Six Sigma

Six Sigma Project Report Template

On-Line Green Belt Program at The University of Michigan

Instructor Comments

• The following template presents a guideline for preparing a Six Sigma written project report. Your report should be similar in organization and contain similar headings. Subheadings and length of each section will obviously vary based on your findings and writing style.

• The italic text in this template is instructional and should not be written in the actual report. The nonitalic text presents examples of the kinds of text you might or should include in your report. The example in this template is based on a case study from Six Sigma: The Breakthrough Management Strategy Revolutionizing the World's Top Corporations by Mikel Harry, Ph.D. and Richard Schroeder, 2000. Note that some of the example text appears on separate pages within the template.

• Some of the information in the examples in this template is vague because of lack of source information. However, your report should be as specific as possible, including details and data that reflect your case.

• The information in your report should follow the Six-Sigma Problem Solving Methodology DMAIC. This includes a description of the project, key points in the problem-solving process, and detailed support for your conclusions and any recommendations. The final report should be approximately 3-6 single-spaced pages, including tables and figures.

• Feel free to use the heading style formats in these guidelines for the headings and subheadings in your written report.

• We recognize that some information contained in this template is repetitive across sections. However, since different audiences will read your report to various degrees of depth, we believe that it is essential to repeat certain information. Ultimately, we want you to write a high quality-professional report that has sufficient detail to help other Six Sigma professional utilize and build upon your project findings.

• For technical questions, feel free to contact an instructor.

• Pat Hammett ( pathammett@umich.edu) Tel: 734-936-1121 Fax: 734-763-9384

• Gary Herrin ( garyherrin@umich.edu) Tel: 734-647-7105 Fax: 734-764-3451

• Luis GarcÐ"­a Guzman (lgguzman@umich.edu) Tel: 734-764-5262 Fax: 734-763-9384

• Saumuy Suriano (ssuriano@umich.edu) Tel: 734-647-9191 Fax: 734-763-9384

• This template was written by Mary Lind, Technical Communications Instructor. mlind@umich.edu

Title Stating Subject and Purpose of Report

Submitted to:

Name, Title

Department/Organization

Address (optional)

Prepared by:

Name, Title

Department/Organization

Address (optional)

Date Submitted

Example:

Damage-Free Delivery Project:

Solving Problems with Products Damaged in Shipping

Submitted to:

Name Unknown, CEO

Polymerland, A Division of GE Plastics

Prepared by:

Name Unknown, Champion

Also Name Unknown, Black Belt

Polymerland, A Division of GE Plastics

December 20, 1997

Note: Do not put a page number on your title page. Begin numbering the pages with the Executive Summary.

Executive Summary

• The Executive Summary presents the major information the report contains. Its readers are typically managers who need a broad understanding of the project and how it fits into a coherent whole. These readers do not need or want a detailed understanding of the various steps taken to complete your project. Therefore, the Executive Summary allows readers to learn the gist of the report without reading the entire document, to determine whether the report is relevant to their needs, or to get an overview before focusing on the details. We consider writing a concise (one-page or less) and comprehensive executive summary a critical element of an effective Six Sigma project.

The Executive Summary should include:

• Problem Statement

• Scope

• Methods (if appropriate)

• Major results, including key supporting information

• Conclusions

• Recommendations (if appropriate)

An Executive Summary is not used as an introduction to the report, but is an independent, entirely condensed versionвЂ"the report in miniature. It generally has the following characteristics:

• Length of 1 page for reports fewer than 10 pages. For longer reports, maximum length is often 5 to10% of the length of the full report.

• The Executive Summary should include no terms, abbreviations, or symbols unfamiliar to the reader. Readers should understand the content of the Executive Summary without reading