Design for Six Sigma in Technology and Product Development (Hardcover)

~ (Author), Jeff Slutsky (Author), Dave Antis (Author) "Let's begin with a great example of an executive who successfully led a company into organic growth using Design For Six Sigma (DFSS), Jack Welch..." (more)
Key Phrases: critical functional responses, critical adjustment parameters, critical parameter management, Crystal Ball, House of Quality, Houses of Quality (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

This book addresses many new topical areas for the development of 6 Sigma performance. The text is structured to demonstrate how 6 Sigma methods can be used as a very powerful tool within System Engineering and integration evaluations to help enable the process of Critical Parameter Management. The case studies and examples used throughut the book come from recent successful applications of the material developed in the text.

From the Back Cover

• Implementing DFSS at the critical early stages of technology development and product design
• Linking DFSS to best-practice tools and project management practices
• Leveraging Critical Parameter Management, a breakthrough in the management of complex product development
• Step-by-step techniques, detailed flow diagrams, scorecards, and checklists

Build Six Sigma quality into the critical early stages of technology development and product design.

Technology companies can only achieve the full benefits of Six Sigma if they implement it proactively, starting with the earliest stages of technology development and product design. To succeed, they must tightly link Design For Six Sigma (DFSS) to the phases and gates of a well-structured product development process, and carefully manage it through a rigorous project management discipline. Design for Six Sigma in Technology and Product Development is the first book to show them how. Coverage includes:

• Proven techniques for integrating DFSS with program and cycle-time management, technology development, product design, system architecture, and system engineering processes
• Comprehensive coverage of Critical Parameter Management (CPM), the breakthrough technique for managing complexity in product development
• Step-by-step techniques and flow diagrams for integrating DFSS tools and best practices into development and design
• Practical scorecards and checklists for applying DFSS concepts in modern Phase-Gate processes
• Crucial leadership, financial, and value management issues associated with successful DFSS deployment

Design for Six Sigma in Technology and Product Development is a serious text for serious practitioners-and an essential resource for anyone committed to maximizing quality in technology and product development.

Process Improvement Series

Foreword by Frank McDonald, Motorola University

"The authors of this book have worked as designers and consultants leading the transition from build, test, and fix to disciplined, fact-based designs that delight customers and stakeholders alike. I am not aware of any other book that discusses Design for Six Sigma in such a comprehensive and practical way as this one. This is the right book for leaders and designers who want to change from hoping for the best to expecting the best." —Steve Schaus, VP of Operational Excellence, Sequa Corporation

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 800 pages
• Publisher: Prentice Hall PTR (November 4, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0130092231
• ISBN-13: 978-0130092236
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 7.1 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #195,182 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #23 in	Books > Computers & Internet > Computer Science > Software Engineering > Methodology
  #38 in	Books > Computers & Internet > Computer Science > Software Engineering > Design Tools & Techniques
  #51 in	Books > Professional & Technical > Engineering > Industrial, Manufacturing & Operational Systems > Quality Control

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Designing for Six Sigma, February 2, 2005

By	John J. Oneill Jr. "Pareto Man" (Raleigh, NC) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Disclosure: I'm a competitor of Skip's in the Design for Six Sigma field.

Skip obviously knows his stuff - he's written one of the most detailed descriptions of DFSS around. His differentiation of a methodology for technology development and product development is an important concept. The book provides a detailed step-by-step description of how to design a product for Six Sigma performance.

However, the book is really a tough read. I've been working in the DFSS field for the last 7 years and I found it a tough go. The methodology descriptions, while detailed, suffer from a lack of examples or a case study.

My other critique is that Skip describes the DFSS "nirvana" - if your development process is a bit informal, you'll start asking yourself "How in the world will I ever get to DFSS?" Some thoughts around how to transition from a typical development process to a DFSS-based approach would have been helpful.

Finally, one of my clients handed this book out to virtually all their engineers at the beginning of their DFSS iniative. When, a year or two later, I'd ask the engineers if they had the book, the answer was invariably "Yes." When I'd asked if they'd read the book, however, the answer was just as invariably "No."

If you already know about DFSS, its a great reference. If not, go buy one of the introductory books first.

4.0 out of 5 stars DFSS within the product development cycle, August 5, 2009

By	M. Heffner - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is really two books in one, and requires a close read to keep the two separate. One book is a description of the product development process / technology pipeline. The second book is a very good description of the DFSS process and the use of the specific tools within each step of the process and their interrelationships. The author does a good job describing the process of developing transfer functions.

This is not a casual read. However, it goes well beyond some of the other DFSS books I have read which are merely a data dump on a collection of tools.

I would definitely place this at the top of my DFSS read list.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Challenging but worthwhile, August 12, 2007

By	L. Brackney - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I don't disagree that Creveling's book is a challenging read, but I do think it's a worthwhile and reasonably comprehensive text on the topics. Many of the methods presented require a certain level of sophistication to execute correctly. If you don't understand the material, maybe you shouldn't be trying to use some of the tools.