Six Sigma Projects - Audits 101

The Six Sigma Methodology is not a tool that is self-sustaining. The results that are delivered are always based on different variables and occurrences, and generally don't start to appear for around 4 to 6 months. When Projects are deployed, they are assessed for their effectiveness. Similarly, the audit allows for an assessment after a successful deployment of a Project to check the status of the results that are trying to be achieved. This will allow team members to figure out how things are on an 'as-is' basis, which will then be compared to the potential goals of the process to see how things stand.

By taking the time to make charts and checklists for goals, team members will be much better able to assess the processes that are going on, and figure out exactly what is taking place compared to what should be taking place. All of these checklists are actually prepared in the beginning of the Six Sigma Process, so that they can simply be pulled out and utilized when it is necessary. Every question in the audit is designed to critically examine how the process is working, and whether those steps are being followed properly.

By measuring the status of Six Sigma Projects, the auditing process can offer a lot of insight as to where Projects stand and how far they have to go before they reach their goals. The scope of this process is limited by the goals that were set when the project was started and how customers have responded to the changes. By taking these aspects, which are clearly measurable, and reviewing them periodically, team members can get a much better status report on the entire Process. This information will help them to stay on task and ensure that the entire Six Sigma methodology produces the results that it should.

By measuring both the Process and the customer response and satisfaction level regarding the changes, these critical examinations can shed some light on the process. When these things are measured and properly analyzed, they can reveal a bigger picture of the direction of the project is going in relation to ROI and customer satisfaction, which are both essential parts of Six Sigma success. Keep in mind that there may be deviations from the average responses that you receive during an audit. However, this simply points to the process variations, which can easily be resolved or interpreted through the auditing process.

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