Background, Introduction, Benefits and Objective
Whereas SIX SIGMA is applied as a method and philosophy to existing processes to establish the objective of a zero fault process on a long-term basis, DESIGN for SIX SIGMA (DFSS) is applied to development processes, and the aim is to detect and eliminate as many faults as possible at the beginning or during development.

DESIGN for SIX SIGMA includes a great many tools which, when combined, are intended to ensure that the mechanisms of action can be set reliably. This methodology can be applied for the development of new products and processes.

The later that faults are recognized in the development process, the more costly it will be to rectify them. The benefits of DESIGN for SIX SIGMA are derived from this: Faults should be recognized as quickly as possible and eliminated in the DESIGN and development phase for new products and processes, to prevent the otherwise typical cost explosion at the beginning of the production phase.

Methods in DESIGN for SIX SIGMA
As with classic SIXSIGMA, decisions on DESIGN for SIX SIGMA can also be carried out based on data. At the beginning of a development process, there are usually only requirements from customers. Systematically recording, structuring and evaluating these and deriving the right product features and designs from them is a key aspect of DFSS. The tools used here are pairwise comparison, affinity diagram, CTQ drivertree (CTQ = Critical to Quality), QFD (Quality Function Deployment),functional analysis, utility analysis, Pugh matrix, value stream analysis,process map, cause-effect matrix.

The training
The DFSS (DESIGN for SIX SIGMA) training begins in a structured manner with phase 1 and initially deals with a clear project definition, drawn up as a project brief. Then come the stakeholder analysis (environment analysis) and the risk analysis. In phase 2, the training deals with determining customer requirements (Voice of the Customer, VoC), their structuring (8W methodology, Kano model, affinity diagram, CTQ driver tree), followed by pairwise comparison and the House of Quality or QFD (Quality Function Deployment). Functional analysis, introduction to FMEA, various creativity techniques (morphological boxes, SCAMPER, Osborne checklist, Six Thinking Hats according to de Bono, the Walt Disney method,etc.), the Pugh matrix, utility analysis are important tools for creativity and for prioritising design proposals. Finally, the methodology of systematic invention (TRIZ), the creation of a process map, a cause-effect matrix, a value stream analysis and design rounds off the methodological toolkit for DFSS.

Software
To create meaningful graphs, in this training we will either use Excel or the software Workspace byMinitab©. Workspace allows professional graphics for individual DFSS methods to be created quickly: pairwise comparison, CTQ driver tree, House of Quality, QFD, design scorecards, value stream analysis, process map, Ishikawa diagram,and cause-effect matrix.

Workspace by Minitab© can also be downloaded as a 30-day free license and then used after the end of the training (for a total of 30 days).

For all the tools for this training, Excel templates are available.