Applying For ? And Getting ? That Six Sigma Job

There is a growing demand for people with Six Sigma certification and expertise as companies realize the many ways in which the Six Sigma methodology can help their organizations grow and improve. Six Sigma has grown beyond its manufacturing origins with many government agencies and service providers now advertising for Six Sigma help. More importantly, even small companies are taking on Six Sigma consultants or full-time staff, which implies that the demand for Six Sigma professionals will only increase in the coming years.

Six Sigma Job Categories

There are many junior- and senior-level Six Sigma openings across a wide range of industries. The positions and job descriptions are oftentimes unique to the company and its requirements. Admittedly, many of these positions are filled internally, as companies train their own people in the Six Sigma methodology so that people already familiar with the corporate culture are provided with the needed skill sets. On the other hand, these same organizations often reach outside for help, seeking out experienced people to either lead, or implement full-scale Six Sigma projects throughout the company.

Six Sigma Job Openings

Many companies openly advertise job opportunities that are clearly Six Sigma based (e.g., Six Sigma Analyst or Six Sigma Black Belt). Others, however, advertise openings for positions that are not obviously Six Sigma openings such as Functional Project Lead, Director of Operational Excellence, Business Project Manager, or Senior Projects Manager.

Job openings such as these are usually for people with Six Sigma Black Belt capabilities ? someone trained in the Six Sigma methodology with experience in leading cross-functional process improvement teams. These people are tapped to lead individual Six Sigma teams.

Companies sometimes advertise for Six Sigma Master Black Belts to fill organization-wide Six Sigma program manager positions, in effect taking over very senior positions within the organization. The successful applicants will be tasked to lead the company?s Six Sigma implementation, oversee Black Belts and process improvement projects, and guide the Black Belts as needed. These positions will require the highest level of Six Sigma experience and qualifications.

Meeting Six Sigma Job Criteria

The primary requirement for a Six Sigma job is, of course, to be trained in the Six Sigma methodology, ideally as a Six Sigma Black Belt. This requires formal training from qualified Six Sigma consultants who have long experience in training and implementation of Six Sigma. Often, a request is made for those with a specific background such as in Six Sigma DMAIC or DFSS methodology.

Companies recognize experience as being the best teacher, however, so many establishments express strong preference (if not outright demand) for people with hands-on experience in completing at least one Six Sigma project.

Aside from Six Sigma training and project experience, companies have a preference for those with background experience (usually at least five years) in their particular industry or business. Management experience is another plus factor and this is usually a requirement by companies looking for a Six Sigma project team leader. Managing projects within structured environments, and proven management skills (as indicated by successful project implementation) will be a definite advantage in your favor, because companies in the initial stages of Six Sigma application will be looking for people who will lead and facilitate business teams as well as Black Belts and Green Belts through the process.

Other requirements

If you are applying for a Six Sigma position, you need to show that you have an excellent understanding of processes and quality methodologies as well as a willingness to grab the initiative and take the lead in making changes.

Another vital skill will be the ability to link strategy to execution. You need to show that you are able to look beyond surface issues and concerns: consider strategic business issues from a detached, clinical perspective, and use this as a springboard for developing and implementing creative and practical solutions to problems identified.

Steven French is a recruitment consultant to http://www.UteachRecruitment.com - the specialist UK teaching jobs recruitment agency. Visit Uteach Recruitment to find your perfect UK teaching job today.

 

Six Sigma and Its Benefits

Six Sigma is a business improvement methodology, originally developed by Motorola to systematically improve processes by eliminating defects. Defects are defined as units that are not members of the intended population. The objective of Six Sigma is to deliver high performance, reliability, and value to the end customer. Since it was originally developed, Six Sigma has enjoyed wide popularity as an important element of many Total Quality Management (TQM) initiatives.

Methodologies:
Six Sigma has two key methodologies: DMAIC and DMADV. DMAIC is used to improve an existing business process. DMADV is used to create new product designs or process designs in such a way that it results in a more predictable, mature and defect free performance.

DMAIC:
Basic methodology consists of the following five steps:

* Define the process improvement goals that are consistent with customer demands and enterprise strategy.

* Measure the current process and collect relevant data for future comparison.

* Analyze to verify relationship and causality of factors. Determine what the relationship is, and attempt to ensure that all factors have been considered.

* Improve or optimize the process based upon the analysis using techniques like Design of Experiments.

* Control to ensure that any variances are corrected before they result in defects. Set up pilot runs to establish process capability, transition to production and thereafter continuously measure the process and institute control mechanisms.

DMADV:
Basic methodology consists of the following five steps:

* Define the goals of the design activity that are consistent with customer demands and enterprise strategy.

* Measure and identify CTQs (critical to qualities), product capabilities, production process capability, and risk assessments.

* Analyze to develop and design alternatives, create high-level design and evaluate design capability to select the best design.

* Design details, optimize the design, and plan for design verification. This phase may require simulations.

* Verify the design, set up pilot runs, implement production process and handover to process owners.

Benefits of Six Sigma:
Those organisations that implement Six Sigma correctly achieve significant benefits that contribute to competitive advantage and to changing the culture in an organisation from reactive problem solving to proactive problem prevention. Specifically the proven benefits include:

Benefits For the organization:

* Bottom line cost savings (5%-20% of turnover per annum)
* Improved quality of product or service as perceived by the customer (internal and external customers)
* Reduction in process cycle times
* Development of staff skills
* Common language throughout the organization
* World class standard

Benefits For the individual:
* Improved knowledge and skills
* Ability to use a wide range of tools and techniques
* A status that is recognised world wide

For more details on Six Sigma visit www.halfvalue.com and www.halfvalue.co.uk

Find more about Books on www.lookbookstores.com

Subhash Kumar SEO Manager subhash@halfvalue.com

Financial Spin-offs From Implementing Six Sigma

The Six Sigma approach comprises a management initiative, improvement projects and a set of methods and tools. Six Sigma is about a breakthrough in business improvement. Companies trying to implement the program find considerable difficulty in getting commitment from various functions. This happens despite the project teams being able to identify significant operating efficiencies. The main reason for this is the impact on the company?s bottom line not being clearly discernible. The Six Sigma program can be implemented much more effectively if the CFO and his/her staff can be brought on board so that their concurrence can be obtained.

The Six Sigma Program: The Six Sigma strategy aims at achieving breakthrough business improvements and then creating the required infrastructure and systems to grow and maintain the gains. Typically, Six Sigma projects target a 30% to 60% process improvement in 4 ? 6 months. The overall aim is that the Six Sigma mindset should spread throughout the organization. Employees become aware of the ramifications of poor performance, unproductive processes and non-value adding activities. It is essential that the improvements be linked to the bottom line. In fact, many organizations stipulate that the finance department verifies the financial spin-offs, and where exactly in the financial statement this will manifest itself. A project tracking software is employed, that measures the process improvements and the financial spin-offs and generates the reports. Considering the importance of the impact on the bottom-line, the finance function has to closely associate with the initiative from the outset.

