Morpheus Brown LLC is a unique company, combining diverse experience with out-of-the-box thinking.  Our approach integrates multiple methodologies to meet your needs and achieve significant results.  Listed below are a couple of the proven methodologies we utilize that form the foundation of our approach.

Six Sigma.  Six Sigma is a business-driven, multi-faceted approach to process improvement, reduced costs, and increased profits.  For many organizations, it simply means a measure of quality that strives for near perfection.  With a fundamental principle to improve customer satisfaction by eliminating and reducing defects, its ultimate performance target is virtually defect-free processes, products or services.

Six Sigma originated at Motorola in the early 1980s in response to a CEO-driven challenge to achieve tenfold reduction in product-failure levels in five years.  Meeting this challenge required swift and accurate root-cause analysis and correction.  In the mid-1990s, Motorola divulged the details of their quality improvement framework, which has since been adopted by several large manufacturing companies.

The statistical representation of Six Sigma describes quantitatively how a process is performing.  To achieve Six Sigma, a process must not produce more than 3.4 defects per million opportunities (with a defect being defined as anything outside of customer specifications).

The fundamental objective of the Six Sigma methodology is the implementation of a measurement-based strategy that focuses on process improvement and variation reduction through the application of Six Sigma improvement projects.  The Six Sigma DMAIC process (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control) is an improvement system for existing processes falling below specification and looking for incremental improvement.  The DMAIC methodology breaks down as follows:

Define the project goals and customer (internal and external) requirements.
Measure the process to determine current performance.
Analyze and determine the root cause(s) of the defects.
Improve the process by eliminating defect root causes.
Control future process performance. 

Design for Six Sigma.  Design for Six Sigma (DFSS), based upon fundamental principles from Six Sigma, is a methodology for enhancing the speed and quality of the design processes within a company or organization.  DFSS is best used when you need to “build in” performance or quality for a new process, product or service.

Unlike the DMAIC methodology, the phases or steps of DFSS are not universally recognized or defined -- almost every company or training organization will define DFSS differently.  Many times a company will implement DFSS to suit their business, industry and culture; other times they will implement the version of DFSS used by the consulting company assisting in the deployment.  Because of this, DFSS is more of an approach than a defined methodology.

DFSS is used to design or re-design a product or service from the ground up.  The expected process Sigma level for a DFSS product or service is at least 4.5 (no more than approximately 1 defect per thousand opportunities), but can be 6 Sigma or higher depending the product.  Producing such a low defect level from product or service launch means that customer expectations and needs (CTQs) must be completely understood before a design can be completed and implemented.

Project Management (SEI CMM/CMMI).  Our approach to Project Management is based upon the Capability Maturity Model (CMM) and Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) framework developed by the Software Engineering Institute (SEI).  Both models are a process improvement approach that provides organizations with the essential elements of effective processes.  They can be used to guide process improvement across a project, division or an entire organization and help integrate traditionally separate organizational functions, set process improvement goals and priorities, provide guidance for quality processes, and provide a point of reference for appraising current processes.

The CMM model leverages best practices from leading companies and creates a standard approach to managing projects within a company.  Common phases of the project lifecycle include Project Initiation, Project Tracking, Requirements Management, Design, Build, Test, Implement and Project Closeout.  This model has been replaced by CMMI.  
Organizations use CMMI process improvement activities as a collection of best practices, framework for organizing and prioritizing activities, support for the coordination of multi-disciplined activities that might be required to successfully build a product and means to emphasize the alignment of the process improvement objectives with organizational business objectives.  The CMMI model is not a process.  It describes the characteristics of effective processes.

Experience has shown that developing a program that combines the best aspects of the above methodologies can effect change in a more integrated fashion.

Certified Scrum Master and PMP Certification.  We are currently in the process of adding these project management certifications to our stable of knowledge and experience.