International Journal of Emerging Technology and Advanced Engineering

Website: www.ijetae.com (ISSN 2250-2459, ISO 9001:2008 Certified Journal, Volume 6, Issue 12, December 2016)

Increased Productivity through Six Sigma

Yash Parkhi1, Nikhil Shukla2, Swapnil Patel3, Pratik Dhanotiya4
Mechanical Engineering Final Year Student, Swami Vivekanand College of Engineering

and product quality characteristics which are critical to the

Abstract Six Sigma is a business process that
eliminates waste or defects by focusing on outputs that
are essential to the customer. Through the use of
DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and
Control) organizations can reduce waste in their
processes. The goal of this study is to look at prosperity
of implementing Six Sigma at Company XYZ on a
particular product line by capitalizing on the DMAIC
process. Process maps were created to show critical
paths; data will was collected and analyzed.
Conclusions and recommendations were drawn from
the analyzed data.
customer Assumptions of the Study. The word Sigma is a
statistical term that measures how far a given process
deviates from perfection. The central idea behind Six
Sigma: If you can measure how many "defects" you have in
a process, you can systematically figure out how to
eliminate them and get as close to "zero defects" as
possible and specifically it means a failure rate of 3.4 parts
per million or 99.9997% perfect

Keywords DMAIC, SIPOC (COPIS), QFD, Root

cause Analysis, Quantitative marketing research
INTRODUCTION
Six Sigma is a highly disciplined process that helps us
focus on developing and delivering near-perfect products
and services. Six Sigma is a quality methodology that
increases profits by reducing costs associated with quality
issues and warranty problems. It focuses on reduction in
variations of process and product quality characteristics
which are critical to the customer. At Company XYZ, one
warranty claim for defective paint or a bad bearing of
products can be tens of thousands of dollars; and that does
not include potential lost business due to bad company
reputation. Statement of the Problem. Company XYZ has
implemented lean manufacturing in February 2008. This
has resulted in waste reduction in the company's operations.
However, the company would like to improve customer
satisfaction further by reducing in variations of process and
product quality characteristics which are critical to the
customer. Purpose of the Study Purpose of this study is to
improve customer satisfaction by using the six sigma
quality improvement methodology to compliment the
implemented lean methods to reduce variations of process
I. LITERATURE REVIEW
Six Sigma's aim is to eliminate waste and inefficiency,
thereby increasing customer satisfaction by delivering what
the customer is expecting. It follows a structured
methodology, and has defined roles for the participants. Six
Sigma is a data driven methodology, and requires accurate
data collection for the processes being analyzed. It is about
putting results on Financial Statements. Six Sigma is a
business-driven, multi-dimensional structured approach for.
1. Improving Processes
2. Lowering Defects
3. Reducing process variability
4. Reducing costs
5. Increasing customer satisfaction
6. Increased profits
At its core, Six Sigma revolves around a few key concepts.

