Compare and Contrast
DMAIC & SDLC
Chai-NaPol AkaraSupasate
Introduction
This is a comparative and contrasting study between DEMAIC and SDLC for the purpose of academic understanding in those two methods.
DMAIC stand for define, measure, analyze, improvement and control which are the main processes for applying six sigma standard in management.
SDLC stand for system development life cycle which is the process for developing an IT project which is the traditional and most used process.
While DMAIC concerns the least defected outcome, SDLC concerns the workable finished outcome. Which will be the most appropriate in the real world? Let’s compare and contrast in detail.
Process Comparison
The process of DMAIC1 and the well known SDLC2, waterfall model, are comparatively displayed in the following table.
DMAIC
SDLC
Define
Measure
Analyze
Improve
Control
Project Innitiation
System Analysis
System Design
Construction
Testing & Quality Assurance
Implementation
These steps in the two processes are not parallel, when we look in detailed steps of each process they are overlapped in some areas. Here are the steps of those two.
Steps of the Two Streams-Unmatched
DMAIC3
SDLC4
Define
Define the problems
Form a team
Establishing a project charter
Develop a project plan
Identify the customers
Identify key outputs
Identify, prioritize customer requirement
Document the current process
Project Initiation
1. Identify the problem
2. Form a team
3. Identify preliminary requirement
4. Validate the requirement
5. Develop a feasibility study
6. Obtain project approval
Measure
Determine what to measure
Conduct the measurement
Calculate current sigma level
Determine process capability
Benchmark process leader
System Analysis
1. Understand the current process
2. Identify the requirement
3. Prioritize the requirement
4. Identify potential process improvement
5. Determine the improvement which has the greatest impact for requirement
6. Create a detail to be a process map
7. Assess the impact and the risk
8. Complete the development of conceptual design
9. Complete the requirement specification document
10. Obtain approval
Analyze
Determine what cause the variation
Brainstorm ideas for improvement
Determine the improvement which has the greatest impact for requirements
Develop process map
Assess risks associated
Revise the process
System Design
1. Functional design
2. Technical design
3. Program design
Improve
Approve necessary change
Finalize implementation plan
Implement the improvement
Construction
1. Coding
2. Defect prevention
Control
Establish key matrix
Develop the control strategy
Celebrate and communicate success
Implement the control plan
Measure and communicate improvement
Testing and Quality Assurance
1. Test plan
2. Use Test
3. Approval
Implementation
1. Customer training
2. Customer documentation
3. Data conversation
4. Project evaluation
Steps of the Two Streams-Matched5
DMAIC
SDLC
Define, measure, analyze
Project initiation
Define, measure, analyze
System analysis
Analyze
System design
Improve
Construction
Improve
Testing & quality assurance
Improve and control
Implementation
The Comparison and Contrast on Logic
DMAIC
SDLC
1. The logic of DMAIC is to cultivate the high standard by deleting and preventing defects.
2. DMAIC applies to any kind of projects.
3. DMAIC is a process oriented approach.8
4. DMAIC is a problem solving focus.9
5. DMAIC is a learning process, practitioners need not to know everything before doing.10
1. The logic of SDLC is to complete the project by trying to meet customer requirement.
2. SDLC applies to software project only
3. SDLC is a data oriented approach.
4. SDLC is a work achievement focus.
5. It is a professional process, practitioners need to know many things before doing.
The Comparison and Contrast on Practicality
DMAIC
SDLC
1. DMAIC is a spiral model of define, measure, analyze, improvement and control. It spins around loop after loop until reach the standard.
2. It takes a long time to reach the standard.
3. There are many levels of expert team involved in a project.
4. DMAIC is provided for unlimited changes.
5. Need standards, measurement criteria and improvement designs.
6. DMAIC lets customers involve in every step.11
7. Consists of uneven distribution process
8. There is a lot more of improvement cycles.
9. The process is compatible to SDLC.
1. The most popular traditional SDLC is a waterfall model. It targets at the finished product that satisfies customers only.
2. It usually takes shorter time than DMAIC
3. There are less complicate team than DMAIC
4. SDLC affords limited change due to time and budget.
5. Need logical, physical and integrated network designs.7
6. SDLC lets customer involve in some step only.
7. Consists of uneven distribution process.12
8. There is a lot more in test cycles.13
9. The process if compatible to DMAIC.
The Comparison and Contrast on Quality Assurance
DMAIC
SDLC
1. The acceptable standard is as high as 6 sigma
2. Defects are investigated and corrected through out the process, ease and difficulties diverse around people and tasks.
