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Example gallery · 16 projects · Kaizen and continuous improvement

DMAIC examples: 16 projects, phase by phase

DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control) is the five-phase project method from Six Sigma. Each example below outlines one project the way a team would write it up: the problem, what they measured, what the data pointed to, what they changed and how they kept it from slipping back. They are illustrative outlines, not case studies, so there are no results to copy, only the shape of a good project.

Want the long version? DMAIC Process: A Quick Guide for Beginners: The five phases explained one by one, with short examples from manufacturing, healthcare and supply chains, and how DMAIC compares with DMADV.

Setting

Showing 16 of 16 projects

Quality and defects

Projects that cut scrap, rework and escapes to the customer.

    • Manufacturing

    Cut short shots on an injection molding press

    One press makes more incomplete parts than the others running the same material.

    Define:
    Scrap from short shots on one press, one mold. Goal and scope agreed in the charter.
    Measure:
    Scrap counted by defect type and shift on a check sheet; part weight recorded every hour.
    Analyze:
    A Pareto chart puts short shots first. Testing shows they follow material that sat too briefly in the dryer.
    Improve:
    Set the dryer time for that resin and add a moisture check when material is loaded.
    Control:
    A control chart on part weight and the dryer check on the start-up checklist.
    • Manufacturing

    Reduce runs and orange peel on painted parts

    Paint defects come and go, and each shift blames a different cause.

    Define:
    Paint finish defects on one line, measured as defects per hundred parts.
    Measure:
    Defects logged by type, booth, gun and shift; paint viscosity and temperature recorded.
    Analyze:
    Defects rise as the paint warms through the shift and its viscosity drops.
    Improve:
    Check viscosity every hour against a target band and keep the paint store at a set temperature.
    Control:
    Viscosity log with a reaction plan, reviewed at the daily meeting.
    • Manufacturing

    Stop leaks found at pressure test

    Units fail the leak test at the end of the line and go back for rework.

    Define:
    Leak test failures on one product family, and the rework they cause.
    Measure:
    Each failure traced to the joint that leaked; tightening torque checked on a sample.
    Analyze:
    Most leaks come from one fitting, and the torque on it varies widely between operators.
    Improve:
    A torque tool that records each fitting, and a new seal design for that joint.
    Control:
    Torque records reviewed weekly and a control plan for the fitting.
    • Manufacturing

    Stop boxes shipping with the wrong label

    A customer has complained twice about boxes labelled with the wrong part number.

    Define:
    Labelling errors that reach the customer, from print to dispatch.
    Measure:
    Every labelling error logged for a month, with the job, the printer and the time.
    Analyze:
    Errors cluster just after changeovers, when the last job's labels are still in the printer queue.
    Improve:
    Clear the queue as a changeover step and scan each label against the job before sealing.
    Control:
    Scan records checked daily and the step added to the changeover checklist.

Flow and delivery

Projects about time: changeovers, waiting and late orders.

    • Manufacturing

    Shorten changeovers on a press line

    Long changeovers push the line into big batches and late orders.

    Define:
    Changeover time on one press line, from last good part to first good part.
    Measure:
    Several changeovers filmed and timed step by step, split into internal and external work.
    Analyze:
    Much of the time goes on fetching tools and dies that could have been ready before the press stopped.
    Improve:
    Pre-staged changeover carts, quick-release clamps and a set sequence for the crew.
    Control:
    Changeover times logged and a standard work sheet for the sequence.
    • Manufacturing

    Improve on-time shipping

    Too many orders ship late, and the reasons change depending on who you ask.

    Define:
    Orders shipped after the promised date, for one plant's main product lines.
    Measure:
    Every late order logged with its cause and how late it was.
    Analyze:
    A Pareto chart shows material shortages and schedule changes inside the frozen window cause most of them.
    Improve:
    Kanban for the parts that run short most often and a rule against changes inside the frozen window.
    Control:
    On-time shipping reviewed at the daily meeting, with causes tracked every week.
    • Manufacturing

    Cut waiting at a bottleneck machine

    Work piles up in front of one machine while the steps after it wait.

    Define:
    Output of the line, limited by one machine.
    Measure:
    The bottleneck's time split into running, waiting for parts, changeovers and stops.
    Analyze:
    It stands idle at breaks and shift changes, and waits for material it could have had earlier.
    Improve:
    Staggered breaks so it keeps running, and a small buffer of parts in front of it.
    Control:
    Hourly output on an hour-by-hour board at the machine.

Equipment and energy

Projects that cut stops, leaks and wasted energy.

