Six Sigma Project Report Template

Title Stating Subject and Purpose of Report

Submitted to:

Name, Title
Department/Organization
Address (optional)

Prepared by:

Name, Title
Department/Organization
Address (optional)

Authentication:
Name, Title, E-mail

Date Submitted

Example:

Damage-Free Delivery Project: Solving Problems

with Products Damaged in Shipping

Submitted to:

Name Unknown, CEO
Polymerland, A Division of GE Plastics

Prepared by:

Name Unknown, Champion
Also Name Unknown, Black Belt
Polymerland, A Division of GE Plastics

December 20, 1997

Note: Do not put a page number on your title page. Begin numbering the pages with the Executive Summary.

Executive Summary

• The Executive Summary presents the major information the report contains. Its readers are typically managers who need a broad understanding of the project and how it fits into a coherent whole. These readers do not need or want a detailed understanding of the various steps taken to complete your project. Therefore, the Executive Summary allows readers to learn the gist of the report without reading the entire document, to determine whether the report is relevant to their needs, or to get an overview before focusing on the details. We consider writing a concise (one-page or less) and comprehensive executive summary a critical element of an effective Six Sigma project.

The Executive Summary should include:

• Problem Statement
• Scope
• Methods (if appropriate)
• Major results, including key supporting information
• Conclusions
• Recommendations (if appropriate)

An Executive Summary is not used as an introduction to the report, but is an independent, entirely condensed version, the report in miniature. It generally has the following characteristics:

• Length of one page for reports fewer than 10 pages. For longer reports, maximum length is often 5 to10% of the length of the full report.
• The Executive Summary should include no terms, abbreviations, or symbols unfamiliar to the reader. Readers should understand the content of the Executive Summary without reading the rest of the report.

Example:.

Executive Summary

On July 1, 1997 a representative of one of our largest and most lucrative customers told us he was considering taking his business elsewhere because too many of our products had been arriving contaminated. We immediately began examining the problem and determined that between January 1, 1997 and June 30, 1997, Polymerland delivered 275,501,855 pounds of products to our customers, 176,381 pounds of which were contaminated. That is, 176,381 pounds of products were damaged during shipping and then delivered to customers.

We immediately told our dissatisfied customer that we would examine the problem closely and correct the situation. Next, we formed a team to determine the cause of the problem and implement a solution. Our team used the Six Sigma Strategy to examine the processes used in shipping our products and identify ways to optimize these processes.

Following the Six Sigma Strategy, we determined that two of our warehouses, Maumee and Piedmont, produced the highest number of defects, while our Brampton warehouse was operating at Six Sigma levels. In the Maumee and Piedmont warehouses, 95% of the damaged boxes had two punctures at the base of one side of the box, causing leakage. In addition, we determined that 87% of the damage occurred when the boxes were moved with a forklift.

We also discovered a relationship between how the product was packaged and the type of damage done. Bags were most likely to be damaged if they were scraped across the floor, but boxes were more likely to be damaged when handled by a forklift operator. We concluded there was a strong correlation between the damaged products and the use of a forklift to move them. However, the reason for the correlation was unclear since the Brampton warehouse, which was working at Six Sigma, also transported the product using forklifts. Therefore, we then looked at the forklift drivers in the Maumee, Piedmont, and Brampton warehouses and discovered that the forklift drivers in Brampton were more experienced than the drivers in Maumee and Piedmont.

From this information, we determined that two factors contributed to the number of damaged products customers received: whether the product was moved in the warehouse by forklift and whether the forklift operator was experienced at operating a forklift.

To reduce or eliminate the number of boxes damaged in our warehouses, we considered the following alternatives:

• Hire more experienced forklift operators for the Maumee and Piedmont plants. However, this would incur significant costs and may not be possible.
• Require extensive training for the forklift operators in the Maumee and Piedmont warehouses. This solution would also be expensive and would not guarantee fewer damaged products.
• Install shorter forks on all forklifts used in Polymerland warehouses. This installation would cost $350 per forklift.

Beginning in December 1997, all Polymerland warehouses replaced the 42-inch forks with 36-inch forks on their forklifts. Since this change, the number of damaged products delivered to our customers has reduced significantly.

