Project Charter: How to Write a Six Sigma Project Charter
What is a Project Charter?
A project charter is the one-page kickoff document of a Six Sigma or Lean improvement project that defines background, problem statement, goals, scope, team, timeline and expected benefits. It answers why the project exists, what will be done, to what level, by whom and by when. A good charter aligns direction before work starts and serves as the baseline for DMAIC phase reviews, resource requests and final sign-off.
Core Content
The tool organizes fields in the standard DMAIC structure: business background and case, a problem statement that quantifies the current state (for example a defect rate rising from X to Y), a SMART goal with baseline and target values, project scope with in and out boundaries, a short SIPOC, team members and roles, milestone plan and expected financial benefits. Each field includes prompts and examples that lower the barrier for beginners, and the field order mirrors the thinking order of the Define phase.
How to Write a Qualified Goal
Goals must be SMART: specific, measurable (with baseline and target), achievable (referencing the best historical level), relevant (tied to business metrics) and time-bound. Estimate the baseline from 4 to 8 weeks of data and set targets against customer requirements and industry levels. The tool provides goal examples and flags common mistakes such as describing actions instead of results.
Step-by-Step Usage
Fill in the charter before project kickoff, review goals and resources with the sponsor, then use it as the reference for every DMAIC phase (especially Define) and check actual benefits against the charter at closure. Combine the tool with VSM to find improvement opportunities, COQ to quantify benefits and KANO to clarify customer needs. At closure, compare actual results with charter targets and explain any gaps to complete the project loop.