Define
The charter is the center of Define
A complete charter carries the business case, a quantified problem statement (what, where, when, how much - no cause, no solution), a SMART goal statement, scope with explicit in/out boundaries, team and roles, milestones, and expected benefits. Pair it with a SIPOC to pin boundaries and a stakeholder/communication plan to manage resistance.
Voice of customer
Translate VOC into critical-to-quality requirements using Kano (dissatisfiers, satisfiers, delighters) and QFD/House of Quality. Critical-to-cost, critical-to-delivery, and critical-to-safety needs are derived the same way. Confirm the operational definition of each CTQ before Measure begins, because a fuzzy CTQ produces unusable data.
Planning tools
Know the WBS, network diagram, critical path (longest path, which sets shortest project duration; float = LS − ES), Gantt chart, and basic risk tools. Distinguish DMAIC from design-for-six-sigma approaches such as DMADV. Define closes at a tollgate with a sponsor-approved, baselined plan.
Traps
A problem statement that names a cause (“the problem is untrained operators”), a goal with no metric or date, a scope written as a preferred solution, or skipping the business case. Also expect items on why a project with a weak business case should be renegotiated rather than launched.
Rule of thumb: a Black Belt goal should close at least half the gap between current and target performance, be measurable with a date, and be completable in roughly four to six months.