1.0 Introduction Note: Optional as a separate section, which may include the following in the Define Phase Section.:

Announce the subject of the report (the problem the report addresses), the task performed in response to the problem, and the purpose of the report.

Note: The purpose of the report is not the purpose of the project. The purpose of the report is to present information that will enable readers to understand a subject, to affect readers' attitudes toward some subject, or to enable readers to carry out a task.

The introduction can also explain key terms used in the report (if appropriate); announce the most significant findings, including key support; announce the conclusions and, if appropriate, recommendations; and forecast the content and organization of the report (optional). Current practice supports including this information to give readers a viewpoint from which to interpret the data the report presents and to provide tools to help readers navigate through the text.

Note: some of the information in an introduction may simply repeat from the executive summary.

Example:

1.0 Introduction

On July 1, 1997 a representative of one of our most lucrative accounts told us he was unhappy that many of our products had been arriving contaminated. He complained that he had to use his company's time and resources to ship the defective products back to Polymerland for replacement, and said he would take his business elsewhere if the situation didn't improve. We immediately told him that we would correct the problem to ensure he receives only high quality products from Polymerland. Next, we formed a team chartered with using Six Sigma strategy to determine the cause of the problem and implement a solution. The purpose of this report is to present the results of our team's problem-solving process and explain the solution we adopted. Following the Six Sigma problem-solving strategy, we concluded that two factors contributed to the number of damaged products customers received: whether the product was moved in Polymerland's warehouse by forklift and whether the forklift operator was experienced at operating a forklift. In addition, we determined that the specific damage was caused by the forks on the forklift. The forks protruded six to nine inches out from under the box, so that as the fork was fully inserted under the box being retrieved, the box behind it was punctured. To reduce or eliminate the number of boxes damaged in our warehouses, we considered several alternatives and decided to install shorter forks on all forklifts used in Polymerland warehouses. Therefore, beginning in December 1997, all Polymerland warehouses replaced the 42-inch forks with 36-inch forks for $350 per forklift. This report presents a detailed explanation of the steps we followed using the six sigma problem-solving strategy—define, measure, analyze, improve, and control—to determine why our customer was receiving damaged products and to change the faulty step in our shipping process, ensuring these defects do not happen again.

2.0 The Improvement Opportunity: The Define Phase

Discuss the problem you examined. Explain how you identified your specific Six Sigma project. You might possibly integrate visuals and data summaries with text using tools such as a Pareto chart or a summary report of current performance for either a manufacturing or transactional process.

Some topics that should be included are:

• Discussion of the problem addressed in your project;
• Discussion of project scope, (e.g., if you chose to limit your project to a particular part of a larger problem statement or project due to timing constraints or span of influence);
• Identification of key measures that you used to evaluate the success of the project (examples: DPM, DPMO, process yield, error rates, processing or order-filling time, machine cycle time, number of complaints, etc.);
• Discussion of impact on your project on key business indicators (e.g., the impact of your project to your company or customer).

3.0 Performance: The Measure Phase

Analyze current performance levels and identify goals you hope to achieve. Integrate visuals presenting flow charts, cause-and-effect diagrams, process control charts, sample data sets, summary statistics, and/or run charts. You also might include visuals presenting results from process capability studies, measurement system analyses, and process audits. (Note: Do not present long, bulky data sets in the main report, place them in appendices to the report.) Identify the Key Product Output Variables (KPOV’s) examined and/or list potential Key Product Input Variables (KPIV’s). The following information should be clearly identified:

• Current Performance Levels (Required)—Identify the current state of your process performance metric(s) (e.g., 25% defect rate, 35,000 DPM, 15 days to complete order).
• Data Collection (Optional)—Briefly discuss the data collected in your project. Include a listing of KPOV’s and KPIV’s examined.
• Measurement System Analysis (Optional)—Discuss the validity of your measurement data either qualitatively or quantitatively using tools such as a Gage Repeatability and Reproducibility Study, and Gage Accuracy Study. Identify the strengths and limitations of your data collection method.
• Target Performance Levels (Required)—Identify the desired performance levels or improvement amounts of your performance metric (e.g., Reduce DPM level from 35,000 to 3.4, or reduce time-to-delivery by 50%).

