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DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control) provides the framework to improve existing processes in a systematic way. DMAIC projects begin with the identification of a problem, and in the Define phase you describe what you think needs improving. Without data this might be based on your best guess of things, so in the Measure phase you use facts and data to understand how your processes work and perform so that you can pinpoint the problem more effectively.

Now you can Analyze the situation by using facts and data to determine the root cause(s) of the problem that’s inhibiting your performance. With the root cause identified, you can now move to the Improve phase, identifying potential solutions, selecting the most suitable, and testing or piloting to validate your approach, using data where appropriate. You’re then ready to implement and monitor the solution in the Control phase.

The Control phase is especially important. You need to implement your solution, checking that your customers feel the difference in performance. You’ll need to use data to determine the extent of the improvement and to help you hold the gains. After all that work, you don’t want the problem you’ve solved to recur. With the right ongoing measures in place, you should also be able to prompt new opportunities.

The following sections provide a little more detail about the five DMAIC phases. Figure 2-1 shows how the phases link together, though the process is not necessarily linear. It could be that in the Define phase, for example, the problem that you are planning to tackle can’t be adequately quantified. In the Measure phase, you’ll be collecting data that enables you to go back to Define and update your description of the problem.

© Martin Brenig-Jones and Jo Dowdall

FIGURE 2-1: The five phases of DMAIC.