Once the project has been Defined, the second phase of the DMAIC model is Measure .

The Measure phase digs below the surface to develop a detailed understanding of the process. Process baselines and sources of opportunities and problems are identified.

To gain a deep understanding of the process, more detailed process level maps are developed. The process level map provides intricate detail of the activities and tasks. Input is gathered from operating employees regarding factors which are critical to quality (CTQ), critical to schedule (CTS), critical to cost (CTC) etc.

During the Measure phase, the factors causing problems are identified. We also determine the conditions and circumstances surrounding the occurrence of the problems, roadblocks, or bottlenecks.

There Measure phase is one of the most time consuming phases of the DMAIC model. It is important to do a thorough job in the Measure phase, as the subsequent phases depend on it.

Data collection is a critical part of the measurement phase. In order to determine the data to collect, the team must decide on the questions they are trying to answer. For example, “how long is the existing wait time?”, “what is the existing process speed at various temperatures?”

There are many tools used in the Measure phase. Some of the most common are:

> Probability and Statistics
> Data Collection
> Measurement Systems
> Process Level Flowcharts
> Process Level Mapping
> Histogram
> Stem and Leaf Plots
> Pareto Charts
> Cause and Effects Diagram and Matrix
> FMEA (Failure Mode and Effects Analysis)
> Control Charts
> Process Capability
> Gage R & R Studies
> Frequency Plots
> Confidence Intervals
> Process Sigma