Design For Six Sigma Statistics

What is DFSS?

•   Prevents problems in new products and services
•   Accurately identifies customer requirements
•   Measures and predicts the probability of risks before they happen
•   Estimates the savings or earnings produced by the application of DFSS methods

In short, DFSS is a process for developing new products and processes with the right quality, at the right time, and at the right cost. DFSS produces optimal products which balance these parameters. Often, DFSS practitioners find opportunities to improve quality and lower cost in less time. The key to this success is to place statistical tools in the hands of every designer and every engineer.

In Chapter 1 of his book DFSS Statistics, Andy Sleeper writes:

Throughout the journey of new product development, statistical tools provide awareness, insight, and guidance. The process of developing new products is a series of decisions made with partial information, with the ultimate objective of balancing quality, cost, and time to market. Statistical tools make the best possible use of available information, revealing stories and relationships that would otherwise remain hidden. The design and analysis of efficient experiments provide insight into how systems respond to changes in components and environmental factors. Tolerance design tools predict the statistical performance of products before any prototypes are tested. An old product development joke is: "Good, fast, or cheap - pick any two." In real projects, applying statistical tools early and often allows teams to simultaneously increase quality, decrease cost, and accelerate schedules.