1- The Define Tollgates
In the Define step, the project team is formed, a charter is created, customers, their needs and requirements are determined and verified, and finally, a high-level map of the current process is created.
There are three Define tollgates: Charter & Customers needs and requirements & and the High Level Process Map.
1. The Charter
The Charter is the collection of documents that provide purpose and motivation for a Six Sigma team to do its work. It includes:
- The business case: This is a sentence or two that describes why this project should be done.
- The problem statement: This is a short measurable statement about the problem.
- Project scope: Scope refers to what the team should focus on but more importantly what the team should try to avoid.
- Goals and objectives: The goals and objectives are what the team should strive to achieve in the four to six months they exist.
- Milestones: Milestones indicate to the team where they should be in the DMAIC process and when. For example, Define and Measure should take no more than 8 weeks of the project etc.
- Roles and responsibilities of the project team: There are several roles critical to the success of the Six Sigma team.
1) Champion. The Champion is usually the process owner who guides the project team strategically but will usually not be a full-time team member. They assist in picking the team, providing resources, and removing roadblocks that get in the way of the team doing its work.
2) Black Belt. The Black Belt is responsible for the day-to-day activities associated with the team, from setting the team agendas, to keeping the team on track with meeting the specific responsibilities of DMAIC.
If the team leader has organizational responsibilities other than being a team leader they are called a Green Belt.
3) The Master Black Belt is equivalent to an internal consultant. They are not full-time members of the team but assist the team withthe more technical aspects of their work on an as needed basis. The rest of the team are called team members and should be the subject matter experts who will conduct the actual work of the project.
2. Customers Needs and Requirements
A customer is the recipient of the product or service of the process targeted for improvement.the requirements are the characteristics of the need that determine whether the customer is happy with the product or service provided.
3. The High-Level Process Map
The critical last step in Define Tollgates is to map out the process at a high level the way it exists today. There is an old saying, “A picture is worth a thousand words.” That comment applies to the high-level Process Flow Chart.
To assist a team in creating their high-level process map to complete Define Tollgates, the team needs to be mindful of the suppliers, inputs, process, output,and customers (SIPOC).