    • Manufacturing

    Reduce short stops on a packaging line

    The line stops many times a shift for a minute or two each time.

    Define:
    Unplanned stops on one packaging line.
    Measure:
    Stops logged by machine, cause and length, from the line's own log and an operator sheet.
    Analyze:
    Most stops are jams at one machine; five whys traces them to worn suction cups.
    Improve:
    A replacement interval for the cups and a check on the operators' cleaning and inspection round.
    Control:
    Stops tracked by cause on the line's board and the cup change in the PM plan.
    • Manufacturing

    Cut compressed air leaks

    The compressors run hard even when production is quiet.

    Define:
    Air lost to leaks across the plant.
    Measure:
    A leak survey with an ultrasonic detector, every leak tagged and its size estimated.
    Analyze:
    Most leaks sit at quick couplers and worn hoses, and many have been tagged before but never fixed.
    Improve:
    Replace the worst couplers and hoses, and give leak tags an owner and a date.
    Control:
    A leak survey on a fixed schedule and open leak tags reviewed every week.
    • Manufacturing

    Reduce energy used by a curing oven

    The oven is one of the biggest energy users in the plant.

    Define:
    Energy used per batch on one oven.
    Measure:
    Energy logged against batch times, loads and idle periods.
    Analyze:
    The oven stays at full temperature between batches and over breaks.
    Improve:
    An idle setting between batches and loads planned to run back to back.
    Control:
    Energy per batch on the area's KPI board.

Safety

Projects that remove the conditions behind injuries and near misses.

    • Manufacturing

    Reduce hand injuries in a cutting area

    Cuts to hands keep happening in one area, mostly minor ones.

    Define:
    Hand injuries and near misses in the cutting area.
    Measure:
    Every injury and near miss logged with the task, the tool and the time.
    Analyze:
    Most happen during blade changes, when people hold the blade by hand.
    Improve:
    A blade-change tool, cut-resistant gloves for that task and an updated work instruction.
    Control:
    Safety observations of blade changes and near misses reviewed each month.
    • Manufacturing

    Reduce forklift near misses at a crossing

    People keep reporting close calls where a walkway crosses a forklift aisle.

    Define:
    Near misses between forklifts and pedestrians at one crossing.
    Measure:
    Near-miss reports and a week of observation counting crossings and close calls.
    Analyze:
    Racking blocks the view on one side, and the walkway is used most at shift change.
    Improve:
    Move the walkway, add a mirror and a stop line, and set a speed limit in the area.
    Control:
    Near-miss reports tracked and a monthly check of the crossing.

Office, service and supply chain

DMAIC works the same way where the product is an invoice, an appointment or an order.

    • Office and service

    Speed up invoice processing

    Suppliers chase payments because invoices sit in the accounts team for too long.

    Define:
    Time from receiving an invoice to approving it for payment.
    Measure:
    Each invoice timed through the steps, with every reason it was sent back.
    Analyze:
    Missing purchase order numbers cause most of the rework and waiting.
    Improve:
    Make the purchase order number a required field in the supplier portal.
    Control:
    A weekly report of invoices held up, with their reasons.
    • Office and service

    Cut patient waiting time in a clinic

    Patients wait longest in the first hours of the morning.

    Define:
    Time from check-in to being seen.
    Measure:
    Time stamps at check-in, triage and consultation for several weeks.
    Analyze:
    Appointments bunch at opening time while staff start times are spread out.
    Improve:
    Spread appointments through the morning and match staff start times to them.
    Control:
    Waiting time charted daily and reviewed at the weekly team meeting.
    • Office and service

    Reduce picking errors in a warehouse

    Customers receive the wrong item more often than the warehouse would like.

    Define:
    Orders shipped with a wrong or missing item.
    Measure:
    Every error logged with the item, the location and the picker.
    Analyze:
    Most errors involve look-alike items stored next to each other.
    Improve:
    Re-slot look-alike items apart and scan each pick against the order.
    Control:
    Error audit on a sample of orders every day.
    • Office and service

    Cut late deliveries from suppliers

    Late parts from suppliers keep stopping the line.

    Define:
    Supplier deliveries arriving after the date asked for.
    Measure:
    Delivery performance by supplier and part, and how far ahead orders were placed.
    Analyze:
    Many late deliveries follow orders placed inside the supplier's lead time after forecast changes.
    Improve:
    Share a rolling forecast with key suppliers and hold safety stock for the most variable parts.
    Control:
    A monthly supplier scorecard with on-time delivery on it.

These projects are illustrative. They are not from a real plant or company, and the causes shown are common ones, not the answer for your process. Your own data decides what you find in Analyze.

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