There is no secret that the DMAIC framework for a project improvement has been viewed as one of the most groundbreaking and most widely used tools for successfully promoting changes in the context of a company (Kubiak & Benbow, 2009a). However, due to the need to avoid manufacturing issues at the earliest stages of the production process, a different approach toward quality management was designed. Known as DFSS, it requires the application of the DMADV (Design, Measure, Analyze, Define, Verify) and, as the article by Johnson, Gitlow, Widener, and Popovich (2006) has shown, can be applied to the context of any company y. Particularly, the DMADV strategy can be used as the tool for promoting continuous optimization of the QA-related processes. Consequently, the QA team members will be able to improve the outcomes of their performance on a regular basis, each time achieving a new and more impressive result (Kubiak & Benbow, 2009c).
When applying the DFSS concept in the context of the Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation, one will have to consider the fact that the enhancement of the control over the manual check process is the primary goal for the department at present. Therefore, the Design stage of the DMADV framework will have to incorporate the creation of the strategy that will allow for maintaining the repeatability rates among the staff members high. For instance, the provision of training courses that will focus on training the corresponding skills should be viewed as a possibility (Kubiak & Benbow, 2009b).
The Measure stage will involve the analysis of the factors that affect the staff’s operations presently, as well as the effect that the provision of the training sessions will have on the participants. The stage will be complete with the help of observations and the analysis of the records made in the process, as well as the key statistical data.
The Analyze Phase will require the use of statistical frameworks such as ANOVA, a t-test, etc. Thus, the effects of the strategy used to enhance the QA processes will be evaluated and quantified. More importantly, the degree to which the approach will have changed the team’s performance will be identified (Kubiak & Benbow, 2009d).
The Design Stage, in its turn, will require that a complete strategy for quality improvement should be developed. For these purposes, the QA managers at Sikorsky will have to come up with not only a basic framework but also a detailed manual for every crucial process in the QA department so that the staff could follow the newly designed rules.
Finally, the Verify Phase will require that the change in the customer’s feedback should be considered and the information about further implications should be retrieved from them. The verification routine can be accomplished by distributing surveys among the customers. Additionally, the phase will also have to include the assessment of the QA outcomes by the company’s experts so that the customer satisfaction levels could be raised (Johnson, Gitlow, Widener, & Popovich, 2006).
The DFSS concept, therefore, can be successfully applied to the environment of the manufacturing processes in an organization, as well as the QA-related area, specifically, the Quality Assurance Team at the Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation. Particularly, the framework must be used in order to avoid the instances of omitting defects in the course of the control as opposed to managing the emergent problems. While the DMAIC concept is not to be forgotten, the DMADV approach will have to be applied at a different level of the company’s operations.
Reference List
Johnson, J. A., Gitlow, H., Widener, S., & Popovich, E. (2006). Designing new housing at the University of Miami: A “Six Sigma”® DMADV/DFSS case study. Quality Engineering, 18(3), 299-323.
Kubiak, T. M., & Benbow, D. W. (2009a). Common DFSS methodologies. In the Certified Six Sigma Black Belt handbook (2nd ed.). (pp. 414-415). Milwaukee, WI: ASQ Press.
Kubiak, T. M., & Benbow, D. W. (2009b). Design for X (DFX). In the Certified Six Sigma Black Belt handbook (2nd ed.). (pp. 416-417). Milwaukee, WI: ASQ Press.
Kubiak, T. M., & Benbow, D. W. (2009c). Robust design and process. In the Certified Six Sigma Black Belt handbook (2nd ed.). (pp. 418-423). Milwaukee, WI: ASQ Press.
Kubiak, T. M., & Benbow, D. W. (2009d). Special design and tools. In the Certified Six Sigma Black Belt handbook (2nd ed.). (pp. 424-430). Milwaukee, WI: ASQ Press.