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.
We are now seeing a new level of DFSS that is between the company and their suppliers - Inter-Company DFSS. Companies now want their Suppliers to benefit from DFSS and use common processes, methods, and tools to collectively improve products and profits. As with the current DFSS methodology, the process starts with the Voice of the Customer. Many times the VOC will be the same for the customer and several of the suppliers or the VOC will be specific for organizations with the Company. Using DFSS to identify the external and internal VOC, and then use the appropriate tools to develop the best product is a key aspect of Inter-Company DFSS.
We first noticed this trend with one of our customers in the automotive industry. It started with Supplier teams participating in DFSS training and then extended to the application of common methods and tools during the design process. Benefits have been realized through better communication and quantitative results for mutually assessing design concepts, process capabilities, and part tolerances.
We have seen major Fortune 500 companies who are SDI customers' request additional training, assessments and software tools for their suppliers. The approaches have included supplier participation in training classes, supplier requests for software tools, Company sponsored DFSS collaborations, and joint Customer-Supplier training classes. The emphasis placed on DFSS by these motivating Companies has ranged from mere recommendations to strong requirements to implement.
SDI believes that this Company-Supplier collaboration in DFSS is the trend of the future. If you think about this concept, it makes sense - companies develop better products when they communicate with each other. DFSS is the communication tool that makes the design process quicker and less costly. The result is better products and improved customer satisfaction.
If you would like to discuss opportunities for advancing DFSS with your Suppliers, contact SDI and we will answer your questions.
