The measure phase has the following objectives of
- Defining and identifying the specific processes under investigation.
- Defining metrics for measurement of the processes against project objectives.
- Establishing the process baseline for validating the present outcomes against defined business needs and to demonstrate improvement results.
- Evaluate measurement system to validate the reliability of data for drawing meaningful conclusions.
Measuring performance is central to the practice of Lean Six Sigma and metrics help to define problems. Performance can be measured using the DMAIC cycle of Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve and Control. Metrics are usually universal. You can use metrics specific to your company:
- manufacturing might be interested in scrap rates or Cost Per Quality
- supply chain might be looking at on-time delivery and orders in full
- financial services might use mortgage approval days
- customer service might use call handle times or number of calls dropped
