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As a certified Project Management Professional (PMP), I took on a consulting assignment to manage projects in a Six Sigma environment in a large, well-established global company where they were committed to using the Six Sigma Change Process (SSCP). My first question was, “Is Six Sigma a project management methodology?”
ISSSP (www.isssp.com) defines Six Sigma as “a methodology that provides businesses with the tools to improve the capability of their business processes. This increase in performance and decrease in process variation leads to defect reduction and vast improvement in profits, employee morale and quality of product.” Also, “Six Sigma is a rigorous and a systematic methodology that utilizes information (management by facts) and statistical analysis to measure and improve a company's operational performance, practices and systems by identifying and preventing 'defects' in manufacturing and service-related processes in order to anticipate and exceed expectations of all stakeholders to accomplish effectiveness.” Not much about project management here, is there?
PMI (www.pmi.org) has established itself to be a global leader in the development of standards for the practice of project management. Their document, A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide), is globally recognized as a standard for managing projects. A commonly held definition of project management as described in the PMBOK® states: “Project Management is the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to project activities to meet project requirements. Project management is accomplished through the use of the processes such as: initiating, planning, executing, controlling, and closing.”
In spite of the differences, there are some similarities here. The DMAIC phases (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control) of Six Sigma are sequential as are the PMI processes (initiate, plan, execute, control, and close). It seems logical to overlay these two methodologies and get the best of both worlds. It’s critical, however, to overlay in the correct sequence.
Keep the following chart from PMBOK as a reminder of which deliverable belongs with which project management process.
| Project Phase | Core Project Deliverables |
| Initiate | Project Charter (with the Project Sponsor) |
| Plan | Project Plan, Budget, Roles & Responsibilities and Project Organization Chart |
| Execute | Kickoff Meeting Agenda and Presentation |
| Control | Project Status Reports, Risk Log, Issue Log, Key Decision Log, Action Item Log |
| Close | Lessons Learned, Project Close Report |
There are specific duties the Project Manager must perform to keep the project on track. These duties really have nothing specifically to do with SSCP, but neither are they in conflict with any of the DMAIC phases.
The foundation should be PMI processes with a DMAIC overlay instead of the other way around. Successful projects come from applying PMI guidelines for effective project management and using SSCP for which it is best suited—improving business processes. Here is how it looks:
| PMI Project Process | DMAIC Phase |
| Initiate | Define and a dash of Measure |
| Plan | Define, Measure, and some Analyze |
| Execute | Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control |
| Control | Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control |
| Close | Control |
Do you see the similarities? PMI and Six Sigma can work together, but the Project Manager as the conductor has to keep things in harmony.
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