| ATTRIBUTE DATA |
A type of data used to represent
qualitative measures. |
| BLACKBELT |
A process improvement project team leader who is trained
and certified in the Six Sigma breakthrough methodology
and tools and who is responsible for project execution. |
| CAPABILITY |
The total range of inherent variation in a stable
process. It is determined using data from control charts. |
| CAPABILITY INDEX |
A calculated value used to compare process variation
to a specification. Examples are Cp, Cpk. Can also be
used to compare processes to each other. |
| CONTINUOUS DATA |
A type of data used to represent quantitative measures. |
| CONTROL PLAN |
A process control document that describes the system
for controlling processes and parts. |
| CORRELATION |
A measure of the linear association between 2 or more
variables. |
| COST OF POOR QUALITY |
Cost associated with poor quality products or services.
Examples: Product inspection, Sorting, Scrap, Rework,
and Field Complaints. |
| CP |
Cp is a process capability index that compares the
total process tolerance to its spread. |
| CPK |
A process capability measure that takes into account
a process shift. |
| CUSTOMER NEEDS, EXPECTATIONS |
Six Sigma is a disciplined methodology that helps
understand the customer requirements. It helps identify
and bridge the gap between what a customer truly wants
Vs what a company delivers to them. |
| DECISION TREE |
A decision tree represents a hierarchy of several
courses of action. The tree starts with a decision that
has to be made and branches out to subsequent (or possible)
ones lead by the outcome of initial decision. |
| DEFECT |
Any characteristic that deviates outside of specification
limits or customer requirements. |
| DEGREES OF FREEDOM |
Degrees of freedom is a measure of the number of independent
pieces of information that can used to estimate a population
parameter. |
| DESIGN FOR SIX SIGMA |
Design for Six Sigma (DFSS) is a set of tools and
techniques that will allow your designs to be right
the first time, work better than existing and competing
products. These DFSS tools include state-of-the-art
Voice of the Customer (VOC) Techniques, New Concept
Creation and Evaluation techniques, advanced statistical
and experimental tools. |
| DESIGN OF EXPERIMENTS (DOE) |
An efficient method of experimentation which identifies,
with minimum testing, factors (key process input variables)
and their optimum settings that affect the mean and
variation. |
| ESTIMATE |
An estimate is an indication of the value of an unknown
quantity based on observed sample data. |
| EVOP (EVOLUTIONARY OPERATION) |
EVOP (Evolutionary Operation): EVOP is a process improvement
tool. The key factor settings can be obtained to optimize
the output using small sequential changes to the process
under controlled conditions. |
| EXPERIMENT |
A research study in which one variable (the independent
variable) is manipulated by an operator while all other
factors are held constant; the effect of the independent
variable(s) on the response variable (the dependent
variable) is studied and some inferences are made. |
| FACTOR |
Factor is a variable investigated in a statistical
study, anything that contributes causally to a result;
"a number of factors determined the outcome". |
| FEEDBACK |
View your business in the eyes of your customer. Ask
your customers how they feel about your products/services
and use that information to improve your businesses. |
FIRST PASS YIELD
(FPY) |
The percentage of products or services that are successfully
completed on the first attempt without requiring remedial
action or rework. |
| FISH BONE DIAGRAM |
A Cause and Effects diagram where causes are typically
based on certain category like 6 M’s (Machine,
Method, Materials, Measurement, Man and Mother Nature),
4 S’s (Surroundings, Suppliers, Systems, Skills)
and 8 P’s (Price, Promotion, People, Processes,
Place / Plant, Policies, Procedures & Product). |
GAGE BIAS
(ALSO KNOWN AS ACCURACY) |
The difference between the true or reference value
and the observed average of multiple measurements of
the identical characteristic on the same part. |
| GAGE REPEATABILITY |
The variation in measurements obtained with one measurement
instrument when used several times by one appraiser
while measuring the identical characteristic on the
same part. |
| HISTOGRAM |
A graphic way of summarizing data by plotting possible
values on one axis and the observed frequencies for
those values on the other axis. It helps one visualize
the central tendency and dispersion of the data. |
| HYPOTHESIS TEST |
A process of testing two mutually exclusive statements
about a population using a sample data. The test verifies
which of the statements is best suited for the population. |
| ISHIKAWA DIAGRAM |
Ishikawa diagram is another name for Cause and Effects
diagram. |
| KANO DIAGRAM |
Kano Analysis creates separate categories of customer
requirements, not all of them are created equal. Your
customers can tell you which requirements belong to
what category, the most commonly used being Basic, Expected,
Delighters. A Kano Diagram represents a picture form
of this arrangement. |
| KEY PROCESS INPUT VARIABLE (KPIV) |
The vital few process input variables that have the
greatest effect on the output variable(s) of interest.
