Understand and learn how DMAIC lean six sigma works on this simple example. By simple changes you can do a lot of improvement and save a lot of money and time. Even in the restaurant, or any other similar processes 😉

This article covers:

• DMAIC – Use commonsense to drive changes
• Problem definition
• Measurement phase
• Analyzing measured data
• Improving cycle
• Control to sustain
• Tool list download for free
• Key takeaways about Six Sigma DMAIC

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DMAIC – Use commonsense to drive changes

Have you experienced, when somebody pushed you to do, or to learn something new? And just after a while you have realized how grateful you are for that push?

Well, I remember few kind of pushes in my life. The first one was, when my parents registered me to music academy, when I was nine. I remember how difficult was for them to convince me to go to several first piano lessons. And how grateful I was playing in the band a few years later.

And my last push, was from my boss. He pushed me for Six Sigma training. I was like, OK, I can sit in the class next 4 weeks, being bored, rather than helping in the assembly area, where I was engineer that time.

One of the first tools to use in DMAIC process is a Project Charter:

You can download project charter template on the link below:

I do videos, blog posts, and all templates for free, in my free time. I will appreciate if you can donate me a cup of cofee, for more energy in my creation. (1 dollar counts, too 😉 Click on this link: I would like to support Erik in his effort

This is How to choose the best Lean Six Sigma training and certification

Be the one who is trying new things. In combination with commonsense, you will be successful in any changes.

Erik from sixsigmamania

When I started my Six Sigma training, I have not understood what it is about. If somebody give me just a simple example, a small taste, what I will be able to do with it, how it works. I would not be so frustrated to go to the course.

So, for those, who would like to understand how DMAIC process works, how it can change their life or business, I have prepared a small “taste” on the restaurant example. Use commonsense and right tools Lean Six Sigma is offering to drive any changes.

SIPOC diagram – the best practise in developing

DMAIC – Problem definition

Let´s have a pizza restaurant called Pizza family. There was a pretty good demand for pizza when the restaurant was opened two years ago. But since then, customers were coming back less and less often. So, pizza family team has decided to change something to get all customers happy and back.

Business case Word template (or Excel)

You can download business case decision template right under this picture. In Word or in Excel, as you wish.

DMAIC tool list – use tools in this order

Pizza team has started asking coming customers, what they like on the restaurant, furthermore what they do not. Majority of customers said that pizza taste is quite good, but they expect to have their food faster. Especially during brake time at work.

Pizza family team has accepted the opportunity for improvement, with the goal of delivering food to the customers faster. But with the same level of quality. Crucial was to understand clearly, what that expectation of getting food faster means.

DMAIC – Measurement phase

There are 3 employees trying to satisfy orders. Each employee takes an order from the beginning to the end. Delivery time 25 minutes in average, but with 15 minutes to 40 minutes variance. This time is also called cycle time. This was revealed by mapping and measuring of current state process. From customers feedback they understood, that having pizza in 10 minutes max, customers would be satisfied and happy.

DMAIC – Analyzing measured data

Team has realized that there are some activities that prolongs waiting time. At the ingrediencies and at the oven are often grouping all 3 cooks. Owen is also quite far away from the place where pastry is made. So, there is a lot of walk there and back.

There are too many ingrediencies and some of them used very seldom. Out of their current menu of 40 different pizzas, 10 are ordered 80% of the time. By changing all these wastes, It would help to improve process and decrease cycle time and improve its variation more to customers needs.

What is Fishbone diagram? Example + Excel template

Tool that can help you with choosing project

I have developed easy excel tool, that will help you choosing right green belt certification project.

You can download selection tool on the link below:

DMAIC – Improving cycle

First change team improved, that they reduced offered pizza list from 40 to 15 pizza types. 12 pizzas with meet, 3 vegetables only. That allowed to reduce ingrediencies to half, which reduced also place requirement.

Second change required to move oven closer to pastry place, surrounded by ingrediencies by which walking was reduced by half.

How to perform Kaizen event + check list – read here

The most significant time waste was improved by work re-organization. First cook takes care about making pastry, second making pizza bread and adding ingrediencies, third cook manipulates oven and the cash box. There are also two most often ordered finished pizzas ready to take away on a new heating place. When customers comes, can take ready to go pizza or order from the menu.

How to develop project charter? (+free template) read here

DMAIC – Control to sustain

Key to sustain changes, workspace visualization and instructions were created for each work position. Installed measuring system shows to customer and team, how fast they take their pizza.

Happily, current average cycle time was improved to 8 minutes and with the variation between 7 and 10 minutes. New, improved process brings more satisfied customers to Pizza family restaurant.

I do videos, blog posts, and all templates for free, in my free time. I will appreciate if you can donate me a cup of cofee, for more energy in my creation. (1 dollar counts, too 😉 Click on this link: I would like to support Erik in his effort

Key takeaways about Six Sigma DMAIC:

• It is a robust process improvement method
• It is a team effort on not obvious problem reason resolution
• There are 5 phases – Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control
• Improvement targeted based on data analysis
• Reduces variation in processes, in other words , repeatability is improved
• First understand current problems and pains to enable improvement changes

Do not be afraid to learn Lean Six Sigma tools. Do not be scared of heavy statistics, or using a lot of mathematics. 95% of the time I do not use it, at all.

Erik from sixsigmamania

I do not like statistics. I do not like collecting data. Yes, there is a measure and analyze phase in every project. But it only sounds terrible. In our example, cooks were able to drive changes. And they used watches to measure, and logic, that told them where to improve.

DMAIC Six Sigma example in Manufacturing – read here

Majority of the time is a commonsense usage, that drives changes.

Do not forget to visit and subscribe my YouTube channel. I am uploading Six Sigma, Lean and Project oriented videos regurarly. So, stay tuned.

Yours sincerely Erik.

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