSS projects.

FINDING 2: The majority of companies do not engage in DFSS; those that do, run few DFSS projects.

FINDING 3: Overwhelmingly, companies that use DFSS decided to do so within the first three years of their Six Sigma deployment.

FINDING 4: Companies use their own resources to conduct DFSS training.

FINDING 5: DMADV is the DFSS roadmap of choice to introduce new products and enhance process capability; DFSS projects are completed within less than 12 months.

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