Home (https://blogmasterofproject.com/) / Six Sigma (httpsi//blog masterofproject.com/categorysix-sigmal) / Six Sigma Critical to Quality: 7 Steps to Produce CTQ Tree Critical to Quality — CTQ Trees Six Sigma Critical to Quality: 7 Steps to Produce CTQ Tree 6min.read In 6 Sigma (https://blog.masterofproject.com/6-sigma-definitions/), CTQ is an acronym that stands for Critical-To-Quality. Customer requirements, which are identified as CTQs, are actually a handful of elements that are considered critical to the executive team in determining the success of the project/product/process. CTQ trees were originally developed as a part of the Six Sigma approach (https://blog.masterofproject.com/six-sigma-projects/). However; you can use them in a variety of situations, including when you are developing products, processes, and services for your internal customers.Attend our 100% Online & Self-Paced Free Six Sigma Training (https://masterofproject.com/p/lean-six-sigma-certification-overview). bout Six Sigma, Sx Sigma Requirements, Definition FREE Six Sigma Training (https://masterofproject.com/p/lean-six-sigma-certification-overview) For example, an instruction such as ‘Improve customer service’ is too broad to do much with it. However, by using a CTQ Tree, you can drill down this general goal, and identify specific and measurable requirements that you can use to improve performance. Determining Critical-to-Quality customer requirements is a part of Lean Six Sigma training (http://masterofproject.com/p/lean-six-sigma-green-belt- certification-training), which can be done through a Lean Six Sigma course (http://masterofproject.com/p/lean-six-sigma-green-belt-certification-training). Let’s look at how we identify and deal with QTC parameters. What is Critical to Quality Tree? CTQs are the internal critical quality parameters that relate to the wants and needs of the customer. The (internal and external) customer requirements get translated into Critical-To-Quality (CTQ) features. These CTQs define the criteria to evaluate what good looks like i. , how well the project scope and deliverables meet customer requirements. CTQ is a simple, yet powerful tool that translates customer needs into Meaningful, Measurable, and Actionable metrics for people or groups of people. CTQs answer this question: How does my work relate to the customer requirements, and how do | know when | have fulfilled them? CTQ helps you to understand the customer's general requirements in more specific terms. CTQs serve as a bridge between the internal process, its deliverables, and customer satisfaction.How to identify CTQ parameters? This figure shows the CTQ identification process using a simple example. Critical-To-Quality (CTQ) Tree ieorvn) Crp tamer of oles 3. CTQs Identification Process:~ Customer Quote or VoC: 'Thave to wait for 48 hours to get reply to asingle email* CTQ Name; Responsiveness CTQ Measure: TAT (HH'MM) CTQ Specification: Less than 24 hours from the time an email drops in to the pool Defect: Number of emails the TAT has been busted for (Eg. 200 emails every day) Unit: Emails (e.g. 300 emails) _- Opportunity: 1 Per Email (Focus Quality! Quality’ \_* Itis a step-by-step process to identify CTQs for critical customer requirements. Notice the order of the events that help to identify QTCs. Here the process is broken down into seven steps: 1. VoC Six Sigma (https://blog.masterofproject.com/voc-six-sigma-data- collection/): It has been noted in the words of the customer 2.CTQName: It has been noted in the words of the organization 3. CTQ Measure: As identified by the organization 4. CTQ Specification: As specified by the organization 5. Defect: As defined by the organization 6. Unit: Itis an organizational / process metric 7. Opportunity: As determined by the company/process How to develop a CTQ Tree? Identify critical customer needsWe first need to identify the critical needs that the product or service has to meet. Please make sure to do a CTQ Tree for every need that you identify. During this first step, we're essentially asking: ‘What is critical for the characteristics of a product or service? ‘It's best to define these needs in broad terms. Ifit is not possible to directly ask customers about their needs, then the project team can brainstorm their needs with people who deal with customers directly - Salespeople and Customer Service Representatives - as well as with your team. Identify quality drivers It is important to identify the specific quality drivers that have to be in place to meet the needs that we identified in the previous step. Please remember, these are the factors that must be present for customers to think that you are delivering high- quality products. Note that it is very much necessary that we identify all of the drivers that are important to the customers. Tools such as KANO Analysis will be useful here. KANO model (https://blog.masterofproject.com/kano-model/) will help you identify product features that satisfy the customers. Identify performance requirements Finally, we need to identify the minimum performance requirements that we must satisfy for each quality driver, in order to actually provide a quality product. Here it's important to remember that there are many things that will affect an organization's ability to deliver these. Once we've completed a CTQ Tree for each critical need, we'll have a list of measurable requirements that we must meet to deliver high-quality products. CTQ Tree Examples Have a look at a CTQ example. On the basis of this case study, we'll