They are called “X’s”, (normally 2
– 6) |
| KEY PROCESS OUTPUT VARIABLE (KPOV) |
The output variable(s) of interest. They are called
the “Y’s”, (usually 1). May be process
performance measures or product characteristics. |
| LEAN DESIGN |
Lean is a methodology focusing on aggressively eliminating
waste and reducing complexity in all aspects of business
and manufacturing. Waste is defined as defects, overproduction,
transportation, waiting, inventory, motion, and processing
(DOTWIMP). |
MASTER BLACKBELT
(MBB) |
A person who is “expert” in Six Sigma
breakthrough techniques and project implementation.
MBBs play a key role in training and coaching Blackbelts. |
| MEASUREMENT ERROR |
An ideal measurement system produces “true”
measurements every time; this however, may not happen
in a practical situation. If you measure the same object
two different times, the two measurements may not be
the same. The difference between two measurements is
called a variation in the measurements or the Measurement
Error. |
| MEASUREMENT SYSTEM |
The complete process used to obtain measurements.
It consists of the collection of operations, procedures,
gages and other equipment, software, and personnel used
to assign a number or value to the characteristic being
measured. |
| MEASUREMENT SYSTEM CAPABILITY |
Short term estimate of the Measurement System Variation.
Short term estimate of the Measurement System Variation
in order to assess what percent of the total process
variation is taken up by measurement error (includes
both repeatability and reproducibility). |
| MINITAB |
The main statistical software package used by the
Six Sigma Blackbelts. |
| MULTI-VARI CHART |
A graphic way of depicting variation within a single
part, machine or process, or between parts (produced
at the same time or over time). Allows the study of
process inputs and outputs in a passive mode (natural
day-to-day process). |
| NORMAL DISTRIBUTION |
A continuous, symmetrical, bell shaped frequency distribution
for variable data. |
| POKA YOKA |
Error / Mistake Proofing |
| PROBABILITY |
The chance of an event happens or a condition occurring
in a random trial. |
| PROCESS |
The combination of people, equipment, materials, methods,
and environment that produce output – a given
product or service. It is the particular way of doing
something. |
| PROCESS MAP |
A step-by-step pictorial sequence of a process showing
process inputs, process outputs, cycle time rework operations,
and inspection points. |
| PROCESS SPREAD |
The extent to which the distribution of individual
values of the process characteristic (input or output
variable) vary; often shown as the process average plus
and minus some number of standard deviations. Other
related measures of spread include the range, and variance. |
| PULL SYSTEM |
A system in which the amount of production (supply)
is triggered by the amount of demand. When an item,
or small batch of items, is 'consumed' a kanban triggers
the replenishment. |
| RANDOM SAMPLING |
Collecting a sample of units from population such
that each unit has an equal chance of being selected
for a sample. This helps to ensure that the method of
sample selection is not biased. |
| ROI (RETURN ON INVESTMENT) |
ROI is a key measure that compares the profit against
investments and helps to assess the financial performance
of an organization. It is defined as the ratio of “Net
Profit After Taxes” to “Total Assets”. |
| ROLLED THROUGHPUT YIELD |
The multiplication of all of the individual first
pass yields of each step of the entire process. |
| ROOT CAUSE ANALYSIS |
Analyzing a problem to investigate a “root cause”
or reason for the problem. |
| SAMPLE |
A representative of the population, a collection of
units from the population itself. |
| SAMPLE SIZE |
The number units (drawn from a population) in a sample. |
| SIGMA LEVEL |
Sigma Level is a statistical measure used in Six Sigma
world to assess the process performance. Typically the
goal is to achieve sigma level of 6 (and hence the name
six sigma) which is equivalent to having 3.4 defects
per million opportunities. |
| SIX SIGMA CHAMPION |
A business leader who facilitates the leadership,
implementation, and deployment of the six sigma initiative
and breakthrough philosophies, and provides support
to the blackbelt(s) and or greenbelt(s) and their project(s). |
| SIX SIGMA PROCESS DESIGN |
Six Sigma Process Design (SSPD) is used to design
a new process or service capable of meeting the performance
requirements by a customer. It is appropriate for either
designing a process from scratch or redesigning an existing
process. SSPD can be applied to services as well as
manufacturing processes. |
| SPECIFICATION |
The engineering requirement or customer requirement
for judging acceptability of a particular characteristic. |
| STANDARD DEVIATION |
A measure of the spread of the process (width of the
distribution). |
| STATISTICAL CONTROL |
The condition describing a process from which all
special/assignable causes of variation have been eliminated
and only common/random causes remain. Applies to both
the mean (location) and standard deviation (spread). |
| SUM OF SQUARES |
Gives a measure of variation for an experiment. |
| VARIATION |
Difference between individual measurements. Differences
are attributed to common and/or special causes. |
| WORK IN PROGRESS |
Work at various stages of production (or service)
from start to finish through a complete cycle of a process. |
