This is the first phase of the DMAIC process. [If you happen to land on this article and have not see the previous one, please have a look here: “Process Improvement“].
The DEFINE phase has the objective to define the overall process and improvement opportunity from the business and customer (if applicable) perspective. It is about:
- developing a “charter”;
- gathering initial evidence about the process to improve, with historical data;
- drafting high-level map of the process under examination.
The charter will establish clearly goal, project scope, timelines, roles & responsibilities in the improvement team. It will require management approval. This will help in setting priorities clearly, ensure commitment and support and to provide a shared understanding on the project and a clear mission to the improvement team. A training session may be required at this stage to ensure that all the members of the improvement team are familiar with the process.
It is often said that this phase focuses on the “Big Y“. This is consistent with the view that the problem under analysis will be the result of a combination of variables as in a mathematical equation as: Y = f(Xn). It is about asking the question “what is that we are trying to improve here?“. The Big Y will normally be identified in relation to a specific problem already evident or a perceived inefficiency in a specific process.
To aid decision, data should be gathered and there are a variety of tools and techniques that can be used. Below is a selection of the tools, which are not necessarily in the order of priority or importance.
“Voice of the customer” (VoC)
First of all, the key “customers” of the process must be identified. These can be the final customers (end-users) of the process or the intermediate customers, those involved in the steps of the process. It is about establishing their needs and their perceptions of the “quality” of the process. A high- level flowchart may be useful, if the process is not already well defined (see below).
This is a fundamental assessment that will properly focus the improvement project. It will identify already some critical features (Is it about quality? Or time? Or both?).
“Critical To” trees (CTs)
This is intended to focus on the characteristics and features that the customers use to assess the appropriateness of the service or products that they need. It is meant to to be constructed like a branched tree, with:
- at the top, the very generic need (“I need X to provide the data“), which is very general and hard to put a measure to;
- a step below, the drivers and requirements such as, for example: quality of the data, structured in the agreed format, provided without solicitation, available every Monday morning at 9am (which are more specific and measurable).
The improvement team may come up with multiple trees, if the process has multiple features such as quality, time, availability etc.
If the discussion is with the intermediate customers (those involved in the steps of the process), the improvement team will have to produce CT trees for all the functions involved.
High-level process flowchart
If not available, it is important to walk the process through a high-level chart or using a “swim-lanes” diagram. A swim-lane diagram is a type of flowchart that delineates who-does-what in a process. Using the metaphor of lanes in a swimming pool, the diagram provides clarity and accountability by placing process steps within the “lane” of a particular group or function.
This can be a very revealing exercise, but it might take some time and patience.
“In assembly, it’s much easier to see how material and information flow, the steps for doing the operation, and how steps relate. All that was very visible and could be studied, analyzed, and improved upon. In the office, the process is very invisible…”
attributed to Lou Farinola, former Director of the General Motors, Global Manufacturing System
The improvement team will dip into the “way of working” and the established practices, which the team may find not quite aligned to the established departmental procedures. These practices sometimes may be tightly guarded and treasured like state secrets….
After a review of the information gathered in this step, the reach of an agreement on the charter and its approval, the improvement team will be ready to move to the next phase.
Marco Bottacini, Senior Portfolio Manager, GALVmed
The views and opinions expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinion of GALVmed.
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