TABLE OF CONTENTS In the measurement phase, Six Sigma project leaders should develop a sound data collection plan. Data are nothing but facts. Generally, most organizations have vast stores of information about their operation, but when a Six Sigma team begins working on a project, they often find that the information they need does not exist. Sometimes the project team's collected data does not contain the information that the project leaders are looking for. Therefore, project leaders should think about:
What information is wanted and how will it be obtained?
What information collection tool should be used and where can the information be found?
How will the information be utilized to achieve conclusions?
There is no need to utilize a sophisticated statistical sampling plan if the collected information does not answer a question or if users do not care about the benefit.
Like any planning process, some iteration may be required to complete the design of a good data-collection system. Data collection is very similar to a production process and, like any process, critical is first understanding the process and then improving the process.
| Note | Significant work has been done on the data collection process. Information is available in the literature. |
Several crucial steps need addressing to ensure that the data collection process and measurement systems are stable and reliable. Once these steps have been incorporated into the data collection plan, the probability that the collected data and the measurement system will meet project requirements will increase. A data...