Co-opting the Finance Function The success of the Six Sigma program depends largely on selecting and training the right people to fill key roles. Good companies allocate potential leaders on a high career growth path to fill key project positions. The detailed composition of the team is always a matter of debate. The team must have cross-functional representation to tackle various issues that may arise. Finance and accounting executives have a particularly important role as they act like scorekeepers and report on key business parameters affecting the bottom-line. This results in creating greater shareholder value, which in turn ensures the success of the Six Sigma initiative. The finance professional must be co-opted at the inception of the project to contribute the maximum value to the team. He can, also help in designing an appropriate incentive system for rewarding performance by team members in tandem with human resources.

Quality Issues: Quality in businesses encompasses the entire process and focuses on eliminating defects and producing goods and services that satisfy the customer. The Six Sigma process incorporates the financial aspects at all stages of the project:
? Before starting a project, a financial impact analysis is carried out to identify benefits.
? During the project, the employees and management become aware of the actual processes of the business in various aspects, and how they are performing, including financials.
? After the project or during completion, a review of actual results is done and the returns quantified. This serves as a feedback for the Quality department.

Any quality program, including the Six Sigma initiative, can be much more effective if the project is tied to quantifiable financial results. Informed and motivated employees, with good training can make all the difference to the success of the program.

Alexander Gordon is a writer for www.smallbusinessconsulting.com - The Small Business Consulting Community. Sign-up for the free success steps newsletter and get our booklet valued at $24.95 for free as a special bonus. The newsletter provides daily strategies on starting and significantly growing a business.

Business Owners all across the country are joining "The Community of Small Business Owners? to receive and provide strategies, insight, tips, support and more on starting, managing, growing, and selling their businesses. As a member, you will have access to true Millionaire Business Owners who will provide strategies and tips from their real-life experiences.

LEAN or Six Sigma? Which Should My Business Be Using?

In all honesty, probably both! LEAN and Six Sigma are perfect partners and provide great synergy and complement each other nicely. Often I meet people who are unsure which approach to take and therefore delay in doing either. This means that they are losing valuable time in being able to make the changes to improve organisational performance. It is possible to start on one track and, along the way, find that your focus changes as you learn more about your processes and systems.

Looking at a process or system to decide which approach to use isn?t always black and white. A lot depends on the culture of the organisation and what type of data is available.

Organisations that are driven by objectivity and have many Key Performance Indicators (KPI?s) will often find more comfort in the Six Sigma approach. This is a result of the perception that it is more ?scientific? as it appears to be complex because of the statistical tools that can be applied. Those companies that are more subjective and intuitive feel more comfortable with the LEAN approach. To them, it seems less daunting as it does not rely on high order statistics in analyzing situations and tends to focus on team activities and employee engagement in solving problems.

Often people describe continuous improvement programs as a journey. If we consider the LEAN journey then I would say that Six Sigma can be used as a stop-over along the way. For instance, an organisation on the LEAN journey finds that it has a specific problem with yield in a particular department or a specific piece of equipment then area is a likely candidate for a Six Sigma project. This means that the organisation can still proceed under the LEAN umbrella but acknowledge that there is a specific activity that can benefit from the Six Sigma approach. To make things easier it may also be beneficial to engage an expert in Six Sigma for that activity so that the organisation maintains their LEAN focus.

Similarly, those undertaking a whole of business approach using Six Sigma as the process improvement vehicle can find that as part of the Improve phase there are opportunities to implement LEAN approaches. For instance, a manufacturing operation that uses Six Sigma finds that there is a high degree of variability in the setup and changeover times for equipment in various departments. Analysis shows that the cause of this variation is a result of a poorly organised workspace where valuable time is wasted in locating the appropriate tools and attachments. 5S and Quick Changeover techniques are used to improve this aspect of the operation or improve both the speed and variability of the set-ups.

Whichever approach is leadership is vital. It is crucial that senior management not only embrace the process, but seen as driving it. Senior management must be engaged and be able to provide the necessary leadership to maintain the momentum within the organisation. Active involvement in projects and in the monitoring and review process is essential so that improvement activities are seen to be integrated into the business.

In the end, it doesn?t really matter which approach you take. The important point to recognise is that you want to better in the future than you are today and there are powerful tools to help. LEAN and Six Sigma are not mutually exclusive and in fact make great partners to any business looking to leap forward in performance.

2006 ? Unbound Business Solutions P/L. All rights reserved

John Yealland is a management consultant and Certified Six Sigma Champion and Black Belt. His skills span the areas of I.T, Training, Logistics, Manufacturing and Operations. John can be contacted at http://www.unboundbusiness.com.au.

Cutting Costs With Six Sigma

Problems Faced By Companies On The Cost Front

On the cost front, most industries such as the manufacturing industry, service industry, health care industry and even the educational industry are all experiencing a great amount of pressure. As an example, hospitals are facing ever-decreasing compensation from insurance companies, which is a serious concern to many. Hospitals also experience the pressure of high labor costs and low productivity. This decline in revenue has come about due to the increase in costs and the ever-increasing competition. 6 Sigma has always been construed as a quality improvement tool, and quality has always been linked with high costs and expenditures. However, the efforts by the black belts and the master black belts to help save on costs have helped companies view Six Sigma favorably.

6 Sigma And It's Contribution Towards Cost Cutting

Six Sigma was never intended to be used as a cost cutting tool; nevertheless it has made great contributions towards that end. The methodology of 6 Sigma employs unique ways to help cut costs in all aspects of business. Firstly, Six Sigma contributes towards customer servicing. The opinions of the customer alone help define the quality of the products and services provided by any business. By figuring out the customer's needs; 6 Sigma can help by cutting down on any wastage like over-utilization and under-utilization of capacity. Six Sigma also helps stabilize process variation, which helps save on material conversion. Not only does this result in an increase and improvement in productivity and quality, but it also results in the reduced cost of rejection and re-working.

The reduction in Cost of Poor Quality (COPQ) is massive considering the overall tremendous savings coming from practically no rejections. This has come about due to the graduation from three or four sigma to 6 Sigma. For example, in the case of a hospital, after utilizing the Six Sigma methods in it's cardiology department, the hospital can cut down the average process time that is necessary for admission. This produces a dual-advantage. The first one being that the reduction of almost 45 minutes of the process time will lead to a decrease in labor costs. Secondly, the hospital department can now accommodate a larger number of patients because of the increase in the productivity.

