Six Sigma

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Capability Flowup

Back 1

Trading off or optimizing defect levels by statistical propagation of defects from lower level variables to higher level variables in a system.

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CTQ

Back 2

An element of a design or characteristic of a part that is essential to quality in the eyes of the customer

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CTQ Flowdown

Back 3

A system (process and/or design) block diagramming technique to identify the
transfer functions (dependencies) between Ys and Xs at various levels of the system. The Xs at one level are the Ys at a lower level.

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Defect

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A failure to meet an imposed requirement on a single quality characteristic or a
single instance of non-conformance to the specification.

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Defective

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A unit of product containing one or more defects.

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Defects Per Million Opportunities (DPMO)

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The number of defects counted, divided by the actual number of opportunities to
make a defect, then multiplied by one million. A direct measure of sigma level.

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Defects Per Unit (DPU)

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The number of defects counted, divided by the number of products or
characteristics produced. A process of counting and reducing defects as an initial
step toward Six Sigma quality.
Design for Six Sigma (DFSS)

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Design for Six Sigma (DFSS)

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Creating a component, system, or process such that its capability approaches
entitlement upon initiation.

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Design of Experiments (DOE)

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Statistical experimental designs to economically improve product and process
quality. A major tool used during the “Improve Phase” of Six Sigma methodology.

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Entitlement

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The expected performance level of a process when the major sources of
variation are identified and controlled.

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Failure Mode Effects Analysis (FMEA)

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A process in which each potential failure mode in every sub-item of an item is
analyzed to determine its effect on other sub-items and on the required function
of the item.

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Gage Repeatability & Reproducibility (Gage R&R)

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A measurement system evaluation to quantify measurement error, and its
ingredient components, e.g., equipment variability, appraiser variability, etc. This
study is critical to ensure that the collected data is accurate and to assess how
much of the total process variation is due to measurement.

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Process

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A particular method of doing something, generally involving a number of steps or
operations.

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Process Capability

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The relative ability of any process to produce consistent results centered on a
desired target value when measured over time.

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Quality Functional Deployment (QFD)

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Structured methodology to identify and translate customer needs and wants into
technical requirements and measurable features and characteristics. This tool is
used to identify Critical to Quality Characteristics (CTQs).

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Sigma

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A measure of the consistency of a process.

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Sigma Level

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A statistical measure (Z value) of process variation; the distribution or spread
about the mean (average) of any process or procedure. The higher the sigma, the
better the process. Zlt (long term Z) is the sigma level of a CTQ (or a process) in
the presence of long term sources of variation. Zst (short term Z) is the sigma level
in the presence of short term sources of variation only. This typically represents
the basic entitlement of the process.

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Six Sigma Quality

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A combination of verified customer requirements reflected in robust designs and
matched to the capability of production processes that creates products with
fewer then 3.4 defects per million opportunities to make a defect. World-class
quality. A collection of tools and techniques for raising quality to worked-class
levels.

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Transfer Function

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Model for relationship (e.g., regression equation, response surface fit, simulation
model, finite element model, etc) between the Xs and Ys.

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"Xs"

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Designation in Six Sigma terminology for those variables which are the root causes
(“explanatory variables” in regression analysis); as opposed to “Ys” which are
dependent outputs of a process. Six Sigma focuses on measuring and improving Xs,
to see subsequent improvement in Ys.

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"Ys"

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Designation in Six Sigma terminology for those variables which are dependent
outputs of a process, as opposed to “Xs” which are independent root causes that
impact the Y’s.

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acronym: SIPOC

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Supplier-Input-Process-Output-Customer

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acronym: FMEA

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failure modes and effects analysis

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What is the Cp and Cpk index number when you have a six-sigma capability?

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Cp = 2.0, and Cpk = 1.5.

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Measurement system analysis (MSA) is used

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To validate the data used for analysis.

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ANOVA: analysis of variance

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test for significant differences between or among two or more means by comparing variances within groups and variances between and among groups.