Six sigma design method

An apparatus to be used during a product development procedure wherein the procedure includes a series of consecutive development phases and the product includes at least two critical to quality characteristics (CTQs), the apparatus for generating a confidence matrix which can be used to increase a product sigma through product design, a user initially providing product limits and thereafter providing additional development information during each consecutive development phase to the apparatus, the apparatus comprising

• a computer performing a method comprising the steps of, during at least two of the development phases and for each CTQ:
• a. using the development information to determine a quality factor which is indicative of the probability that the product will be within the specified limits;
• b. identifying a confidence factor which is indicative of the probability that the quality factor is accurate;
• and
• c. arranging the quality factors, CTQs and confidence factors such that the CTQs and factors are correlated thereby forming the confidence matrix that can be used to analyze confidence factor trends during the design process.