The doctrines of total customer satisfaction and returns on investment are the main areas of focus. The 6 Sigma team helps generate innovative and creative ideas that are aimed at controlling costs. The team then helps employ risk management schemes and devises that lead to the early detection of various risk factors. An increase in yield from project portfolios will lead to an increase in resources resolving matters of risk.

The Biggest Challenge Faced By Six Sigma

The biggest challenge faced by 6 Sigma is from the outsourcing or off shoring of business processes. The developing third world countries have a lower cost structure and are attracting the large corporations offering them a chance to increase their overall return on investment. This is a process that is being engaged by medium and small-sized businesses, as the larger corporations have experienced significant success using outsourcing.

Tony Jacowski is a quality analyst for The MBA Journal. Aveta Solution's Six Sigma Online offers online six sigma training and certification classes for lean six sigma, black belts, green belts, and yellow belts.

Six Sigma For The Service Sector

Introduction

6 Sigma is all about quality improvement and was first pioneered by Motorola in the 1980s. Over the last few years, this methodology has received much recognition and several companies have adopted it in order to meet their targets. Six Sigma's clientele include a long list of well-established manufacturers like General Motors, Ford Motor Co., GE, Honeywell and many more. However, there are still many non-manufacturing companies that have come to the conclusion that 6 Sigma will not work for them. This is because Six Sigma was originally developed for helping the manufacturing industry. Organizations such as health care systems, financial service providers and educational systems all doubt the usefulness of 6 Sigma.

Why The Service Sector Feels That Six Sigma Is Not For Them

The most obvious reason why service companies keep away from 6 Sigma is because they perceive it as a manufacturing tool. Service organizations feel that because their companies have a large amount of human work force, there are no measurable defects to be corrected. However, experts say this is not true. A recent survey has shown that service companies that have invested in Six Sigma are all saving millions of dollars for every project. Human resources makes up a large part of all service organizations. To conquer this problem, leaders of the industry can be trained in 6 Sigma to balance their employment expertise with statistics-based analytical tools. The fear of metrics is another obstacle that stands in the way of the service sector and Six Sigma. Most people feel that 6 Sigma sounds too technical. The importance of metrics is to give an insight into the business working processes. Service based companies need to focus all their attention on developing Six Sigma projects that specialize in their business needs like customer and cash generation. Convincing the service sector about the merits of taking up 6 Sigma has proven to be a big challenge. Most service companies still believe that Six Sigma can only benefit the manufacturing industry.

How 6 Sigma Can Benefit The Service Industry Six Sigma goes in to the details of improving customer service, generating business expansion and gaining knowledge about the service sectors business processes. Most service industries revolve around areas of finance, human resources and sales and marketing. Hence, 6 Sigma delves deeply into the subject of soft skills. Six Sigma can be applied to a company that provides housekeeping services. Firstly, the companies working processes would need to be understood. Using the DMIAC method or the define-measure-improve-analyze-control method, 6 Sigma can definitely implement quality in any industry. As the main aim of this methodology is to reduce defects, the first step would be detecting the particular defect. Secondly, data will be collected to observe how, why and how often these defects occur. Next, the Six Sigma team implements an outstanding employees method of working as the normal method for all employees. Finally, new employees are taught the correct techniques.

6 Sigma is useful in the field of sales and marketing as well. According to Six Sigma data, during sales, too much face time with a customer can prove to be counter-productive. Changing this process can result in an increase in the percentage of sales per product. Other industries that 6 Sigma has assisted in the past are the financial service sector, insurance companies, management companies, educational institutions, high-tech companies, state agencies and many more.

Tony Jacowski is a quality analyst for The MBA Journal. Aveta Solution's Six Sigma Online offers online six sigma training and certification classes for lean six sigma, black belts, green belts, and yellow belts.

Six Sigma In The Insurance Industry

6 Sigma concepts and philosophies were originally developed for improving the overall quality of business processes in the manufacturing sector. Companies like Motorola and GE were among the first few that successfully introduced Six Sigma concepts in their business processes. However, with the development of newer tools and techniques, 6 Sigma is now deemed appropriate for the services sector as well. The usability of Six Sigma in the services sector is easily evident from the increasing number of finance and insurance companies that are opting for 6 Sigma.

Consumers are increasingly becoming aware of the quality of services being offered to them, making it essential for the services industry to implement quality improvement techniques like Six Sigma for conforming to customer expectations. This is especially true for the insurance industry where the relationship between the insurer and the insured is still largely governed by sustained personal contact. By implementing 6 Sigma programs, insurance companies have been able to offer quality services at affordable rates to their customers.

Identifies Key Business Processes

Unlike other quality management practices such as Total Quality Management (TQM) whose effectiveness is difficult to measure, Six Sigma based improvement programs make use of statistical tools, which can measure the effect of changes being made in a very short time. 6 Sigma focuses on process orientation, enabling organizations to identify key business processes that are necessary for improving customer satisfaction. This helps managers in understanding the exact requirements of their customers and in altering business processes to suit customer needs and expectation.

Follows A Disciplined Approach

Six Sigma has helped insurance companies in improving quality as well as reducing costs of services offered. It has enabled insurance companies to follow a disciplined approach, which has helped in preventing errors, minimizing hand-offs, and eliminating rework and workarounds. It has also helped in increasing the speed of business processes used in the insurance industry.

Helps In Making Informed Decisions

6 Sigma has enabled managers in taking informed decisions based on statistical data. With the use of Six Sigma tools and techniques, managers no longer have to rely on their perceptions or gut feelings for rendering the level of services promised to policyholders, clients, and prospects.

Helps In Building Customer Loyalty

6 Sigma emphasizes on understanding the needs of the customers before making any changes to business processes. This helps insurance companies in building customer loyalty among their policyholders, which is necessary for the long-term success of any business organization. Insurance companies can also hope to increase their market share, as satisfied customers are most likely to recommend a company that offers quality services while advising a friend, relative or business associate. Helps In Reducing Costs

Six Sigma tools and techniques aim at streamlining business processes in such a way that helps in reducing costs. This helps insurance companies to improve their savings and avoid drastic cost-saving measures such as downsizing, which can have a negative effect on employee morale. It can also create doubts in the mind of policyholders and prospects as downsizing usually attracts a lot of negative publicity.

6 Sigma has helped the insurance industry in bridging the gap between planned strategies and actual operations by providing analytical and in-process performance measurement tools. These tools are used for comparing planned goals and objectives with actual outcomes and for finding the reasons as to why a particular business process is not giving the desired results. Once the exact problem has been pinpointed, managers can make the necessary changes that will help in improving overall quality of services rendered to policyholders and prospects.

Tony Jacowski is a quality analyst for The MBA Journal. Aveta Solution's Six Sigma Online offers online six sigma training and certification classes for lean six sigma, black belts, green belts, and yellow belts.