prepare a CTQ tree for one of the critical customer requirements. Before you begin preparing a CTQ tree you have to: 1. Identify your customers a 2. Collect Voice of Customer data3. Analyze VoC data 4, Prepare alist of CTQs 5. Choose one CTQ and prepare a CTQ tree only for that CTQ. Please note that you will need to prepare a separate CTQ tree for each CTQ. Do not try to combine multiple CTQs under one CTQ Tree. Let's look at the background of this simple case study regarding pizza delivery, the pizza company must have surveyed 10000+ customers. Post collecting VoC data, they must have analyzed it systematically. Post analysis, they came up with critical customer requirements; which were voiced by the majority of their customers. This figure shows what your CTQ tree would look like for one of the critical needs identified ie. “I need my pizza now" Critical-To-Quality (CTQ) Tree join: ow 4, Illustration:- | (ioe za == (sx) Te LT aceon | Quality” It's horizontally-placed critical to the quality tree. You can also prepare a CTQ tree that is vertically placed. This is just a representative CTQ tree and is not complete in every respect. The purpose here is to make you understand the topic. How to read the CTQ tree?How do we read or comprehend the tree? “I need my pizza now” has three quality drivers. The first one is “Whenever | want”. The customer says I need my pizza whenever I want. It means | want it anytime during the day, That is the VoC. Over here, VoB (Voice of business) says that the service is available between 11 AM and 12 PM. It means that if the customer needs pizza at 8 AM, he/she will not get it at all. The second quality driver is ‘Quick and Easy to Order’ In order to ensure that the pizzas are quick and easy to order, the first metric or performance requirement that the business has to meet is ‘Call answered on the 1st ring. The standard expectation is that every call that all calls that the pizza store receives should be answered on the Ast ring. The business problem may be related to this performance requirement. The Six Sigma project needs to validate the non-performance towards answering the call on the 1st ring. The team may need to look into the historical calls data, for the past six months, to check how many calls were actually made at each counter in the pizza store, how many calls actually rang but; were not picked up, and how many calls were abandoned because they were not picked up in the first ring, etc. The data has to speak the performance story. The question for the business is: How to get it done? Critical questions, at this stage, could be: * Dowe need to increase the number of people on board? * Dowe need to increase the number of telephone lines? * Dowe need to appoint one person just to pick up the call? Providing answers to these questions might end up in having a new CTQ. That is how you need to read and prepare the CTQ tree. Check Our FREE Courses(http://masterofproject.com/courses/category/FREE%20Courses) £ Share (https://www.facebook.com/sharerphp? urhttps%3A%2F%2Fblogmasterofproject.com%2Fctq-tree%2F) VW Tweet (https://twitter.com/intent/tweet? text=Six%20Sigma%20C ritical%20t0%20Quality%3A%207%20Steps%20t0%20Produce%20C TQ%20Tree&url=https://blog. masterofproject.com/ctq-tree/&via=masterofproject) yXelon elo) 7 QC Tools for Successful Six Sigma Projects 6min.read Quality is a very important feature for successful businesses to uphold and it is the pillar of good project management practices. Six Sigma projects taken on by those who completed an online Six Sigma training (http://masterofproject.com/p/lean-six- sigma-green-belt-certification-training) program or by Six Sigma Black Belts focus on improving management processes to ensure better quality. It is essential that customers are given products and services that are convenient for them and hence,worth the money they pay. In order to be successful in business, the project team needs to remember that customer satisfaction is always the most important goal for project success. Attend our 100% Online & Self-Paced Free Six Sigma Training (https://masterofproject.com/p/lean-six-sigma-certification-overview). \G > FREE FREE Six Sigma Training & AL ach «quirements, Definition ea (https://masterofproject.com/p/lean-six-sigma-certification-overview) Customer satisfaction is part of the Six Sigma principles (https://blog.masterofproject.com/six-sigma-principles/) are also briefly taught in free Six Sigma training (http://masterofproject.com/p/lean-six-sigma-certification- overview). To ensure the best possible products and services are sold to customers at a consistent level, businesses should use the Seven Quality Control tools (7 QC Tools). The efficient and effective use of these 7 QC tools can help maintain the consistency of the products and services being produced and it also prevents project failure. The use of these tools as management skills is spread out throughout the different phases of the DMAIC (https://blog.masterofproject.com/dmaic-six- sigma/) process. Six Sigma Projects: Why use the 7 QC tools? The 7 QC tools is a title given to a fixed set of graphical techniques identified as being most helpful in troubleshooting issues related to quality. The 7 QC tools are fundamental instruments for product quality and process improvement. They are used to examine the production process, identify the key issues, control fluctuations in product quality, and give solutions to avoid future defects.These are the tools that facilitate the organization to resolve the basic