DMAIC is an acronym representing the stages one must go through as part of the Six Sigma methodology for refining a process. The acronym stands for: Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control. A brief overview of each phase follows:
Define - phase in which one creates a team charter listing the problem statement, the definition of the process, your team members, voice of the customer, and CTQs (critical to quality).
Measure - phase in which you develop a data collection plan, collect data and perform a statistica analysis on your measurement system.
Analyze - phase in which you use statistical tools to identify the root cause of a defect.
Improve - phase in which a solution is developed to eliminate the root causes of defects.
Control - phase in which the modified process (as created in Improve) is monitored to ensure that it does indeed improve the process.