Six Sigma Black Belt Certified Practice Exam

During which phase of DMAIC is data collection primarily emphasized?

1. Define

2. Measure

3. Analyze

4. Control

The correct answer is: Measure

The Measure phase of DMAIC is primarily focused on data collection, which is critical for establishing a baseline and identifying gaps in performance. During this phase, the project team gathers quantitative and qualitative data related to the key metrics and process variables that influence the performance outcome. This data collection ensures that the team has a solid understanding of the current state of the process, which enables them to identify problems accurately and assess improvements effectively. In this phase, tools such as process mapping, data collection plans, and various statistical methods are employed to ensure that the data collected is relevant, reliable, and sufficient for further analysis. This rigorous approach sets the groundwork for the subsequent Analyze phase, where the team will investigate the data to uncover root causes of issues and assess variability within the process. The emphasis on data collection distinguishes the Measure phase from the other phases in DMAIC, where the focus shifts to analysis, process optimization, and maintaining control of improvements.