problems. When an organization starts the journey of quality improvements, the organization normally has many low-hanging fruits; which should be tackled with these basic 7 QC tools. These 7 QC tools are easy to understand and implement and do not need complex analytical/ statistical competence. Lean Six Sigma Projects: What are the 7 QC Tools? The 7 QC tools as defined by the American Society for Quality (ASQ) and accepted throughout the quality engineering community include: 1. Cause-and-Effect Diagrams / Fishbone Diagram2. Pareto charts 3. Control Charts 4, Scatter diagrams 5. Histograms 6. Flowcharts 7. Checklists 7 QC Tools: Cause-and-effect diagrams The first of the 7 QC tools is the Fishbone Diagram helps organize ideas and understand the relationship between potential causes and an effect or a problem by formatting, arranging, and organizing potential causes into themes and sub- themes in preparation for a cause identification effort. It helps stimulate thinking when developing the list of the potential sources of a problem. It guides concrete action and tracks the potential causes during an investigation effort to determine whether the item significantly contributes to the problem or not. Check our Lean Six Sigma Training Video 7 QC Tools: Pareto ChartsThe second of the 7 QC tools is the Pareto chart is used to prioritize the contributors which make the biggest impact on a problem, or which represents the largest areas of opportunity. A Pareto chart is a tool to focus attention on priorities while trying to make decisions. It is a good communication tool that describes the data ina simple and easy-to-read bar diagram. The chart helps to study and analyze the frequency of occurrences of an event in a process and identify the biggest contributors. These diagrams communicate the principle of 80:20. It states that 80% of an effect comes from 20% of the causes. 7 QC Tools: Control Chart The third of the 7 QC tools is the control chart. The best tool to investigate variation in a process is a control chart. A control chart is often called a time series plot that is used to monitor a process over time. It is a plot of a process characteristic, usually through time with statistically determined limits. When used for process monitoring, it helps the user to determine the appropriate type of action to take on the process depending on the degree of variation in the process. 7 QC Tools: Scatter diagramsThe fourth of the 7 QC tools is the scatter diagram. The scatter diagram is also known as a scatter plot or a correlation graph. It helps visualize the relationship between two variables. The graph helps check for outliers too. 7 QC Tools: Histograms The fifth of the 7 QC tools is the histogram. A histogram is a pictorial representation of aset of data. The histogram is a bar graph that shows the frequency of values. It is created by grouping the measurements into “cells” or “bins.” Histograms are useful to understand the location, spread, and shape of the data. In addition, potential outliers or missing data can be seen. 7 QC Tools Flow charts The sixth of the 7 QC tools is the flow chart. A flow chart is a visual representation of a process that can illustrate: * What activities are completed, by whom, and in what sequence + Hand-offs between departments or individuals * Internal and external operational boundaries 7 QC Tools: Checklists The last of the 7 QC tools is the checklist. The purpose of a checklist is to summarize, and in some cases; graphically depict a tally count of event occurrences. A checklist is used when users are interested in counting the number of occurrences of an event, such as defects or nonconformances. In many instances, a checklist will summarize countable data related to certain types of defects and will provide a rough graphical representation of where, ina part or process, defects occurred. Six Sigma Projects: When to use the 7 QC Tools? Collectively, these tools are commonly referred to as the 7 QC tools. In the Define phase of the DMAIC process, Flowcharts are very important. In the Measure phase (https://blog.masterofproject.com/operational-definition-measure-phase/), the first ~three of the 7 QC tools are relevant: Fishbone Diagram, Pareto Chart, and Control Charts. In the Analyze phase, the Scatter Diagram, Histogram, and Checklist are relevant. The Control Chart is also relevant in the Improve phase. Six Sigma Projects: Three key insights regarding the 7 QC Tools Kaoru Ishikawa, in the year 1985, is credited with making the following statement with respect to these tools: “As much as 95 percent of all quality-related problems in the factory can be solved with seven fundamental quantitative tools.” Ishikawa’s statement provides three key insights into these tools, namely that these seven tools are: Applicable in problem-solving situations most commonly encountered by Quality Engineers Quantitative in nature and rely on with the exception of Flowcharts and Cause- and-Effect diagrams, numerical data Most commonly used in quality control to assist in Tracking, Monitoring, and analyzing data The 7 QC tools are great ways to visualize information relating to problem-solving to improve the quality of processes, products, and services. These tools can be used throughout the DMAIC cycle and also provides evidence of how well the Lean Six Sigma project work has been executed according to its data-driven principles.