Design of Experiments in Six Sigma

In the Improve stage of Six Sigma DMAIC, Six Sigma teams design and conduct experiments to investigate the relationships between input variables and response variables. By controlling and changing the input variables and observing the effects on the response variables, a Six Sigma team gains a deep understanding of their relationships. After determining what and how much needs to be changed to gain the desired improvement, teams generate solution ideas.

This course surveys the concepts that are fundamental to the Design of Experiments methodology, including the basic elements of experiments: variables, factors and levels, responses, treatments, errors, repetition, blocks, randomization, effects, and replication. It also introduces and analyzes main effects, interaction effects, and their plots. This course is aligned to the ASQ Body of Knowledge and is designed to assist Green Belt candidates toward their certification and to become productive members on their Six Sigma project teams.

• Topic T4 Objective O5
• Recognize the benefits of Design of Experiments
• Topic T9 Objective O10
• Match key DOE elements with examples
• Topic T14 Objective O15
• Sequence the steps in the DOE process
• Topic T19 Objective O20
• Recognize concepts related to using the Design of Experiments methodology
• Topic T23 Objective O24
• Recognize examples of types of experimental error
• Topic T32 Objective O33
• Determine whether a given experiment design is balanced
• Topic T35 Objective O36
• Identify the benefits of randomization
• Topic T42 Objective O43
• Recognize factors that should be blocked in a given scenario
• Topic T47 Objective O48
• Distinguish between reasons for using replication and repetition
• Topic T52 Objective O53
• Recognize the implications of choosing full and fractional factorial designs
• Topic T57 Objective O58
• Use principles and techniques of DOE
• Topic T65 Objective O66
• Recognize the principles for interpreting main effects plots
• Topic T70 Objective O71
• Recognize which terms should be included in the model, based on results from a full factorial experiment
• Topic T75 Objective O76
• Use principles and techniques of DOE