Examples of Current and Target Performance Level Assessments:

• Our current process requires 15 days to complete a special order and we wish to reduce this time to less than 7 days. Or,
• We currently are operating at 10,000 DPMs and we wish to reduce this level to less than 3.4 DPMs.

Visual elements that may enhance this section are:

• Flow chart, SIPOC Diagram or Current State Map of the process. This is highly recommended, as they are a great visual aid and allow other readers to immediately comprehend the process basics.
• Visuals presenting results of process capability studies or process audits.
• Process Control Charts or Run Charts.
• Cause and Effect Diagrams.

4.0 Analysis and Interpretation: The Analyze Phase

Analyze gaps between current performance and target performance levels, explaining possible sources of variation. Include subtopics and subheadings that reflect your case. Include visuals supporting analysis from using stratification analysis, regression analysis, correlation analysis, etc.

In this section, discuss the relationships between the KPIVs and KPOVs. For example, discuss those variables that have a direct cause-and-effect relationship or those input variable settings (or range of settings) in which the KPOV(s) are robust.

Information that must be included in this section include:

• You must demonstrate your understanding of course concepts and tools by showing evidence of the use of at least one data analysis tool/ method discussed in this course. You should support this requirement by including at least one table, graph, or diagram within the main body of the text (e.g., include a Pareto chart, stratification analysis table, cause-and-effect diagram, scatter plot, correlation analysis, process control chart, measurement systems analysis (gage R&R) report, etc.). Note: these tables and figures must be integrated into the main body of your report; additional background material may be included in the appendix.
• The use of additional data analysis tools is encouraged and may request re-submittal of a project to include additional analysis, if appropriate.

Note: Some analysis tools used in the Analyze Phase may also apply in the Improve Phase. Students may discuss the use of Six Sigma problem solving and analysis tools in either the Analyze Phase or the Improve Phase as appropriate to present their argument.

5.0 Recommendation: The Improve Phase

Identify alternative ways to improve performance. Try to evaluate how well alternatives will be able to meet target performance goals. Specify criteria for choosing a course of action. Present conclusions regarding alternatives and identify recommended solution. Consider presenting the material in the following subtopics with appropriate second-level headings.

• Alternative Solutions Considered
• Recommended Solution

6.0 The Control Phase

Identify the method of control such as process control charts, poke-yoke devices, process monitoring/ tracking systems, and standardized work. If data is available, demonstrate how your solution has achieved the desired results, where possible.

Comment: It might not be possible to include data that supports that an actual improvement was made to the process because of the project time constraints. If this is the case, please at least discuss the potential benefits of implementing the recommendations.

7.0 Conclusion

Briefly restate the problem addressed, the process followed to reach a solution, and the chosen solution. List the potential benefits to the chosen solution. Note: if your results or recommendations are incomplete or sensitive to your company, please try to discuss potential benefits in relative terms. (e.g., a 20% reduction in error rates or a 10% cost savings). If appropriate, explain any further action to be taken, including the responsible team members and schedule.

Example:

7.0 Conclusion

When one of our most lucrative customers complained about receiving defective Polymerland products, we immediately began working toward a solution. Using Six Sigma strategy, we determined the length of the forks on our forklifts was causing the forks to puncture the boxes during handling in our warehouses. After considering several alternatives, we replaced the 42-inch forks with 36-inch forks for $350 per forklift. Now that all Polymerland forklifts are equipped with the new, shorter forks, we are seeing significantly fewer problems and our customers are again happy with our products.

Appendices

Use appendices to present information that is too bulky to be presented in the body of the report or that will interest only a few readers. For example, large diagrams or charts, computations, software package graphics, test data, and texts of supporting documents should appear in appendices. Only use an appendix when the data is not relevant to the report but might be of interest to some of the readers. We expect most if not all of your tables and graphs to be in the main body of the report. Appendices have the following characteristics:

• Titled "Appendix," not "Figure" or "Table"
• Usually lettered rather than numbered
• Referred to at appropriate points in the body of the report so they are accessible to the reader who wants to consult the data.