(http://masterofproject.com/courses/category/FREE%20Courses) Six Sigma Projects Review by: Wade Wood 5/Sstars Share (https://www.facebook.com/sharer.php? u=https%3A%2F%2Fblog masterofproject.com%2F7-qc-tools-six-sigma-projects%2F) WV Tweet (https://twitter.com/intent/tweet? text=7%20QC%20Tools%20for%20Successful%20Six%20Sigma%20ProjectsSurl=https://blog. masterofproject.com/7-qc-tools-six-sigma-projects/&via=masterofproject)ITIL Foundation Review: Charles Passed the ITIL Foundation Exam! 4min.read Charles Deale recently passed the ITIL Foundation certification exam (httpsi//blog.masterofproject.com/what-is-itil/). Charles did a ITIL Foundation review and shared his ITIL journey with us. Check out Charles's tips to succeed in ITIL Foundation exam.1- How long did you study for the ITIL Foundation certification exam? Allinall, as first sentence of my ITIL Foundation review, | studied for about one month in my spare time. | started my ITIL Foundation exam preparation by enrolling in ITIL foundation training (http://masterofproject.com/p/itil-foundation-complete- itil-foundation-exam-course) of Master of Project Academy. Once that was completed, | reviewed my notes as well as practice a few sample exams from the Master of Project website. 2- What was the biggest struggle when preparing for ITIL Foundation certification exam? At first, some of the objectives and goals were confusing, but after I placed myself in a mindset of imagining that | already work for a company where ITIL lifecycle (https://blog.masterofproject.com/itil-lifecycle-services/ is fully used, it became easier to see them from a practical point of view. Apart from the technical context, it is really hard to find a suitable time to study for the ITIL Foundation exam if you are a full-time working professional. Online ITIL training (http://masterofproject.com/p/itil-foundation-complete-itil-foundation- exam-course) of Master of Project Academy helped me to follow the lectures on my ‘own pace and wherever I wish. These were the tough parts of my ITIL Foundation review and how | overcame. 3- How was the quality of ITIL Foundation certification training materials? The ITIL training (http://masterofproject.com/p/itil-foundation-complete-itil- foundation-exam-course) material of Master of Project Academy was very thorough with highlights on the most important concepts to know for the exam. Videos and handouts allowed me to completely work through the material as well as summarize for review later on. This is my point of ITIL Foundation review for the ITIL training materials of Master of Project Academy.4- How much similar were the questions in the real exam when you considered the exam questions in Master of Project Academy’s materials? There were a lot of similarities but the questions in the ITIL foundation exam provides options where more than one question seems to be correct because there are at least two options in each question that are very closely related. 5- How many exam questions did you practice before the exam? ITIL Foundation certification training of Master of Project Academy has over 200 questions. | practiced all of these and gone through my mistakes over and over again to get ready for the ITIL Foundation certification exam. As part of my ITIL Foundation review, | would recommend you to practice as many sample ITIL questions and answers (http://masterofproject.com/p/itil-foundation-5- realistic-itil-foundation-exams) as possible. 6- How was the support you received throughout the training? Very good. Whenever | had questions about the lectures or | had technical issues, | received prompt responses from the instructor and support personnel. Usually, | received my answers in less than 24 hours.7- Do you have any recommendations for future ITIL Foundation certification exam candidates? Yes, please ensure to read the questions clearly, they are not trick questions but some of the answers are very closely tied together and also imagine that you work for an ITIL adapted organization where the framework is utilized. 8- Do you have any tips for the ITIL Foundation certification exam day? Relax and read the questions carefully. You can take the ITIL Foundation certification exam at your own place through online proctoring.9- If you would give 3 tips to your close friend about ITIL Foundation certification, what would you recommend as part of your ITIL Foundation review? 1. Prepare properly, do not skimp on any of the material 2. Relax and follow a good ITIL Foundation study plan (http://masterofproject.com/blog/267447/itil-foundation-study-plan). 3. Enjoy the process. 10- Please write us any other comments that would be helpful for ITIL Foundation certification aspirants. Try and imagine how the framework can be utilized to your benefit in your current organization How likely is it that you would recommend Master of Project Academy to a friend or colleague? Very likely. Quality of the training is great and prices are affordable. Thank you for helping me to pass my ITIL Foundation exam! Thanks for giving me this opportunity to express my ITIL Foundation review experience for ITIL aspirants. Charles Deale (https://www.linkedin.com/in/charles-deale-b7318298/) has BsC Degree from University of South Africa and Computer Graphics degree from British Columbia Institute of Technology. Charles lives in Vancouver, Canada and works in Bardel Entertainment company. You'll be as happy as our 200,000+ professionals community. Charles is only one of them!Check out ITIL Foundation Training (https://masterofproject.com/p/itil-foundation- complete-itil-foundation-exam-course) for further details. 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