DFSS White Papers

A Comparison of Six Sigma, Lean, and DFSS

In Six Sigma, the DMAIC methodology is typically used when a product or process is in existence, but it is not meeting customer specification or is not performing adequately. A standard Six Sigma approach does not produce DFSS does not produce DFSS results![ More ]

Avoiding Common QFD Errors with Triptych

Triptych is a software tool in the SDI Tools suite that provides the capabilities of QFD, TRIZ, and Design Selection. Triptych allows the user to dynamically create interactive QFD Houses of Quality on Microsoft Excel™ worksheets. [ More ]

Defining Multi-Modal Distributions in Apogee

Apogee is a software tool in the SDI Tools suite that integrates the capabilities of sensitivity analysis, Monte Carlo analysis, allocation, and multi-objective optimization. Apogee works with functions Y = f(X) that you create freeform in Microsoft Excel™ workbooks, where each X cell is defined as a Parameter that can have statistical variation, and each Y formula cell is defined as a Response. A multi-modal distribution can be assigned to a Parameter in at least five different ways. [ More ]

The Importance of Modeling and Simulation in DFSS

The fundamental objective of Design for Six Sigma (DFSS) is to design products and processes that meet your customers' needs, cost effectively, without production or integration problems. This objective can be achieved by following a simple set of good design practices: understand your customers' needs, select the design concept that is most likely to succeed, mathematically predict the cost and performance of your design, and then make design improvements before committing to capital purchases and supplier contracts. There can of course be pitfalls in applying each of these practices, but the most common weaknesses we have seen in DFSS implementations are in the area of mathematical prediction. In this paper I will show how modeling and simulation can be used to overcome these weaknesses and reap the full benefits of DFSS. [ More ]

Design For Six Sigma: An Enabler for Global Engineering Teams

In the last few years, more companies are creating engineering teams in China, India, and Eastern Europe to take advantage of lower wages, leverage local intellect, and build a regional presence in order to remain competitive. This globalization of engineering has enabled companies to partition designs and delegate sub-system design ownership to the engineering team that has the best mix of experience, skills, and proximity to research and development, key suppliers, and manufacturing. Eventually, the sub-systems must be integrated into a product - which is likely the responsibility of another engineering team located in a different country. The biggest challenge faced by these global engineering teams is communication. There is a need for a common language that global engineering teams can use to communicate requirements and performance, as well as a common design method to ensure that the system will perform as designed when the sub-systems are integrated. Design for Six Sigma (DFSS) provides this common language and design methodology. [ More ]

Inter-Company & Intra-Company Design For Six Sigma (DFSS)

For the past three years, SDI has been focusing on Intra-Company DFSS training. This methodology focuses the product team to evaluate needs, requirements, concepts, and uncertainty early in the development process. By using SDI's DFSS methods and software toolset the design engineers' process of designing quality products is made easier and quicker. The benefits of using DFSS are well documented and have been shown to produce many positive savings in terms of cost, time, and customer satisfaction. [ More ]

Design For Six Sigma