Template by Methodology
The Six Sigma charter is created during the Define phase of DMAIC. It differs from a traditional charter by emphasising process metrics, sigma-level targets, Voice of the Customer data, and SIPOC process boundaries.
Updated 11 April 2026
Traditional charters measure business results (revenue, satisfaction). Six Sigma charters measure process performance: defect rate, sigma level, cycle time, yield.
Every problem statement traces back to what the customer needs. CTQ (Critical to Quality) characteristics connect customer requirements to measurable process outputs.
Instead of an in/out scope table, Six Sigma uses SIPOC to define where the process starts and ends. Anything outside the process start/end boundary is out of scope.
Champion, Black Belt, Green Belt, Process Owner. Each role has defined authority and time commitment. The Black Belt is the full-time project lead.
Why this improvement matters to the organisation. Include financial impact (cost of poor quality), strategic alignment, and customer impact. Quantify the gap between current performance and the benchmark.
Define the problem using process data, not opinions. Include: what is wrong, where it occurs, when it was first observed, how large the impact is (defect rate, sigma level, cycle time), and who is affected. Never include a cause or solution in the problem statement.
What the project will achieve, expressed as a measurable process improvement. Include: target sigma level, target defect rate, target cycle time, and deadline. The goal should close 50 to 70% of the gap between current and benchmark performance.
Define the process boundaries using SIPOC: Supplier (who provides inputs), Input (what enters the process), Process (start/end points), Output (what the process produces), Customer (who receives the output). The process start and end points define scope.
Map milestones to DMAIC phases: Define (charter + data collection plan), Measure (baseline data + measurement system analysis), Analyse (root cause identification), Improve (solution implementation), Control (sustain gains with control plan).
Champion (executive sponsor, removes barriers), Black Belt (full-time project lead), Green Belt(s) (part-time team members), Process Owner (sustains improvements post-project), Subject Matter Experts (consulted as needed).
Six Sigma Charter Example
PCB assembly solder defects cost the company $285K annually in rework, scrap, and warranty claims. The defect rate is 3.8% (current sigma level: 3.3). Industry benchmark is 0.5% (sigma level: 4.8). Reducing defects to benchmark levels would save $247K per year and reduce customer returns by 60%.
Since January 2026, the PCB assembly line at Plant 2 has produced solder defects at a rate of 3.8% (38,000 DPMO), operating at a 3.3 sigma level. The defects occur primarily at the wave solder station (72% of all defects) and during reflow (28%). This results in 456 defective units per month requiring rework at $52 per unit and 38 units scrapped at $180 per unit. VOC data: 3 customer complaints in Q1 2026 citing solder joint failure in the field.
Reduce PCB assembly solder defect rate from 3.8% (3.3 sigma) to 1.0% or below (4.6 sigma) by 30 July 2026. This represents a 74% defect reduction and closes approximately 60% of the gap to the industry benchmark of 0.5%.
| Supplier | Input | Process | Output | Customer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Component vendors, Solder paste supplier | Bare PCBs, Components, Solder paste | Paste application → Component placement → Reflow → Wave solder → Inspection | Assembled PCBs (pass/fail) | Final assembly line, End customers |
Process starts at paste application, ends at inspection. Component sourcing and final assembly are out of scope.
Define
Weeks 1-2
Charter, SIPOC, VOC analysis
Measure
Weeks 3-5
MSA, process capability baseline
Analyse
Weeks 6-9
Fishbone, FMEA, statistical analysis
Improve
Weeks 10-13
DOE, solution implementation, pilot
Control
Weeks 14-16
Control plan, SPC charts, handoff
Champion
VP Manufacturing
Black Belt
Process Engineer Lead
Green Belts
2 line supervisors, 1 quality inspector
Writing a solution into the problem statement
The problem statement describes what is wrong. The solution comes from the Analyse and Improve phases. If you already know the solution, you do not need a Six Sigma project.
Confusing goal statement with deliverables
The goal is a measurable process improvement (sigma level, defect rate). Deliverables are outputs (control plan, SPC charts). The charter states the goal; the project plan lists deliverables.
Scoping too broadly (entire value stream vs single process)
A DMAIC project should target one process within the value stream. 'Improve manufacturing quality' is too broad. 'Reduce solder defects at the wave solder station' is the right scope.
The lean variant emphasises waste elimination metrics instead of defect reduction: lead time, inventory turns, value-added ratio, and takt time. The charter structure is identical, but the process metrics section replaces sigma-level targets with lean flow metrics. Use the lean variant when the problem is speed or efficiency rather than quality.