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 International Journal of Emerging Technology and Advanced Engineering
Website: www.ijetae.com (ISSN 2250-2459, ISO 9001:2008 Certified Journal, Volume 6, Issue 12, December 2016)
Critical to Quality: Attributes most important to
the customer.
Defect: Failing to deliver what the customer
wants.
Process Capability: What your process can
deliver.
Variation: What the customer sees and feels.
Stable Operations: Ensuring consistent,
predictable processes to improve what the
customer sees and feels.
Design for Six Sigma: Designing to meet customer
needs and process capability.
Our Customers Feel the Variance, Not the Mean. So Six
Sigma focuses first on reducing process variation and then
on improving the process capability
II. PROJECT UNDERTAKEN
Six Sigma is new, emerging, approach to quality assurance
and quality management with emphasis on continuous
quality improvements. The main goal of this approach is
reaching level of quality and reliability that will satisfy and
even exceed demands and expectations of todays
demanding customer. If Sigma quality level equals six,
chances for defective products are 3.4 ppm. Achieving Six
Sigma quality level involves leadership, infrastructure,
appropriate tools and methods, while quality have to
become a part of corporate business plan. The main
objective of Six Sigma initiative is to aggressively attack
costs of a quality.
Commercial vehicles being the commercial market leader
of LD vehicles (Approx. 35% Share) and is on its way of
ruling the HD vehicles segment. Although having a strong
financial image the organization is now focused more on
cost saving in the terms of Initial product quality by Initial
Quality Improvement and Warranty Cost Reduction,
detecting problems at various ends. The organization is
focused on 100% Straight Pass, which means zero defect
vehicles are to be produced right first time.
III. METHODOLOGY
When using Six Sigma a standardized model named
DMAIC is commonly used for project management.
DMAIC ensures a standardized working procedure and
consists of five phases. These are Define, Measure,
Analyze, Improve and Control. Using the model the
problem is first being defined, thereafter facts about the
problem are collected through measurements. The facts are
then analyzed with the purpose of finding the main cause of
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the problem. When the main cause has been identified the
process is being improved and necessary follow-ups and
controls are established to ensure that the improvement will
be efficient.
Define: Define specific goals to achieve outcomes,
consistent with customers demand and business strategy
Measure: Measure reduction of defects
Analyze: Analyze problems, cause and effects must be
considered
Improve: Improve process on bases of measurements and
analysis
Control: Control process to minimize defects
8D Training (Research Phase)
Eight Disciplines (8Ds) Problem Solving is a method
developed at Ford Motor Company used to approach and to
resolve problems, typically employed by engineers or other
professionals. Focused on product and process
improvement, its purpose is to identify, correct, and
eliminate recurring problems. It establishes a permanent
corrective action based on statistical analysis of the
problem and on the origin of the problem by determining
the root causes. Although it originally comprised eight
stages, or 'disciplines', it was later augmented by an initial
planning stage. 8D follows the logic of the PDCA cycle
(Plan Do Check and Act). The disciplines are:
D0: Plan: Plan for solving the problem and determine the
prerequisites.
D1: Use a Team: Establish a team of people with
product/process knowledge.
D2: Describe the Problem: Specify the problem by
identifying in quantifiable terms who, what, where, when,
why, how, and how many (5W2H) for the problem.
D3: Develop Interim Containment Plan: Define and
implement containment actions to isolate the problem from
any customer.
D4: Determine, and Verify Root Causes and Escape Points:
Identify all applicable causes that could explain why the
problem has occurred. Also identify why the problem was
not noticed at the time it occurred. All causes shall be
verified or proved. One can use five whys or Ishikawa
diagrams to map causes against the effect or problem
identified.
 International Journal of Emerging Technology and Advanced Engineering
Website: www.ijetae.com (ISSN 2250-2459, ISO 9001:2008 Certified Journal, Volume 6, Issue 12, December 2016)
D5: Verify Permanent Corrections (PCs) for Problem will
resolve problem for the customer: Using pre-production
programs, quantitatively confirm that the selected
correction will resolve the problem. (Verify that the
correction will actually solve the problem.)
D6: Define and Implement Corrective Actions: Define and
Implement the best corrective actions.
D7: Prevent System Problems: Modify the management
systems, operation systems, practices, and procedures to
prevent recurrence of this and all similar problems.
D8: Congratulate Your Team: Recognize the collective
efforts of the team. The team needs to be formally thanked
by the organization.
8Ds has become a standard in the automotive, assembly,
and other industries that require a thorough structured
problem solving process using a team approach.
Six Sigma Methodologies Is . . .
An overall methodology that drives
business improvement.
A proven tool set for driving and
achieving transformational change
within an organization.
A Business Improvement Process
that focuses an organization on
Customer requirements,
Process alignment,
Analytical rigor,
Timely execution.
IV. QUANTATIVE MARKET RESEARCH
1. The study and its objectives
The main objective was to reduce initial quality failure or
unplanned visit within 6 months from installation date and
to identify and eradicate the reasons which are contributing
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in major defect generation in the field. Also, to identify the
areas in the process where defect generation was taking
place, improve process and introduce improvements. An
adequate metrics for evaluating project should be
established.
When the project was started, few useful historical data
were available, so the first step was to collect the data. On
the base of collected data decision about selection of
process for improvement should be made, all process
phases should be screened and appropriate action plan for
minimizing variability within the process. In accordance to
Six Sigma philosophy, Define, Measure, Analyse, Improve
and Control strategy approach was employed. In
accordance with DMAIC methodology, project goals
should be defined, cross-functional teams formed including
individuals with adequate process knowledge, historical
information collected, and appropriate process selected for
improvements.
In general a six sigma project takes 4 to 6 months for
completion as it is a very detailed and structured
methodology, while in 8D as per Volvo golden rule
deadline to submit the 8D for any defect is 21 days.
Therefore due to time constraints we opted out for 8D
methodology for Problem Solving.
2. The sample
A sample of 26 months of warranty data corresponding to
the field failures was taken for the project
3. For data analysis
MS- Excel was used for data analysis.
Our data contain information from January 2014 to
February 2016 and it is a warranty claimed data which
contain dealer description with their location and different
variety of SD Vehicles. This data also contain odometer
reading, culprit description and as well as credit date and
total approved value for the replacement.
Initially I received the Warranty Data of the replaced Parts
from January 2014 to February 2016. The above given data
was analyzed by me under various heads. The heads are as
follows-
1. Month Range wise
2. Model wise
3. Odometer range wise
4. Aggregate wise
5. Warranty Cost wise
6. State wise
7. Roll Out month wise
8. Credit month wise
 International Journal of Emerging Technology and Advanced Engineering
Website: www.ijetae.com (ISSN 2250-2459, ISO 9001:2008 Certified Journal, Volume 6, Issue 12, December 2016)
Month Range wise analysis depicting percentage
of Field Failures-
(Graph1)
From the above data we find that during the statrting month (0-
3 month) of the vehicle roll out the frequency of the defect is
more. The efect contibutes up to 54.6% of the total SD
vehicles, and as the time ellapses i.e ( during the period of 4-6
month ) there is a decrement in the defect. While considering
the above data we found that during the period of the(7-12
month) there is a slight increase In the defect caused in the
parts of the SD vehicle but in the time perod of (13-24 month)
there is least defect observed.
Model wise analysis depicting percentage of
Field Failures-
(Graph 2)
The above graphical reperesentation repesents model wise
defect analysis depecting percentage of feld failure od SD
vehicles . Fron the above data we found that most of the
defects are caused In the 20.15 model vehicles (151 of the
total ) and the least is caused in 40.35 model vehicle
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Odometer Range wise analysis depicting
percentage of Field Failures-
(Graph 3)
The above data provides the informaion of Odometer
Range wise analysis depicting percentage of Field Failures.
From the above data we find that more defects are caused
in the initial travel of the vehicle (0-5k) in range of 253 out
of the total. And it decreases greatly, but we also find that
in the travel of (5-20k) it increases.
Culprit Part analysis from data of Jan 2014 to Feb
2016-
(Graph 4)
Pareto Principle-
The Pareto principle (also known as
the 8020 rule, the law of the vital few, and the principle of
factor scarcity) states that, for many events, roughly 80% of
the effects come from 20% of the causes.
The distribution is claimed to appear in several different
aspects relevant to entrepreneurs and business managers.
For example:
80% of problems can be attributed to 20% of
causes.
 International Journal of Emerging Technology and Advanced Engineering
Website: www.ijetae.com (ISSN 2250-2459, ISO 9001:2008 Certified Journal, Volume 6, Issue 12, December 2016)
80% of a company's profits come from 20% of its Frequency of defects recorded in the year 2014 to
customers 2016-

