Page 134 - Lean six sigma demystified

Chapter 4 e xC e L Power Too LS for Lean Six Sigm a 113

Data Collection and Measurement for Six Sigma

Six Sigma’s DMAIC has an early step for measurement. Although most com-
panies have too much data, people can always identify something they aren’t
tracking that they should be tracking. Then they think that, they have to set up
a whole system to collect the measurement. This is a mistake. You don’t know
if the measurement is useful until you have collected some. Rather than wait
for a measurement system, start today using a few simple tools: a check sheet
or a log of errors.
I’ve used these kinds of check sheets when I’m working with a team on the
Dirty Thiry process for Six Sigma (Chap. 6). They find causes; I write them
down and tally the number of times each occur. By the 30th data point, a Pareto
pattern appears that points us at the most common (i.e., root) cause of the
problem.

Check Sheet Data Collection

Nothing could be simpler than data collection with a check sheet. The QI
Macros have a template in the improvement tools to get you started (Fig. 4-4).
Simply print it out and start writing on it.
In column A, write the first instance of any defect, problem or symptom you
detect. For example, if someone is calling us for support and has a problem with

FIGURE 4-4 • Check sheet.