Template Library
DMAIC Project Files Template
A linked Excel workbook with the core DMAIC project documents in one file: a project charter, data collection plan, control plan, and tollgate checklist, plus a live dashboard that rolls up gate completion automatically.
Most DMAIC projects end up with the charter in one file, the data collection plan in another, and the control plan somewhere else entirely, none of which get updated once the project moves past the phase that created them. This workbook keeps all four documents in one file with a Tollgate Checklist tab that tracks Define through Control gate criteria, and a Dashboard that computes percent-complete per phase directly from that checklist with zero manual tallying. The Dashboard also pulls a live list of every open tollgate item straight out of the checklist, so a sponsor can see exactly what is still outstanding without hunting through the full table.
What Is Included in the Workbook
| Sheet | Purpose | What Teams Capture |
|---|---|---|
| How-To | Method guidance and orientation | What each tab is for and when to complete it during the project |
| Project Charter | Problem, goal, scope, and team of record | Problem statement, SMART goal, business case, in/out of scope, team roster, and sponsor approvals |
| Data Collection Plan | Measurement plan (Excel Table) | Measure, operational definition, data type, collection method, sample size, and who collects it |
| Control Plan | Sustain plan (Excel Table) | Process step, characteristic, specification, control method, sample frequency, and reaction plan |
| Tollgate Checklist | Phase-gate tracker (Excel Table) | Define-through-Control gate criteria, status, approver, and date |
| Dashboard | Live rollup | Overall and per-phase percent-complete, a count of items still Not Started or In Progress, and a live-filtered list of every open tollgate item with its phase and status |
Key Features Inside the Template
One File, Not Four
Charter, data collection plan, control plan, and tollgate checklist stay together in one workbook instead of drifting apart across separate files.
Live Per-Phase Completion Dashboard
Percent-complete for Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control calculates automatically from the Tollgate Checklist, with a chart.
Color-Coded Gate Status
Each tollgate item is flagged Not Started, In Progress, or Complete with conditional formatting, so gaps are visible at a glance.
Standing Sponsor Approvals Block
The charter includes a signature line for the sponsor, process owner, and project lead, so accountability is documented from day one.
Live List of Open Tollgate Items
The Dashboard filters the Tollgate Checklist down to whatever is not yet marked Complete and lists it with phase and status, so nothing outstanding gets missed before a review.
Best Use Cases
- Kicking off a new DMAIC project and needing one file to track it end to end
- A Black Belt or Green Belt managing several concurrent projects who needs a consistent format across all of them
- Tollgate reviews where a sponsor wants to see phase-completion status at a glance
- Handing a project off mid-stream to another lead with full context in one place
How to Use the Template Effectively
- Complete the Project Charter first and get sponsor sign-off before significant work begins.
- Fill in the Data Collection Plan before collecting any Measure-phase data, not after.
- Update the Tollgate Checklist at the end of each phase, not just before a scheduled review.
- Complete the Control Plan once the improved process is stable, not as a formality at project close.
- Check the Dashboard before any tollgate review meeting so gaps are addressed beforehand, not discovered live.
Who Should Use This Template
- Green Belts and Black Belts running a formal DMAIC project
- Project sponsors who want a single file to review at tollgates
- Continuous improvement teams standardizing project documentation across the organization
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Writing the charter once and never revisiting it as scope becomes clearer
- Skipping the Data Collection Plan and jumping straight into collecting data with no agreed definitions
- Leaving the Control Plan blank at project close because the "real work" already feels finished
- Only updating the Tollgate Checklist right before a review, hiding earlier gaps
Related Guides and Tools
Read the DMAIC Roadmap Guide
The five-phase structure this workbook's Tollgate Checklist and Dashboard are built around.
Open the DMAIC Roadmap Builder
The live browser version of a phase tracker, useful for quick task-level tracking day to day.
Open the Data Collection Plan Builder
Build and print a data collection plan interactively before transferring it into this workbook.
DMAIC Project Files Template Frequently Asked Questions
Is this one file or several separate templates?
It is one Excel workbook with linked tabs, so the charter, data collection plan, control plan, and tollgate checklist all travel together with the project instead of living in separate files that can drift out of sync.
Do I need to fill out every tab at the start of the project?
No. Complete the Project Charter first. The Data Collection Plan is typically completed during Measure, and the Control Plan during Control, once the improved process is stable. Update the Tollgate Checklist at the end of each phase.
How is this different from the individual Data Collection Plan and DMAIC Roadmap tools on this site?
The Data Collection Plan Builder and DMAIC Roadmap Builder are live browser tools for quick, interactive work. This template is the offline Excel version of the core project documents, meant to be the file of record a team keeps and shares as the project moves through each phase.
Why does the Dashboard's open-items list show an error in my copy of Excel?
The live open-items list on the Dashboard uses the FILTER and HSTACK dynamic array functions, which require Microsoft 365 or Excel 2021 or later. In older Excel versions, that list will show a #NAME? error, but the rest of the workbook, including the percent-complete formulas, still works normally.