Value Stream Mapping And Six Sigma

Business processes are similar to a river flowing in a natural direction and carrying information from point A to point B. Value Stream Mapping (VSM) is one of the techniques used in Lean Six Sigma for identifying areas of waste that need to be avoided in both manufacturing as well as office business processes. Aside from identifying areas of waste, VSM also helps in streamlining business processes for achieving higher productivity. VSM is based on scientifically proven methods, making it necessary for organization to employ profession Six Sigma consultants (VSM specialists) during the implementation stage.

The Initial Process

Implementing VSM is a long drawn process where the first step involves mapping the current flow of materials or information in key business processes of an organization. The mapping is done with the help of flowcharts that depict the flow of goods or information from one end to another. The flowchart also contains information about the average time taken for the completion of various sub processes. For generating a comprehensive flowchart, consultants often gather inputs from business heads, floor managers or factory workers. While creating the flowchart, key sub-processes are highlighted using specific icons. This helps in pinpointing areas where waste and inconsistencies are happening. The flowchart also helps in understanding the complexity of a business process, which needs to be simplified for increasing efficiency.

Future State Of Value Stream Mapping

In the next step, VSM consultants discuss each step depicted in the flowchart with the management for finding out ways that would streamline and optimize the whole business process. In Six Sigma terminology, this is referred to as Future State Value Stream Mapping (FSVSM). A number of methods can be used during FSVSM process but only those need be selected that help in streamlining processes without affecting the day-to-day operations of an organization. One such method is Cellular Manufacturing, which can be used during FSVSM. Although it is a simple concept, it requires adequate planning on part of the consultants as well as the management. Takt Time is another method that is used for evaluating lead-time of manufactured goods or services rendered. This method is commonly used in organizations where the main objective is to deliver goods or services in time, for e.g. courier companies. Another method is known as Kanban, which forms a part of Just In Time (JIT) manufacturing system. It helps in maintaining low inventory levels and work in progress without affecting the quality or volume of manufactured goods.

Effectiveness In Automotive And Other Manufacturing Industries

VSM has proven to be very effective in organizations that make use of large and complex assembly line manufacturing processes. Automobile manufacturing companies are probably the best examples as far as the effectiveness of VSM is concerned. Top automobile companies such as Ford and Toyota have successfully implemented VSM in their business processes, which has in turn helped these companies in manufacturing high quality products while reducing costs at the same time.

Although concepts of VSM are applicable in all types of manufacturing organizations, companies other than automobile companies may find it a little difficult to implement VSM word for word. Some consultants also feel that benefits associated with VSM are sometimes over-hyped when it comes to implementing VSM in non-automotive companies. Personal opinions may vary but what is certain is that VSM does help in reducing waste if implemented properly.

Tony Jacowski is a quality analyst for The MBA Journal. Aveta Solution's Six Sigma Online offers online six sigma training and certification classes for lean six sigma, black belts, green belts, and yellow belts.

How To Overcome Six Sigma Controversies

"The more I learn about customer satisfaction, the less I know," the CEO of a Fortune 500 company recently lamented. By the time some companies get to understand their customers? needs fully, it will be too late. Management is often flooded with customer data detailing their satisfaction levels among other things. However, the data has been collected only as an exercise, not as a means to end customer dissatisfaction.

Can?t Anyone Achieve Six Sigma?

There is no doubt that Six Sigma has enjoyed the seat of power like no other management tool has to date. The milestones crossed by the methodology are also non-controversial. Then where are there any problems and why is doubt being cast upon its ability to deliver?

Paddy Rao, Associate VP of a large software services company, a Champion and Master Black Belt himself, cites a major stumbling block for Six Sigma implementation, which is cultural change. A sudden change in the way people work and an altered reporting structure is what people find as obstructions to their routines. ?Sometimes it takes ages to break this mindset?, says another Black Belt who worked with Rao.

Anyone that says they have successfully implemented Six Sigma means only that they have completed the implementation. It doesn?t mean that they have actually achieved 3.4 defects per million. You will notice many things changing as you go about deploying Six Sigma. The market changes, you may see a change in technology or even an internal matter like organizational change can occur.

The Robust Mechanisms Of Six Sigma

As with all other aspects of life, failures are always attributed to Six Sigma but not the successes. A successful Six Sigma implementation essentially requires a rock solid commitment from top management. Despite this, Six Sigma continues to question any authority, critically shaking most of the beliefs that the organization had about itself. As it goes deeper, it potentially shakes the foundations on which organizations exist.

The inordinate delay in data gathering is another obstacle to get Six Sigma out of the starting block. Sometimes the data is not divulged and other times it genuinely takes time to gather. Other priorities coupled with this pushes the implementation team to rush through the deployment.

Add to this the possibility of selecting the wrong project. If this happens, no matter how well you slog out later, the deployment will be a loser from the beginning. You will invariably fail to see a much different result from that of the original.

Indeed, it is the robust inbuilt mechanisms of Six Sigma that have worked for its success in almost all cases. One genuine concern about Six Sigma is about the cost of implementation, which very nearly challenges the ROI. As one CRM specialist put it, ?where ROI has catapulted because of CRM, Six Sigma has been credited for it?. This is the reason that Six Sigma is so widely accepted, despite the costs.

Tony Jacowski is a quality analyst for The MBA Journal. Aveta Solutions ? Six Sigma Online ( http://www.sixsigmaonline.org ) offers online six sigma training and certification classes for lean six sigma, black belts, green belts, and yellow belts.

Process Simulation And Six Sigma

Six Sigma has become one of the most commonly used quality management techniques since its introduction in the 1990's. The importance of Six Sigma has continued to increase ever since companies like GE began implementing it's various concepts and techniques in their business processes. This has helped the company in saving billions of dollars since the time when the concepts were first implemented.

The Simulation Process

Process simulation is one of the various techniques used in Six Sigma, involving the use of a computerized model of an actual business process. The computerized model used in process simulation is designed by inputting all the critical components of a business process such as process inputs, process flow, and the various sub-systems used in the process. With the help of the computerized process simulation model, process managers can easily view the whole process within a few minutes that would have normally taken days or even weeks to complete in the real world. Process simulation helps in collecting large data samples, which can be further analyzed and used for predicting the effects of changes made in real business processes. This allows analysts to simulate all the possible changes that can be made in a business process and analyzing the effect of such changes on the end result. Changes that are most helpful in improving the quality can be selected and put through more rigorous simulation processes for confirming the potential benefits of such changes. Once this is done, the changes can be applied in the real process as by now it is quite certain that the changes will be successful in improving the quality of goods manufactured or services rendered.