Pareto Chart of Culprit Part analysis-

(Graph8)
Roll Out month wise defect analysis-

(Graph 5)
The above pareto chart depicts the major culprit parts
which contributes to 80 of failure in HD segment
vehicles.
Pareto Chart of Models

(Graph 9)
Credit month wise analysis-

(Graph 6)
Aggregate analysis of defects-

Reasons
1. It fails generally due to improper alignment of
(Graph 7) plunger inside the Vehicle speed sensor.

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 International Journal of Emerging Technology and Advanced Engineering
Website: www.ijetae.com (ISSN 2250-2459, ISO 9001:2008 Certified Journal, Volume 6, Issue 12, December 2016)
2. It also gives false reading in meter when proper Harry MJ (1998). Six Sigma: a breakthrough
distance is not maintained between the vehicle strategy for profitability.
speed sensor and propeller shaft. Qual. Progr., 11: 60- 64.
Control Engineering On line, Design for Six
Solutions:
Sigma Capability http://www.controleng.com/,
1. Proper alignment of plunger should be checked
before the fitment of vehicle speed sensor in 1999
trucks. Forrest W. Breyfogle III, Implementing Six
2. Proper torqueing of guns should be done. Sigma, John Wiely & Sons, Inc,1999
Infinity Performance Systems, Six Sigma
Overview,
V. CONCLUSION http://www.6sigmaworld.com/six_sigma.htm,
Six Sigma looks at all work as a series of processes with 2000
inherent variations, which can cause waste or inefficiency.
Focusing on those processes with greatest impact on
business performance, as defined by leadership teams, the
methodology involves statistical analysis to quantify
repeated common cause variations - which can then be
reduced by the Six Sigma team. Six Sigma becomes a
continuous process for quality improvement and cost
reduction flowing throughout the company.
Originally developed from a Japanese quality control
process for manufacturing electronic semi-conductors, Six
Sigma developed the capability of reducing problems or
issues effecting customer expectations on key business
processes. Six Sigma has provided the opportunity to drive
forward important customer focused initiatives across the
Cummins global organization.
As an improvement and cost reduction process, Six Sigma
is equally valid for marketing and product development as
well as manufacturing and customer services. Six Sigma
improvement projects and techniques are now the
cornerstone of Cummins continued success in cost
reduction and quality improvement.

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