DMAIC is a data-driven quality strategy used to improve processes. It is an integral part of a Six Sigma initiative, but in general can be implemented as a standalone quality improvement procedure or as part of other process improvement initiatives such as lean. DMAIC stands for Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control. It represents the five phases that make up the process:
1. Define: Define the problem, improvement activity, opportunity for improvement, the project goals, and customer (internal and external) requirements. Project charter to define the focus, scope, direction, and motivation for the improvement team.
2. Measure: Measure process performance. Process map for recording the activities performed as part of a process. Capability analysis to assess the ability of a process to meet specifications. Pareto chart to analyze the frequency of problems or causes.
3. Analyze: Analyze the process to determine root causes of variation, poor performance (defects). Root cause analysis (RCA) to uncover causes. Failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA) for identifying possible product, service, and process failures. Multi-vari chart to detect different types of variation within a process.
4. Im