Page 110 - Six Sigma Demystified

Chapter 5 m e a s u r e s tag e 91

Figure 5.1 Detailed process map for example order processing efficiency project as generated in MS Visio. (From
Pyzdek and Keller, 2009, with permission.)

Metric Definition

In general terms, a process metric is simply a measured parameter from a process
that provides some indication of the process state or condition. For a given
process, several metrics may be useful to operational personnel. Some of these
operational metrics also may be useful in Six Sigma improvement projects.
Six Sigma metrics focus on one or more of the following three critical factors:
cost, quality, and schedule. Factors critical to cost (CTC) include parameters that
have an impact on work in progress (WIP), finished goods inventory, overhead,
delivery, and materials and labor, even when the costs can be passed on to the
customer. Critical- to- quality (CTQ) factors are perhaps most familiar to opera-
tional personnel because they have a direct impact on the functional require-
ments specified by the internal and external customers. Critical- to- schedule
(CTS) factors affect the delivery time of the product or service.