When we assess the Voice of the Customer we are attempting to determine the gaps in our processes between “what is” and __________________.

The Voice of the Customer (VOC) is a foundational concept in Lean Six Sigma used to capture customer requirements, expectations, and needs. In the Define phase of a DMAIC project, the team assesses the VOC to understand what the customer truly values. This understanding establishes the ideal or desired state of the process, which is often termed "what should be." The primary goal of the improvement project is then to identify and close the performance gap between the current state ("what is") and this customer-defined ideal state ("what should be").

A. “What isn’t”: This option is too vague and imprecise. While it is the logical opposite of "what is," it does not specifically represent the customer's desired state or requirements for improvement.
B. “What will make money”: This reflects the Voice of the Business (VOB), which focuses on financial outcomes like profitability. While important, it is distinct from the VOC, which prioritizes customer satisfaction and requirements.
C. “What will cost less”: This is another example of the Voice of the Business (VOB) or Voice of the Process (VOP). Cost reduction is an internal business objective, not the customer's primary expectation.

1. Montgomery, D. C. (2013). Introduction to Statistical Quality Control (7th ed.). John Wiley & Sons. In Chapter 1, Section 1.3.2 "The DMAIC Process," the text explains that the Define step involves identifying the gap between current performance ("as-is") and the required performance level ("should be") based on customer needs.

2. Purdue University, Manufacturing Extension Partnership. (n.d.). Lean Six Sigma Green Belt - Define Phase. In the course materials for the Define phase, it is stated that a key activity is to "Understand the Voice of the Customer (VOC) to determine what the customer says is important... This helps define the 'should be' state for the project." (Module: Define, Section: Voice of the Customer).

3. George, M. L., Rowlands, D., & Kastle, B. (2004). What is Lean Six Sigma?. McGraw-Hill. Chapter 4, "The Define Phase," emphasizes that projects are launched to close the gap between the current state ("what is") and what the customer requires ("what should be"), which is determined by collecting the VOC.

4. Antony, J., & Banuelas, R. (2002). Key ingredients for the effective implementation of Six Sigma program. Measuring Business Excellence, 6(4), 20-27. https://doi.org/10.1108/13683040210451679. The article discusses how Six Sigma projects are initiated to address problems, which are defined as the deviation of the current state ("what is") from the desired state ("what should be"), with the desired state being heavily influenced by customer expectations (VOC).