When And Where To Use

Although process simulation is a powerful tool, it must be used in the right manner and only in appropriate business processes. If the necessary information is not inputted correctly, the computerized simulation model will not be able to predict the effect of changes made in the business process. This can seriously affect the quality of end products if such changes are implemented in the real process. Process simulation is most effective when a business process is complicated and difficult to visualize. For less complicated processes, it is better to use process mapping in combination with brainstorming techniques for generating innovative quality improvement ideas. Process simulation is helpful in simulating business processes that require managers to make informed decision at every stage of the process. Process simulation is used for improving the logistics of a manufacturing company by mapping the exact flow of materials from the time they enter the factory floor to the time when they reach the final consumer in the form of finished goods.

Risks And Drawbacks

Although process simulation is very beneficial, it can also create problems for an organization if not used properly. Companies very often make the mistake of employing process simulation in every business process in the hope of improving quality. This can create confusion among the employees, especially when the company and its workforce are new to the concepts and philosophies of Six Sigma. If a process is too long and involves various sub-processes, it is better to concentrate on sub-processes that affect the quality of the end product. Companies often try to simulate the whole process, which leads to the wastage of both time and effort. For realizing the full potential of process simulation, organizations need to simulate only on those processes that are critical to the quality of goods manufactured or services rendered.

Tony Jacowski is a quality analyst for The MBA Journal. Aveta Solution's Six Sigma Online offers online six sigma training and certification classes for lean six sigma, black belts, green belts, and yellow belts.

The Road to Six Sigma: Cause-Effect and Scatter Diagrams

Part 2 of a 4 part series

Last week we talked about using Pareto analysis for organizing, simplifying, and prioritizing problem solving. This week, we're going to introduce two simple tools which can be used together to improve the performance of business systems. In improving any process, there are problems to be overcome. Most of these problems come to our attention due to their symptoms and effects. In order to solve these problems, we must find the root cause of each problem and eliminate that cause.

One of the most useful tools in problem solving is the Cause-Effect Diagram. Cause-effect diagrams were invented in Japan in 1943 by Kaoru Ishikawa as an aid to explaining how various factors in a complex process can be sorted out and related. Cause-effect diagrams are often referred to as fishbone diagrams because of their shape or Ishikawa diagrams after their inventor.

Cause-effect diagrams are extremely useful for organizing input from a brainstorming session. Brainstorming, to be effective, should be freewheeling and without judgments. Data is developed without regard to order, relationships or relevance. Once the data is captured, however, we need to sort it out and show the various relationships. Let's use as a simple example:

<p align="center"><img src="http://www.bizmanualz.com/articles/images/cause_effect.jpg" width="387" height="44" />

Now let's say that all the people affected by this situation have been gathered for a brainstorming session and have produced the following possible causes for variations in temperature:

• Heating plant
• Controls
• Insulation
• Dimensions of room
• Outside temperature
• Supply of energy
• Design of room (windows, doors, etc.)
• Person adjusting the controls

Note that the discomfort could have been caused by variations in humidity, noise, lighting or other factors, but in this case, it is a simple problem of incorrect and/or varying temperature. Because this is true, we can focus our efforts only on the possible causes of temperature variation. To help organize the information, we will group our data into four categories; People, Equipment, Process, and Environment.

<div style="float:left;margin-right:5px;"> <div align="center"><img src="http://www.bizmanualz.com/articles/images/cause_effect2-small.jpg" width="175" height="110" border="0" />
Cause-Effect Fig. 1</div> </div>

This is shown in the first cause-effect diagram (<strong>Cause-Effect Fig. 1</strong>).

We could have labeled our categories anything, but we used labels that work for the situation. Sometimes more than four groups are identified. No problem!

<div style="float:right;margin-left:5px;"> <div align="center"><img src="http://www.bizmanualz.com/articles/images/cause_effect3-small.jpg" width="175" height="108" border="0" />
Cause-Effect Fig. 2</div> </div> Now let's see where our possible causes can be logically placed (Cause-Effect Fig. 2).

Once we have arranged the data in this fashion, we can investigate each factor and determine if it is in control. In our example, the problem is that the occupants of the room are cold. We know the problem is not due to environmental factors because the design of the room has not changed, and the outside temperature is warmer than it was yesterday, when we were comfortable.

The person who adjusts the controls says that he has set the temperature at 80F, but the room is still cold.

Therefore, the problem must have something to do with the equipment. A careful examination reveals that the heating plant and controls are in good shape, but the gauge on the fuel oil tank registers zero. A call to the fuel oil distributor brings his truck in short order and soon we are achieving our <strong>desired output</strong>, comfortable occupants. (Sure -- They are comfortable! They don't have to pay for the heating oil.)

Now this is an absurdly simple example, but suppose our analysis of the cause-effect diagram did not reveal the <strong>root cause</strong>. Usually this means that we have not been sufficiently thorough in our analysis. We began with the premise that temperature was the source of the discomfort. But if that were not the case, we could easily miss important factors in the analysis. This points out the need for careful <strong>problem definition</strong>.

It also happens that the analysis reveals several possible causes, and it is not clear if there is one or more of these causes that need to be addresses in order to solve the problem. This brings us to our second handy tool, the <strong>scatter diagram</strong>.

<div style="float:right; margin:0px 0px 5px 5px;"> <div align="center"><img src="http://www.bizmanualz.com/articles/images/scatter-pos_small.jpg" width="175" height="106" border="0" />
<strong>Fig. 3: Example
Scatter Diagram</strong></div> </div>

Scatter diagrams, like the ones shown on<strong> Fig. 3</strong>, are a special type of cause-effect diagram developed from historical or experimental data. Scatter diagrams, will reveal the relationship, if any, between variations in one variable and variations in another.

Scatter diagrams do not identify which variable is the cause of changes in the other variable. Sometimes, both variables are changing as a result of changes in a third, unidentified variable. Therefore it is usually best to develop and analyze the cause-effect diagram first. We know from our simple example that changes in occupant comfort do not cause changes in room temperature, (at least not until someone adjusts the controls).

As an example, let's say that we are investigating why particulate emissions are high and varying in a random fashion. From a cause-effect analysis we have identified variable fan speed as a possible cause. Fortunately, we have daily data from the last fifty days on both indicated fan speed and lab sample particulate counts from the filter exhaust. The data and resulting scatter diagram show the situation more clearly.

<div style="float:left;margin:0px 5px 5px 0px;"> <div align="center"><img src="http://www.bizmanualz.com/articles/images/scatter1-small.jpg" border="0"/>
<strong>Fig. 4 </strong></div> </div>

What can we say about fan speed as a possible cause for variability in particulate levels? From the scatter diagram <strong>(Fig. 4)</strong>, it is unclear what the precise nature of this relationship is. It appears as a general rule that as fan speed rises, particulate counts rise. Because of the dispersion of the data, however, fan speed is probably not the only cause of this problem. We should keep looking.

