The statement is true in principle: before beginning the DMAIC process, stakeholders are expected to agree there is a problem and have a shared, high‑level understanding of what that problem is.

DMAIC and stakeholder agreement

  • DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control) is a structured Six Sigma problem‑solving method used to improve processes and reduce defects.
  • In the Define phase, teams clarify the project objective, scope, and the problem/opportunity for improvement, which requires confirming that stakeholders recognize there is an issue worth addressing.

What stakeholders typically agree on

  • Stakeholders are expected to align on the target of the project , the problem statement , and often the time frame before moving deeper into DMAIC.
  • This alignment includes agreeing on who is affected, the high‑level impact, and why the problem matters to customers and the organization.

Reality: agreement is “good enough,” not perfect

  • In practice, DMAIC often starts once there is a shared, working definition of the problem, even if there is still some disagreement on details or root causes.
  • The Measure and Analyze phases are specifically designed to refine understanding of the problem using data, so total consensus on all aspects is neither required nor realistic at the very beginning.

Mini example story

Imagine a hospital noticing rising patient wait times in the emergency department.

  • Managers, nurses, and doctors agree that “wait times are too long” and that this is the problem DMAIC should address.
  • They may disagree on causes (too few staff, poor triage, inefficient registration), but the DMAIC process starts once they share that high‑level problem definition; later phases clarify causes and specific fixes.

TL;DR:

  • Yes, generally stakeholders should agree there is a problem and share a basic definition of it before DMAIC starts.
  • Full agreement on causes or solutions is not required at the start; DMAIC is designed to uncover those through data‑driven analysis.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.