Six Sigma, in plant terms
At its core, Six Sigma is a disciplined way to reduce defects and variation by using data instead of opinion. The best-known framework is DMAIC: Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control. The plants that get value from it keep the discipline and drop the theater: no project office, no wall of slides, just a real problem, a measured baseline and a fix that stays fixed.
For a supplier with limited engineering and quality staff, that matters. We use as much or as little of the Six Sigma toolbox as the problem needs.
DMAIC on your floor
- Define. Write the problem so everyone agrees on it: which part, which process, how big, what it costs, and who owns it.
- Measure. Establish a baseline you trust. That includes checking that the measurement system itself is good enough to tell good parts from bad.
- Analyze. Find the causes with the people closest to the process, using tools like process maps, Pareto charts, capability studies and structured root cause analysis.
- Improve. Test and implement changes to the process, work instructions and controls, and confirm that they work.
- Control. Lock in the gain through control plans, updated standards, training and routine checks such as layered process audits, so the problem does not creep back.
When DMAIC, and when something quicker
Not every problem needs a full DMAIC project. A one-off defect with an obvious cause may only need a good 8D and a fast containment. A chronic problem that keeps returning, such as high scrap in one process, variation nobody can explain, or a recurring customer complaint, is where Six Sigma pays off.
We help you choose the right level of effort, and we tie the work into your existing corrective action and audit system. When corrective actions keep reopening, the issue is often not the tool but the cause that was never found. See why your corrective actions keep reopening.
Tools we use, when they fit
Process mapping, Pareto analysis, cause-and-effect and 5 Why analysis, measurement system analysis, capability studies, control charts and design of experiments, only where the problem calls for them. Many plant problems are solved with a few simple tools and a clear look at the process. If a fix needs heavier statistics, we will say so, and explain why in plain language.
Every engagement ends with the same question: what will keep this from coming back? The answer should be built into the control plan, the work instruction, training and your routine checks, not left to memory.
Results from the floor
At EFI in Elkmont, Alabama, scrap dropped from 7% to 0.1% after we clarified requirements, accounted for every scrap piece, drove corrective actions on the real causes and updated work instructions. At Tenneco in Athens, Alabama, structured problem solving and CAPA effectiveness checks brought customer complaints from 25+ per month to under 5. Both are on our case studies page.
Building your team's capability
We work alongside your people on the floor, so they pick up the method by using it on a problem that matters to them. The goal is for your team to be able to run the next problem without us. If you also want cost visibility and a clean audit trail, pair this with COPQ reduction and internal audits.
We are based in Decatur, Alabama, and work with suppliers across Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia, Mississippi, Kentucky and South Carolina, and beyond.