Design for Lean Six Sigma (DFSS)

DFSS business-process management “methodology” related to traditional Lean Six Sigma. It is used in many industries, like financial, marketing, basic engineering, process industries, waste management, electronics, etc. It is based on the use of statistical tools, like linear regression and is basically an empirical research tool that is similar to research as done in social sciences, for example. While the tools and order used in Lean Six Sigma require a process to be in place and functioning, DFSS has the objective of determining the needs of customers and the business, and driving those needs into the product solution so created. DFSS is relevant for relative simple items and systems. It is a manufacturing process generation in contrast with process improvement. Measurement is the most important part of most Lean Six Sigma or DFSS tools. This is done mostly when prototypes are available (when measurements can be done). In most cases after a first Critical Design choice has been made (or trade off studies are done) and manufacturing was involved and made products. It is related to mostly time invariant problems.

DMADV, Define – Measure – Analyze – Design – Verify, is sometimes synonymously referred to as DFSS. The traditional DMAIC Lean Six Sigma process, as it is usually practised, which is focused on evolutionary and continuous improvement manufacturing or service process development, usually occurs after initial system, service or product design and development have been largely completed. DMAIC Lean Six Sigma as practised is usually consumed with solving existing manufacturing or service process problems and removal of the defects and variation associated with defects. It is clear that manufacturing variations may impact product reliability, as does transactional variations may affect service reliability. So, a clear link should exist between service or product reliability and Lean Six Sigma (quality). Furthermore, DFSS (using the DMADV model) strives to generate a new process where none existed, or where an existing process is deemed to be inadequate and in need of replacement. DFSS aims to create a process with the end in mind of optimally building the efficiencies of Lean Six Sigma methodology into the process before implementation; whereas traditional Lean Six Sigma seeks for continuous improvement after a process already exists.

Program Details: The course will be four days in duration. The training will be held strictly in the classroom environment with hands on exercises and simulations. Upon completion the candidate will be deemed a Green Belt in DFSS after completion of a project. There is no examination.

Program Objectives: Upon completion of the four-day training course, the participant will be able to design Lean Six Sigma quality into the new processes. The participants will also be able to identify and address those processes that are so dysfunctional that traditional DMAIC will not be sufficient to problem solve the major issues. In other words, the organization is displaying the laws of diminishing returns – gains are very incremental, if anything at all.

Facilitator Biography – E. George Woodley: Certifications: Six Sigma Black Belt (CSSBB) by the American Society for Quality (ASQ) in 2002; LSS Master Black Belt (CLSSMBB) by Quality & Productivity Solutions (an ASQ related organization) in 2004; and Lean Master Practitioner in 2005 by Six Sigma.us. George has implemented the tools of Lean and Six Sigma since 2000 for a varied list of clients, both in-house and in open enrolment environments. Some of the tools taught and used have been: Graphical analysis tools (e.g. box plots), Process and Value Stream Mapping, Swim Lanes, Failure Mode and Effects Analysis, Cause and Effect Matrices, Process Capability Studies, Measurement System Analysis, Hypothesis Testing, ANOVA, Regression, 5S, Kanban, Kaizen Events, Theory of Constraints, Design of Experiments (traditional, attribute and historical), simulations (Monte Carlo), Statistical Process Control, Mistake Proofing, Response Surface Methodology. Most recently, George developed, delivered and coached candidates Design for Six Sigma for companies such as Inscape (Markham, ON) and Canadian Tire Credit (Kingston, ON). Soft skills include Project Management, mentoring, facilitating, Train-the-Trainer and course development of a specific set of materials for Genentech, a subsidiary of Rausch which enabled five (5) out of six (6) Green Belts to write and pass the American Society for Quality’s Black Belt exam on their first attempt.
Team guidance enabled George to fulfill the role of Project Leader for Lean and Six Sigma deployment initiatives with specific corporations; Washington Mutual bank, Alltel Telecommunications, the Internal Revenue Services (IRS), the American Red Cross and the Bank of Montreal’s (BMO) mortgage initiatives. Work affiliations included the Toronto Dominion-Canada Trust Bank (TD) as a Master Black Belt and Project Manager; Boston Scientific in Galway, Ireland as a course designer (for the ASQ), instructor and mentor; and Alberta Treasury Branches (ATB) as a course designer, facilitator and MBB coach. These roles included one-on-one mentoring of 50 Black Belts and approximately 100 Green Belt and Lean students. The realized savings in the form of reduction in the cost of poor quality was in the tens of millions of dollars.

In all, George has supported hundreds of Green Belts, Black Belts and Master Black Belts from 2000 onward with project management and coaching. Project savings were in the millions of dollars in cost reductions and ROI (Return on Investment). The most recent initiatives wee with Alberta Treasury Branches (ATB) to the tune of $10,567,000 and TD-Digital Services, with savings of over $8 million; a result of eight (8) Lean and Six Sigma projects.
George has dealt with identifying projects from project hoppers, identifying the right type of project methodology using a Project Selection Matrix, and getting the projects successfully launched with the chartering process. Project management is continually being done as a Master Black Belt and was done throughout his Lean Six Sigma career (2002 onward).

George is a graduate from the University of Guelph (cum laude), Guelph, Ontario, Canada, with a Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Statistics and completed one year in a Masters Statistics program. George’s apprenticeship was with Ford Motor Company and Motorola. He is fluent in English, French and Hungarian. He is also a Senior Member of the American Society for Quality (ASQ) and the Ohio Academy of Science (OAS).

Who Should Attend: Anyone who is interested in designing quality into future processes would benefit from this training. This should also be particularly appealing to organizations that are continually creating new processes or that have a variety of processes that cannot be improved greatly, no matter what resources or funds are utilized to try to improve them.

Prerequisites: There are no prerequisites for this course other than a desire to create new processes with a high standard of quality or redesign processes that are totally dysfunctional.