# DMADV

**URL:** https://kaizumi.com/dictionary/dmadv

**Description:** DMADV is the five-phase Design for Six Sigma methodology: Define, Measure, Analyze, Design, and Verify for creating new products or processes.

**Category:** six-sigma

**Tags:** problem-solving, advanced

## Definition

DMADV (Define, Measure, Analyze, Design, Verify) is the primary methodology used in Design for Six Sigma (DFSS) for creating new products, services, or processes. Unlike DMAIC which improves existing processes, DMADV guides the design of something new from concept to validated launch. Each phase builds on the previous: Define customer requirements, Measure and quantify those requirements, Analyze design options, Design the optimal solution, and Verify performance meets requirements.

## Examples

### Manufacturing

> A medical device company used DMADV for a new insulin pump. Define: patient and regulatory requirements. Measure: CTQs for accuracy, ease of use, reliability. Analyze: competing design concepts evaluated against CTQs. Design: selected concept optimized through tolerance analysis and FMEA. Verify: clinical trials confirmed performance met all requirements.

### Healthcare

> A health system used DMADV for a new telehealth service. Define: patient needs and reimbursement requirements. Measure: quantified wait time, video quality, and satisfaction targets. Analyze: platform options against requirements. Design: selected platform with customized workflows. Verify: pilot confirmed 95% satisfaction and full reimbursement capture.

### Administrative

> A bank used DMADV for a new digital account opening process. Define: customer and compliance requirements. Measure: quantified speed, accuracy, and abandonment targets. Analyze: technology and process options. Design: optimal flow with fraud controls. Verify: launch achieved 4-minute completion time versus 8-minute target.

## Key Points

- Define: Identify customer requirements and project goals
- Measure: Translate requirements into measurable CTQs with specifications
- Analyze: Evaluate design alternatives against requirements
- Design: Develop and optimize the selected solution
- Verify: Confirm design meets requirements through testing and pilots

## Common Misconceptions

**DMADV is just DMAIC with different names.** While the acronyms share letters, the activities differ substantially. DMADV's Design phase creates new solutions; DMAIC's Improve phase modifies existing ones. The toolsets and outputs differ accordingly.

**Analyze means the same thing in both methodologies.** In DMAIC, Analyze identifies root causes of problems. In DMADV, Analyze evaluates design options and identifies the best concept. Same word, different focus.

## Related Tool

When you reach the Design phase of DMADV, stack each operator's planned work content against takt time to optimize the new process layout before launch — model it with the [Yamazumi chart builder](/tools/yamazumi).

Source: https://kaizumi.com/dictionary/dmadv
Licence: free to quote and cite with attribution to Kaizumi.