At which stage of the Six Sigma Methodology are customer requirements identified?

The identification of customer requirements occurs during the Define stage of the Six Sigma Methodology. This stage is crucial as it sets the foundation for the entire project by defining the problem and the goals from the perspective of the customer. In this phase, tools and techniques such as Voice of the Customer (VoC) are used to gather insights about customer needs and expectations. This understanding is vital, as it ensures that the subsequent stages of the methodology focus on delivering solutions that align with what the customers truly value.

By clearly establishing these requirements early on, teams can prioritize their efforts and ensure that improvements made throughout the project will have a meaningful impact. The other stages, such as Improve, Analyze, and Control, focus on different aspects of the process improvement journey and do not primarily emphasize the identification of customer needs.