1. The acceptable standard is as high as customer’s satisfaction
2. Defects in the first two stages are hard to find but easy to be corrected, while those in the later stages are easy to find but hard to be corrected.6
Conclusion
DMAIC is the main process for process improvement in any project of the organization aiming high standard of quality. SDLC is the system development life cycle applied in IT project aiming on project achievement.
Both approaches have similar steps but differ in logic and detail. While DMAIC is an on learning improvement expecting defect less than 3.4 out of 1 million opportunities, SDLC is an expertise task expected completion with no defect within a short time.
DMAIC is a problem solving and improvement process oriented; SDLC is a data organizing oriented process.
Both are useful when we use in the right project for certain purposes with known constraints
References
1. James R. Evan & William M. Lindsay,2005; Six Sigma and Process Improvement, South-Western, USA, p.40-42
2. Christine B. Tayntor, 2003; Six Sigma Software Development, CRC Press LLC, USA, p.114
3. Christine B. Tayntor, 2003; Six Sigma Software Development, CRC Press LLC, USA, p.109
4. Christine B. Tayntor, 2003; Six Sigma Software Development, CRC Press LLC, USA, p.121,140,149,159,163-165,173
5. Christine B. Tayntor, 2003; Six Sigma Software Development, CRC Press LLC, USA, p.119
6. Carnegie Mellon, 1994; Software Process Achievement, Software Engineering Institute, p.20
7. Prof.Peter khaiter, System Analysis and design, Lecture 2, p.10
8. Lori Marin, 2002, Minimizing Operational Risk and Optimizing Performance, AON, p. 12
9. Craig Gygi, Neil DeCarlo, Bruce Williams,2005, Six Sigma for Dummies, Wiley Publishing, p.20
10. Craig Gygi, Neil DeCarlo, Bruce Williams,2005, Six Sigma for Dummies, Wiley Publishing, p.21
11. Prof.Rick Edgeman, Customer and Competitive Intelligence, Department of Statistice, Idaho University, p.6.14
12. KRvW, Associate, 2007; Integrating Tools into SDLC, KRvW, LLc, p 6
13. Administrative Information Service, MAIS System Development Life Cycle, University of Michigan, USA, p.1
DMAIC & SDLC
Chai-NaPol AkaraSupasate
Introduction
This is a comparative and contrasting study between DEMAIC and SDLC for the purpose of academic understanding in those two methods.
DMAIC stand for define, measure, analyze, improvement and control which are the main processes for applying six sigma standard in management.
SDLC stand for system development life cycle which is the process for developing an IT project which is the traditional and most used process.
While DMAIC concerns the least defected outcome, SDLC concerns the workable finished outcome. Which will be the most appropriate in the real world? Let’s compare and contrast in detail.
Process Comparison
The process of DMAIC1 and the well known SDLC2, waterfall model, are comparatively displayed in the following table.
DMAIC
SDLC
Define
Measure
Analyze
Improve
Control
Project Innitiation
System Analysis
System Design
Construction
Testing & Quality Assurance
Implementation
These steps in the two processes are not parallel, when we look in detailed steps of each process they are overlapped in some areas. Here are the steps of those two.
