Stakeholder Analysis

Overview

Stakeholder analysis identifies all individuals and groups who influence a Six Sigma project or are affected by it, and classifies them by their influence and attitude toward the project. It is a central tool of the Define phase and forms the basis for targeted communication and change management.

Stakeholder: A person or group that can either influence the project or is affected by its outcome — e.g. sponsor, operators, customers, IT, works council, sales. Those overlooked may later slow or block progress.

Influence / power: How strongly can this person promote or hinder the project? High power = formal decision authority or informal influence.

Interest / impact: How much does the result affect them? High interest = the project outcome directly changes their daily work or goals.

Power-interest matrix: Stakeholders are placed in four quadrants: high/high ("Manage closely"), high/low ("Keep satisfied"), low/high ("Keep informed"), low/low ("Monitor"). Each quadrant calls for a different communication approach.

Current and target stance: Where does the stakeholder stand today (supporter, neutral, opponent) and where should they stand for the project to succeed? The gap marks the action need.

Approach

• Build the stakeholder list — include all functions and levels the process touches.
• Estimate influence and interest for each (e.g. scale 1–5).
• Place each stakeholder in the power-interest matrix — every entry gets a quadrant.
• Capture the current stance (opponent / neutral / supporter) and define the target stance.
• Derive a communication strategy per stakeholder — e.g. weekly update, one-on-one talk, workshop participation.
• Refresh the list regularly — stakeholders change stance, new ones appear, old ones leave.

Pitfalls

Missing important stakeholders: Indirectly affected groups (IT, purchasing, compliance) are easy to miss — and later block from the background. When brainstorming, deliberately walk through all interfaces.

Confusing power with hierarchy: Influence is not equal to position. An experienced operator may have more change-making power than a senior manager far from the process. Estimate real impact, not the org chart.

Ignoring opponents: Stakeholders with a negative stance tend to be excluded from the plan. That is dangerous — they need the most attention. Approach them deliberately.

Static analysis: Stakeholder stances change. A matrix built once ages quickly. Refresh at least at every tollgate.

Confidential assessments: A power-interest matrix with labels like "opponent" does not belong in open project folders. Treat as confidential, otherwise political problems arise.

Communication without a strategy: "We send a regular email" is not a strategy. Per stakeholder, define concretely: what should they know, in which form, how often, who delivers it?

Examples

This module ships with the following example datasets — load any of them in the app with a single click.

Available in the following cycles

• DMAIC: Define
• DMADV: Define
• 8D: D1 — Build the Team