Knowledge Base · Solutions
Just Do It, rapid improvement event, or DMAIC project: how do I choose?
Match the pathway to the size of the problem. Just Do It fits a clear problem with an obvious, low-risk fix. A rapid improvement event fits a medium problem a cross-functional team can crack in a focused three to five day sprint. DMAIC fits a complex, data-heavy problem whose root cause is a mystery.
Chapter 4 warns against using a sledgehammer to crack a nut: not all problems are the same size, so they should not get the same approach. Choosing the pathway is about applying the right amount of rigour without creating unnecessary bureaucracy. The book's Simple Priority Matrix does the first sort: Do First items point one way, Plan Well items another.
- Just Do It: the problem is clear, the solution obvious, and the risk low. Fixing a form, moving equipment, correcting a web page. Empower the team to act at once rather than burying it in approvals.
- Rapid improvement event: too big for a quick fix, short of a major project. A cross-functional team focuses on it for three to five days and often implements the solution before the week ends.
- DMAIC project: complex and data-heavy, root cause unknown, impact significant. A structured Define, Measure, Analyse, Improve, Control project that can take several months.
Two questions settle most cases. Do we already know the cause and the fix? Then do it. Do we need data to find the cause at all? Then the problem belongs on the DMAIC pathway, with an improvement event as the middle option when a team in a room for a week can realistically finish it.
Open Solve in ClarionEX (free in Lite)
Related questions
- What is DMAIC, and when should I use it?
- What is a rapid improvement event (a kaizen event)?
- How do I decide which problem to solve first?
Source: Continuous Improvement in the Workplace, Ch. 4 (Solution Creation and Implementation).