DMAIC Companion
A local-first, guided web app for Lean Six Sigma improvement work. It teaches the method while you use it, and replaces PowerPoint and Excel/Minitab templates with guided workflows that export to a PowerPoint report.
Context & Purpose
Learning by Building
As a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt learning the Apollo root cause analysis method, coursework arrived primarily as slide decks and Excel templates: helpful for reading, but slow for execution.
The impulse was to build a tool that walks through the method step by step and explains why each step exists in practice.
From One Method to a Toolbox
The project started as the Apollo RCA Guide—12 guided steps from problem definition to lessons learned, structured along DMAIC principles.
It quickly grew into DMAIC Companion: a cohesive environment supporting full DMAIC improvement projects and standalone Lean Six Sigma tools in one uniform format.
Personal Project
DMAIC Companion is an ongoing personal project and learning vehicle—not a commercial product, cloud service, or SaaS business.
Built without a formal coding background by defining requirements, testing every step, and letting an AI coding assistant write the code under a written method guide and strict working rules.
Local-First Principles
Runs entirely in the browser. There is no remote server, database, user accounts, or telemetry. Because improvement initiatives frequently handle sensitive operational information, nothing ever leaves the local machine.
Every modification autosaves continuously to the browser’s localStorage as a safety net. The real save is a versioned .dmaic.json project file that can be archived, backed up, and shared.
Every tool checks user input against methodology rules (for example, identifying if an entry states a cause rather than describing what occurred) and explains why. Practitioners always retain full freedom to proceed.
Complete Technology Architecture
React 19 & Vite 8
Modern declarative interface with high-performance bundling and sub-second local hot reloading.
TypeScript 7 (Strict)
Strict type definitions across all 37 tool models, statistical outputs, schemas, and migration pipelines.
Tailwind CSS 4 & Themes
Clean, responsive interface with both light and dark themes tailored for focused analytical and workshop settings.
React Flow & PWA Support
Interactive Cause & Effect Tree visual editor powered by React Flow; installable as a standalone app via web manifest.
Single JSON Object Model
One project equals one JSON object with explicit schema versioning and automatic backward-compatible migrations on open.
Modular Tool Registry
Every project maintains a composable registry of tools, allowing analyses to start small and expand without restarting.
Native TypeScript Statistics
Core statistics written entirely in plain TypeScript—mean, standard deviation, histograms, and normal/t/F distributions without third-party math libraries.
Quality & Process Control
Built-in algorithms for normality testing, process capability (Cp/Cpk), control charts, hypothesis tests, regression, and Gage R&R—eliminating Minitab dependency.
Vitest (387 Tests in 62 Files)
Comprehensive automated test suite, including validation that every worked example passes every tool's checklist.
Oxlint Code Quality
Rapid static analysis enforcing uniform code standards across domain logic, tools, and test suites.
PowerPoint Export (pptxgenjs)
Client-side report engine generating structured, consulting-style PowerPoint slide decks directly from active project data.
Data Model & Mechanics
Three Ways In
Entry PointsUsers can approach improvement work through whichever lens fits the immediate problem at hand:
Any tool can be added to an existing project later without starting over.
Method Built In
Apollo PrinciplesRoot cause principles are woven directly into the interface rather than left to user discipline:
Improvement Charter, Stakeholder analysis, Voice of the Customer (VOC), CTQ Tree, Process Boundary Scope, SIPOC Preview, Project Risk Assessment
SIPOC, Value Stream Map, Data Collection Plan, Operational Definitions, MSA / Gage R&R, Process Baseline, Normality Check
5 Whys, Fishbone (Ishikawa), Pareto Analysis, Cause & Effect Tree, FMEA, Multi-Vari Analysis, Hypothesis Testing, Correlation & Regression, Process Flow Detailing, Root Cause Verification
Solution Brainstorming, Solution Selection Matrix, Poka-Yoke (Mistake Proofing), Implementation Plan, Pilot Evaluation, Risk Mitigation, Future State VSM
Process Capability Before/After (Cp/Cpk), Statistical Process Control Charts, Control Plan, Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), Training Matrix, Final Project Report
Status & Future Development
Completed (Current State)
- Apollo RCA Guide v1: 12 guided steps, worked examples, and PowerPoint export
- DMAIC Companion: All 37 tools built with zero placeholders remaining
- Export Engine: Formatted report and PowerPoint export for every project type
- Learn Library: Interactive guides for Define tools and six end-to-end worked examples
Roadmap Candidates (Next)
- Learn Library Expansion: Guides and quizzes across all remaining tools
- Comprehensive Self-Test: End-to-end verification under a written test procedure
- Colleague Sharing: Packaged to run locally or as a hosted static web app
- Swedish Translation: Localized UI copy (all interface strings centralized)