So far we have discussed setting priorities for process improvement and looked at ways of finding and quantifying cause. Once we have our process in control, we need a tool for keeping the process in control and assessing opportunities to improve its performance. That's for next week when we will discuss <strong>control charts</strong>.

Learn more about developing policies, procedures and processes, or about improving your organization by attending the next Implementing Lean Thinking, How to Create Well Defined Procedures and Processes or Statistical Process Control classes. TO address other training needs, please visit the Bizmanualz Training Website.
Chris Anderson is the founder and CEO of Bizmanualz, Inc. Since 1995, Bizmanualz has specialized in empowering organizations to continuously improve compliance, control and customer satisfaction using effective and well-defined management

Future Of Six Sigma - Different Viewpoints

Since its introduction in the 1990's, 6-Sigma has become the buzzword in both the manufacturing and service industries. The various methodologies used in 6-Sigma are based on a disciplined and data driven approach that help in eliminating defects and achieving near perfection by restricting the number of possible defects to less than 3.4 defects per million. The methodologies are effective in managing business processes of both the manufacturing and service industries. In manufacturing industries, the concepts and methodologies are used for reducing the number of defects whereas in service industries, they are used mainly for reducing transactional errors.

Although many companies have been successful in reducing the number of defects through Six Sigma projects, the arguments raised against the efficacy of 6-Sigma in all aspects of business processes still do not seem to die down. Some management experts think that Six Sigma is inherently flawed, as it does not take into account the flaws that might be present in the system itself. They are of the opinion that the analytical and statistical tools used in 6-Sigma only expose flaws in the execution and do not account for a process that itself is riddled with defects.

Supporters of Six Sigma offer a different viewpoint. According to them, quality management tools such as Total Quality Management (TQM) and 6-Sigma are conceptually quite similar except for their labels. Business organizations may use any of these for improving overall quality. However, they often give preference to 6-Sigma as they believe that Six Sigma is more than just a process improvement program and is based on concepts that focus on continuous quality improvements. They have the opinion that 6-Sigma concepts combine statistical measurement tools with contemporary management techniques for achieving extraordinary results.

The Limited Use Of Six Sigma

6-Sigma gained prominence as an effective quality improvement technique after it was successfully implemented in Motorola. Since then, many large organizations have implemented 6-Sigma programs and improved the quality of manufactured goods or services rendered. However, the full potential of 6-Sigma has not been realized so far because many competent small to medium level enterprises have still not implemented Six Sigma programs. These enterprises have all the resources to implement such programs, but are often wary of the final certification, as they believe that it is meant only for large organizations. These companies often do not realize that 6-Sigma delivers the same benefits to both large as well as small business enterprises. The only difference may be in the volume of goods manufactured or services rendered.

The Future Of Six Sigma

6-Sigma may appear similar to other quality management tools such as TQM or Kaizen Events, but in reality, it is quite different. Other quality management programs often reach a stage after which no further quality improvements can be made. 6-Sigma, on the other hand, is different as it focuses on taking quality improvement processes to the next level. This means that 6-Sigma has the potential to outlast other quality management programs in the future.

The scope of 6-Sigma is also much broader than other quality management programs as it can be applied to every business process of an organization. The future is bright for 6-Sigma programs with the growing awareness in small and medium enterprises about the potential benefits that can be derived from implementing such programs.

Tony Jacowski is a quality analyst for The MBA Journal. Aveta Solution's Six Sigma Online offers online six sigma training and certification classes for lean six sigma, black belts, green belts, and yellow belts.

Six Sigma For Small Businesses

Six Sigma is a series of systems that focus on implementing quality measurement strategies based on data and statistical analysis to enhance operational performance. In the early days of its introduction, 6 Sigma was commonly misconceived to be a big business strategy, applicable only to large corporations. Though no such restriction was ever envisioned in its functional scope, it was rendered this status since only big businesses initially tried and applied the strategies to improvise their business processes (they had the money). However, it has been subsequently demonstrated that 6 Sigma can be equally productive when implemented in small businesses. Its features of Measure, Analyze, Improve and Control, have the potential of regulating work with proper standards irrespective of the size of the organization or the project under execution.

Advantages

One major benefit of small organizations employing Six Sigma is that they can speed up the implementation of 6 Sigma strategies. Owing to factors such as fewer layers of management hierarchy, flexible process flow and quick access to the top decision-makers in smaller businesses, the execution of Six Sigma in such organizations can be quite fast and effective. Another advantage of applying the process in small corporations is that training lead times can be shorter.

As the monetary expenses incurred on Six Sigma training are heavy, it is important to assess the savings that accrue from the first set of projects implementing the 6 Sigma strategies. Typically, it has been observed that the financial gains and the cultural conversion in management skills in smaller firms are rapid. In addition, applying 6 Sigma strategies in a small business environment can help achieve breakthrough results since the period between implementation and visible results is almost negligible.

In small businesses, individuals who are trained as 6 Sigma Green Belts and Black Belts can be used as trainers for coaching other employees. This helps in achieving more, since the trainers and trainees work in the same environ and the former can demonstrate live execution of Six Sigma procedures. In such an environment, employees who being initiated into Six Sigma implementation are able to see for themselves, the process errors being made and are able to often come up with innovative solutions to overcome those and improve productivity. In this manner, process issues get a two way perspective. These perceptions are beneficial since 6 Sigma strategies are not stagnant and are in a continuously reinventing mode.

Overall, changing the viewpoint of employees in a small organization is easier than in a large one.

Disadvantages

There are a few hurdles in the way of Six Sigma implementation in small organizations. Firstly, small-scale firms have a shortage of ready funds for investing in 6 Sigma training and implementation. Secondly, small corporations cannot afford full-time Black Belt personnel to guide their staff. The salary demanded by such personnel is substantially high and smaller firms often prefer investing that amount in areas such as marketing and product development.

Tony Jacowski is a quality analyst for The MBA Journal. Aveta Solution's Six Sigma Online offers online six sigma training and certification classes for lean six sigma, black belts, green belts, and yellow belts.

Six Sigma vs. Total Quality Management

Six Sigma is a relatively new concept as compared to Total Quality Management (TQM). However, when it was conceptualized, it was not intended to be a replacement for TQM. Both 6 Sigma and TQM have many similarities and are compatible in varied business environments, including manufacturing and service industries. While TQM has helped many companies in improving the quality of manufactured goods or services rendered, 6 Sigma has the potential of delivering even sharper results.

Total Quality Management

Total Quality Management is often associated with the development, deployment, and maintenance of organizational systems that are required for various business processes. It is based on a strategic approach that focuses on maintaining existing quality standards as well as making incremental quality improvements. It can also be described as a cultural initiative as the focus is on establishing a culture of collaboration among various functional departments within an organization for improving overall quality.