Steps of the Two Streams-Unmatched
DMAIC3
SDLC4
Define
Define the problems
Form a team
Establishing a project charter
Develop a project plan
Identify the customers
Identify key outputs
Identify, prioritize customer requirement
Document the current process
Project Initiation
1. Identify the problem
2. Form a team
3. Identify preliminary requirement
4. Validate the requirement
5. Develop a feasibility study
6. Obtain project approval
Measure
Determine what to measure
Conduct the measurement
Calculate current sigma level
Determine process capability
Benchmark process leader
System Analysis
1. Understand the current process
2. Identify the requirement
3. Prioritize the requirement
4. Identify potential process improvement
5. Determine the improvement which has the greatest impact for requirement
6. Create a detail to be a process map
7. Assess the impact and the risk
8. Complete the development of conceptual design
9. Complete the requirement specification document
10. Obtain approval
Analyze
Determine what cause the variation
Brainstorm ideas for improvement
Determine the improvement which has the greatest impact for requirements
Develop process map
Assess risks associated
Revise the process
System Design
1. Functional design
2. Technical design
3. Program design
Improve
Approve necessary change
Finalize implementation plan
Implement the improvement
Construction
1. Coding
2. Defect prevention
Control
Establish key matrix
Develop the control strategy
Celebrate and communicate success
Implement the control plan
Measure and communicate improvement
Testing and Quality Assurance
1. Test plan
2. Use Test
3. Approval
Implementation
1. Customer training
2. Customer documentation
3. Data conversation
4. Project evaluation
Steps of the Two Streams-Matched5
DMAIC
SDLC
Define, measure, analyze
Project initiation
Define, measure, analyze
System analysis
Analyze
System design
Improve
Construction
Improve
Testing & quality assurance
Improve and control
Implementation
The Comparison and Contrast on Logic
DMAIC
SDLC
1. The logic of DMAIC is to cultivate the high standard by deleting and preventing defects.
2. DMAIC applies to any kind of projects.
3. DMAIC is a process oriented approach.8
4. DMAIC is a problem solving focus.9
5. DMAIC is a learning process, practitioners need not to know everything before doing.10
1. The logic of SDLC is to complete the project by trying to meet customer requirement.
2. SDLC applies to software project only
3. SDLC is a data oriented approach.
4. SDLC is a work achievement focus.
5. It is a professional process, practitioners need to know many things before doing.
The Comparison and Contrast on Practicality
DMAIC
SDLC
1. DMAIC is a spiral model of define, measure, analyze, improvement and control. It spins around loop after loop until reach the standard.
2. It takes a long time to reach the standard.
3. There are many levels of expert team involved in a project.
4. DMAIC is provided for unlimited changes.
5. Need standards, measurement criteria and improvement designs.
6. DMAIC lets customers involve in every step.11
7. Consists of uneven distribution process
8. There is a lot more of improvement cycles.
9. The process is compatible to SDLC.
1. The most popular traditional SDLC is a waterfall model. It targets at the finished product that satisfies customers only.
2. It usually takes shorter time than DMAIC
3. There are less complicate team than DMAIC
4. SDLC affords limited change due to time and budget.
5. Need logical, physical and integrated network designs.7
6. SDLC lets customer involve in some step only.
7. Consists of uneven distribution process.12
8. There is a lot more in test cycles.13
9. The process if compatible to DMAIC.
The Comparison and Contrast on Quality Assurance
DMAIC
SDLC
1. The acceptable standard is as high as 6 sigma
2. Defects are investigated and corrected through out the process, ease and difficulties diverse around people and tasks.
1. The acceptable standard is as high as customer’s satisfaction
2. Defects in the first two stages are hard to find but easy to be corrected, while those in the later stages are easy to find but hard to be corrected.6
Conclusion
DMAIC is the main process for process improvement in any project of the organization aiming high standard of quality. SDLC is the system development life cycle applied in IT project aiming on project achievement.
Both approaches have similar steps but differ in logic and detail. While DMAIC is an on learning improvement expecting defect less than 3.4 out of 1 million opportunities, SDLC is an expertise task expected completion with no defect within a short time.
DMAIC is a problem solving and improvement process oriented; SDLC is a data organizing oriented process.
Both are useful when we use in the right project for certain purposes with known constraints
References
1. James R. Evan & William M. Lindsay,2005; Six Sigma and Process Improvement, South-Western, USA, p.40-42
2. Christine B. Tayntor, 2003; Six Sigma Software Development, CRC Press LLC, USA, p.114
3. Christine B. Tayntor, 2003; Six Sigma Software Development, CRC Press LLC, USA, p.109
4. Christine B. Tayntor, 2003; Six Sigma Software Development, CRC Press LLC, USA, p.121,140,149,159,163-165,173
5. Christine B. Tayntor, 2003; Six Sigma Software Development, CRC Press LLC, USA, p.119
6. Carnegie Mellon, 1994; Software Process Achievement, Software Engineering Institute, p.20
7. Prof.Peter khaiter, System Analysis and design, Lecture 2, p.10
8. Lori Marin, 2002, Minimizing Operational Risk and Optimizing Performance, AON, p. 12
9. Craig Gygi, Neil DeCarlo, Bruce Williams,2005, Six Sigma for Dummies, Wiley Publishing, p.20
10. Craig Gygi, Neil DeCarlo, Bruce Williams,2005, Six Sigma for Dummies, Wiley Publishing, p.21
11. Prof.Rick Edgeman, Customer and Competitive Intelligence, Department of Statistice, Idaho University, p.6.14
12. KRvW, Associate, 2007; Integrating Tools into SDLC, KRvW, LLc, p 6
13. Administrative Information Service, MAIS System Development Life Cycle, University of Michigan, USA, p.1