Comparison To 6 Sigma

In comparison, 6 Sigma is more than just a process improvement program as it is based on concepts that focus on continuous quality improvements for achieving near perfection by restricting the number of possible defects to less than 3.4 defects per million. It is complementary to Statistical Process Control (SPC), which uses statistical methods for monitoring and controlling business processes. Although both SPC and TQM help in improving quality, they often reach a stage after which no further quality improvements can be made. 6 Sigma, on the other hand, is different as it focuses on taking quality improvement processes to the next level.

The basic difference between 6 Sigma and TQM is the approach. While TQM views quality as conformance to internal requirements, 6 Sigma focuses on improving quality by reducing the number of defects. The end result may be the same in both the concepts (i.e. producing better quality products). 6 Sigma helps organizations in reducing operational costs by focusing on defect reduction, cycle time reduction, and cost savings. It is different from conventional cost cutting measures that may reduce value and quality. It focuses on identifying and eliminating costs that provide no value to customers such as costs incurred due to waste.

TQM initiatives focus on improving individual operations within unrelated business processes whereas Six Sigma programs focus on improving all the operations within a single business process. Six Sigma projects require the skills of professionals that are certified as 'black belts' whereas TQM initiatives are usually a part-time activity that can be managed by non-dedicated managers.

Applications Where Six Sigma Is Better

Six Sigma initiatives are based on a preplanned project charter that outlines the scale of a project, financial targets, anticipated benefits and milestones. In comparison, organizations that have implemented TQM, work without fully knowing what the financial gains might be. Six Sigma is based on DMAIC (Define-Measure-Analyze-Improve-Control) that helps in making precise measurements, identifying exact problems, and providing solutions that can be measured.

Conclusion

Six sigma is also different from TQM in that it is fact based and data driven, result oriented, providing quantifiable and measurable bottom-line results, linked to strategy and related to customer requirements. It is applicable to all common business processes such as administration, sales, marketing and R & D. Although many tools and techniques used in Six Sigma may appear similar to TQM, they are often distinct as in Six Sigma, the focus is on the strategic and systematic application of the tools on targeted projects at the appropriate time. It is predicted that Six Sigma will outlast TQM as it has the potential of achieving more than TQM.

Tony Jacowski is a quality analyst for The MBA Journal. Aveta Solution's Six Sigma Online offers online six sigma training and certification classes for lean six sigma, black belts, green belts, and yellow belts.

Choosing A Six Sigma Program

Business organizations all across the globe are deploying Six Sigma concepts and techniques for improving the quality of their products or services. This has created the need to educate employees about the various Six Sigma concepts and techniques that improve quality and help in offering better products and services than those offered by competitors. This is necessary, as quality products or services are primary requirements for the long-term success of any business organization.

Training Is Necessary

Any company planning to empower its employees with the various Six Sigma concepts and philosophies needs to enroll them in a Six Sigma program for getting the requisite training and qualifications. However, companies often become confused when it comes to selecting the most appropriate Six Sigma program. Conducting online research does not help in solving matters, as search results list thousands of training organizations, most of which are labeled as 'premier', 'best' or 'rated # 1'. For selecting the most appropriate Six Sigma program, companies need to look beyond the labels and concentrate more on the details of the training program.

How To Select The Right Training Process

Companies need to decide whether they need a standardized certification program or a simple learning program that imparts basic knowledge about Six Sigma. If certification seems necessary then it is important to ask training organizations about the type of certification provided by them and their student pass rates. Companies often send their employees for training in batches and as such only those training organizations need to be short listed that offer discounts on training large number of candidates. Expenses on training can be lowered even more by entering into a contract with the training organization.

Venues For Training

A program that can be conducted off-site in the same town or nearby area is far better than programs that are conducted far away from the company's location, as costs of hotels, airfare, meals, and others can increase overall training expenses. Companies need to ask potential trainers about the type of resources that they use in their training programs and how much of it can they bring along in case of off-site training.

Due Diligence

Companies need to interview potential trainers and ask questions regarding their past corporate relationships, referrals, total number of candidates trained by them till date, training materials used, earlier projects they have worked on, and their qualifications. This is necessary, as companies want trainers that have a great deal of real-world experience. Spending thousands of dollars on learning something that can be learnt by just reading books will certainly be a waste of money and effort.

Six Sigma programs are classified according to their depth and specialization. Just as in martial arts, white belts, yellow belts, green belts, brown belts, black belts, master black belts, and champions represent Six Sigma levels. Programs offered may include DMAIC, DFSS, Lean, Kaizen, Fishbones, SIPOC's, MiniTab, Process Maps, SAS, Change Management, Force Field Diagrams, and Project Management. Companies can select any one of these or a combination of these depending on the level of specialization that they think is necessary for achieving the desired Six Sigma goals and objectives.

Some Cautions

Companies need to make sure that the individuals who provide training are the same ones who have been interviewed. This is necessary because often, training organizations try to woo potential clients with their most competent trainers and actually send junior level professionals when the contract is signed. A lot of money is spent on training employees. Therefore, it is necessary to consider every detail before signing the training contract with the training organization.

Tony Jacowski is a quality analyst for The MBA Journal. Aveta Solution's Six Sigma Online offers online six sigma training and certification classes for lean six sigma, black belts, green belts, and yellow belts.

Communications And Six Sigma

Implementing new work techniques, strategies, or management systems in business organizations is often a daunting task for managers, as employees usually resist change. This is a fact acknowledged by several modern management theories. As such, any business organization that is planning to deploy Six Sigma needs to concentrate on building an effective communication system so that employee morale and productivity are not affected.

Employee Awareness Is Critical

Six Sigma projects are not limited to a particular set of employees or functional department and are effective only when the organization as a whole understands the need and scope of such projects. The philosophies and techniques used in Six Sigma need to be communicated to everyone in the organization through clear and open communication channels, transcending departmental barriers that would otherwise cause confusion. Making the employees aware about the positive aspects of Six Sigma and how it can help in improving their efficiency will allow managers to effectively overcome any resistance, either intentional or just because of inertia.

Methods And Processes

Teams comprising competent employees selected for implementing Six Sigma concepts in their work processes need to be provided with all of the requisite tools and information by the management. Various aspects involved in Six Sigma projects such as rationale, expectations, goals, and sequence of steps in the process need to be clarified beforehand to reduce confusion during the implementation stage. Case studies related to Six Sigma projects verify the fact that teams with clear goals and objectives achieve a lot more in a shorter period under all circumstances. As such, documentation of Six Sigma processes becomes all the more important for resolving any complications during the deployment stage. It is necessary to create a schedule, outlining the strategies that will help in effective implementation and take the process from its present state to one that is within statistical control and in line with the organization's Six Sigma goals. The schedule also needs to clearly define the role of every employee in relation to his/her contribution during the implementation stage.

Some Issues Of Concern

Lack of clear and effective communication channels is one of the main reasons responsible for frustration and underachievement when it comes to implementing Six Sigma concepts and philosophies. The problem is complicated, as it is very difficult to determine whether the communication provided by the management is enough or falling short of the organization's needs. Very often managers may believe that they are effectively communicating with the employees, but in reality, they may easily underestimate the number of issues on which employees need information.

Improving Communication

The best way of improving communications is to assess the situation from an employee's point of view. This way the management can easily decide the type of information needed by the employees, identify their confusions and worries, and select the most effective channel of communication. As communication is a two-way street, it is better to ask the employees themselves about their needs and expectations either through written or verbal contacts. The management can organize open-house sessions or get feedback through e-mails or questionnaires.

Be Realistic

The managers need to be aware that it takes time to develop effective communication systems and as such, they need to remain honest, clear, and compassionate for building trust among the employees. It is important not to promise anything that cannot be fulfilled, as nothing turns off employees more than the feeling of being betrayed. Genuine, considerate, and unvarying communication is thus essential for building employee engagement throughout the Six Sigma deployment process.

Tony Jacowski is a quality analyst for The MBA Journal. Aveta Solution's Six Sigma Online offers online six sigma training and certification classes for lean six sigma, black belts, green belts, and yellow belts.

Business Process Management And Six Sigma

Six Sigma was devised to incorporate continuous improvement in the industry procedures through its methodological systems of identifying faults and correcting them. In short, it minimizes the number of errors that may occur while a task is being performed. This is achieved by way of daily scrutiny of the process and sharpening the techniques used therein. Initially, Six Sigma was implemented only in the manufacturing stream but eventually moved on to other fields where it has proved its mettle.

However, with advancing technology and increasing complexity of situations faced each day mere Six Sigma implementation is not enough. This is where the Business Process Management gets integrated with Six Sigma to create a better performance-enhancing tool.

BPM

Business Process Management are those set of activities, which are undertaken by a corporation to either better the current processes or alter them to suit new age requirements. This phenomenon supports and modifies the company's processes and gives them useful management strategies, models the data flow, manages people, resources and systems at any given time.

Reason For The Merger

The coming together of BPM and 6-Sigma was initiated since what one lacked the other could provide, thereby leading to a better approach towards analysis, understanding and improvising business techniques. For instance, 6-Sigma lacks the ability to collect large amounts of data, which is instantly provided for by BPM. Likewise, BPM is deficient in analytical tools to solve a difficult and complex business crisis and needs Six Sigma methodology to intervene.

Usefulness Of The Union

Integrating Six Sigma and BPM has led to expansion of a corporation's scope of functionality and its service quality. The following points explain the changes occurring due to the collaboration.

It helps in processing long-term performance results of the organization since there is a considerable amount of reduction in the number of errors and useless inventory, which in turn eliminates customer dissatisfaction. The entire value chains of the institution are illustrated in a better and detailed manner, understood in depth and managed properly. Both the processes together give near perfect estimations, which aid in altering business policies if required and also bring about necessary changes in management procedures that enhance performance levels. As Six Sigma fails to effectively control business processes and most of the time relies on the manual methods and control mechanism, which hampers performance initiatives greatly. BPM involvement aids the controlling process and terminates the drawback instantly. Since 6-Sigma cannot gather the extensive data required for any research and policy implementation, BPM fills in for this lapse by enhancing the projects by accelerating the collection and distribution of critical data. The product design is improved due to combine application of BPM and Six Sigma. Such companies are at a better advantage of creating a superior product right at the inception time. Initializing physical, feature wise market growth is possible by focusing on customer expectations and undertaking surveys since BPM is apt at supplying buying patterns and customer attitude records. Punching Six Sigma data into the BPM system is much faster and more precise.

Tony Jacowski is a quality analyst for The MBA Journal. Aveta Solution's Six Sigma Online offers online six sigma training and certification classes for lean six sigma, black belts, green belts, and yellow belts.

Various Levels Of Six Sigma Certification

Six Sigma is a methodological strategy by which errors in a company's current processes and plans are identified and strategies to rectify the same are formulated. It is fact-based technique, involving a lot of data handling, which provides scientific results for cost cutting and reduction in waste of resources. Today, many organizations, large and small scale, are applying Six Sigma to ensure improved, faster and cheaper services to their consumers without compromising on the quality quotient.

Various Levels

Implementation of Six Sigma requires professionals who have been trained in the program and have had exposure to practically applying the concepts in different organizations across industries to know how to go about its application on the job. There is a Six Sigma certification program that has to be undertaken for gaining knowledge about this particular quality measurement practice. Six Sigma certification is similar to other professional courses in that after having cleared specified guidelines and followed the required procedure, individuals are certified as capable of employing the gained knowledge in their respective field. There are several stages of the program and with each qualifying level, certain tests that have to be cleared. These levels are labeled in the same manner as a martial arts certification grade. There are various belts such as green belt, black belt and master black belt awarded to professionals who complete corresponding stages of the course.

Green Belt

The first level is completed when an individual finishes two weeks of training and passes the qualifying exam. This level is termed Green Belt, which teaches all the essential methodologies. The curriculum for the Green Belt involves DMAIC, which stands for five interrelated phases: Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control. It defines customers, their needs, recommended products and services, the assignment limits and plotting process flow to improve current methods. It measures performance by developing and collecting data from numerous sources and scrutinizing it for flaws by comparing it with surveys. The Analyzing phase bridges the rift between present methods and targeted results. Improving stage works out various solutions to redefine the earlier processes and deploys implementation plans. The Control stage teaches how to maintain the new changes that have been introduced and maintain the documentation and contemporary systems in accordance with the goals.

Black Belt

The Black Belt is awarded to a professional who completes four weeks of training, which involves Green Belt curriculum as well. This phase's curriculum covers Green Belt subject matter as well. Black belt certified personnel usually train other Six Sigma aspirants and Green Belt holders, and in the process improve their abilities and skills as well. The Black Belt level enables individuals to master the Six Sigma roadmaps, extensive arithmetical methodologies and cross-functional process improvement. Black belts usually take up responsibility as Six Sigma team leads.

Master Black Belt

A person who has undertaken more than the required four weeks training and implements it in an organization as a Six Sigma program manager is awarded the Master Black Belt. These personnel are responsible for imparting knowledge to help Green Belt level and Black Belt level learners in improvising on their projects. They apply their skills in an organization by coaching other employees and helping them achieve the Green Belt and Black Belt certification without the company having to spend on training separately.

Tony Jacowski is a quality analyst for The MBA Journal. Aveta Solution's Six Sigma Online offers online rel="nofollow" href="http://www.sixsigmaonline.org">six sigma training and certification classes for lean six sigma, black belts, green belts, and yellow belts.