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Six Sigma Certification

Six Sigma Certification : What is it ?

http://www.sixthsigma.com/weblog/SixSigmaCertification01.jpgSix Sigma certification is a confirmation that a person has completed the necessary requirements from the organization which is granting the certification. Thus it affirms that person has acquired specific competency and skills related to the subject. However certification is just a testimony that a person has passed the minimum guidelines and requirements and it does not reflect the true quality of a professional.

Six Sigma certification involves learning the required subject matter, passing a written proficiency test, and displaying competency in a real life environment. The certification usually comprises of course materials to be purchased from training and consulting company and classroom training. A typical training session is dedicated to a particular topic and vary in its duration depending on various Six Sigma Levels (green belt, black belt, master black belt, sponsor, etc.).

At the end of the training written proficiency test is conducted by the business hiring the training company. Companies new to Six Sigma may arrange for the training company’s proficiency test. Companies such as Motorola and GE organizes the in-house training and thus administer their own written proficiency test.

After the completion of the training, professionals are required to complete one or two quality projects and showcase the skills acquired and concepts learned in the training. In case of green belt and sponsor it is one project while for black belt or Master black belt needs to complete two projects. However this part of the certification process is not standardized.

Every company which provides Six Sigma Training and consulting provides the certification and no single body is designated to do so. Thus consulting companies differentiate between skills level and charge additional fees. American Society for Quality (ASQ) is the sole certification body of their quality certification titles  and thus provides titles like Certified Quality Manager (CQM), Certified Quality Engineer (CQE),etc,

Six Sigma Online Training Schools

There are various training institutes which offer the Six Sigma Training Online.  Course contents may vary from one institute to another however the basic fundamentals they teach in the training is essentially the same. Some of the schools which offer six sigma courses online via distance learning are as follows

(1)   Kaplan University

(2)   Capella University

(3)   Grand Canyon University

(4)   Villanova University

(5)   Morestream University

(6)   Regis University

(7)   eCornell University

(8)   Baker College Online

Educational Requirements

The educational requirements includes a relevant graduate degree in the fields of business, finance, marketing,etc for pursuing the online Six Sigma courses. Many accredited schools offered courses which requires only high school diploma. Its important to check the necessary  prerequisites qualification before taking up any such online courses.

Programs Offered

Various programs are offered by the schools related the Six Sigma Training are Champion – Leadership, Six Sigma Green Belt, Six Sigma Black Belt, Master Black Belt, Six Sigma Yellow Belt, Six Sigma White Belt and Lean Sigma, Lean IT, Master of Science (MS) in Organization and Management, MBA with an Emphasis in Six Sigma, MBA with an Emphasis in Leadership, MBA with an Emphasis in General Mgmt, Bachelor of Business Administration in Project Management, Bachelor of Business Administration in Operations Management ,Bachelor in Organizational Psychology  Online, etc

MBA and Six Sigma

There are few university like Wakeforest, Grand Canyon University etc  which offers MBA (Masters in Business Administration) in Six Sigma.  In this course the students in the MBA program can pursue Six Sigma Training certification.  This degree combines the specializes study of Six Sigma Methodology, Project Management Skills along with broad based management curriculum of MBA course. A properly designed MBA program helps the Quality professional to do the correct job while Six Sigma assist in doing the job correctly.

Six Sigma Online Training

There are various institutes around the globe which provides Online six Sigma Training and Certifications. It helps the professionals and students who would like to pursue the training anytime and anywhere. It is especially useful for those who have a tight work schedule and finds difficult to attend classes. This mode of learning is getting popular as it provides considerable amount of flexibility for pursuing the training.

Why do Six Sigma Training Online

The courses for Six Sigma Training are usually designed by the experts who have years of experience in the field and who possess black belt certifications. They are structured in such a fashion which precisely contains what companies needed to work in real life. The courses are optimized to meet the growing requirement for advanced problem-solving training, leading to the Black Belt course.

The format of the course is prepared to make the learning easier and interactive.  Various schools provides training online or give away DVD ROM discs so that participants can view it anytime, use search  function for finding the topic, browse through power point slides, use index etc. Also students can make use of discussion forums where they can interact with others and post their queries.

Feature s of the online training includes unlimited access to course materials, videos of the instructor, screen shots showing how to use software, online interaction with instructors and fellow students, examples of real-world cases from business and industry, mentoring, assessment, guidance for project selection, Certification at the end of the training.

When Certification is provided

After the successful completion of the training and finishing of the coursework, students are provided with certification from accredited schools. This certificate acts as a proof that the student has successfully completed his studies and possess the job skills and training required to work in a real life scenario in companies.

Lean Six Sigma Training

Lean Six Sigma Training combines the learning of the fundamentals of Six Sigma principles and Lean tools . It teaches the techniques needed for improvements in speed, quality and cost. It enables the employees to eliminate the wasted efforts in business process.  It can be applied effectively for both the manufacturing and non manufacturing environments as well.

Training options includes both the classroom environment with teacher/student interaction in real time and  e learning methods when the requirement is less dynamic.  It helps in improving and bringing positive change in the workplace environment and stimulates the responsibility for promoting careers and interest.

Lean Six Sigma Training enables the professionals to integrate Lean and Six Sigma guidelines for providing the best operational tools, to stimulate creative thought process and to encourage team based learning. Course content of the training is usually related to the basic business interests and it includes the enterprise DMAIC and DMAIC project.

Six Sigma Training  in Call Centers:

Six Sigma principles have been applied extensively in call center industry across the globe. The training for call centers professionals is a comprehensive course.  It  teaches  them statistical analysis and its application in the processes. Therefore they are able to identify and eliminate defects in their related processes.

It has yield rich benefits as a whole for the call center industry which has shown exponential growth. It contributed to  a disciplined approach and shown marked improvement in call center performance.

Design for Six Sigma (DFSS) :
It  is an independent branch of Six Sigma quality processes which is emerging fast.  It identifies the requirements of the customer s and business and then based on it produces  esultant product solution. It is applied basically in unprecedented system development.

Motorola Training : Motorola University teaches Six Sigma processes based on three levels :  as a metric, as a methodology and as a management system. It utilizes  the methodology of DMAIC for process improvement .

Types of Six Sigma Training

The successful implementation of  the Six Sigma methodology requires that  the senior leaderships plays a vital role in the aligning the entire organization and inculcate the Six Sigma culture. Committed leadership involving  senior executives, master black belts, black belts, and green belts works closely and challenges effectively.

Different types of training are available based on the ranks of the professional in the organization. Companies need to recognize who in the organization requires training and what type of training should be imparted to them.

Senior Management  :  This level  includes  the top managers of the organization like CEO,CIO etc who are responsible for implementing Six Sigma in their operations. They set and drives the business goals . This training incorporates the program overview, business and financial benefits of implementation, business and real-world examples of successful deployments and specific applications to business and industry. It may include the black belt training as well.

Functional or Process Managers : This level includes functional managers from areas like finance, HR, Training etc and process managers from areas like production, call center etc  who reports to Senior management and follows their strategy into actions.  They also known as sponsors and champions. Their training is more detailed than that imparted to senior management. Training may include Black Belt Training apart from topics like Six Sigma concepts, methodologies, tools and requirements and helps to ensure successful implementation within the organization.

Quality Leaders : This level includes Quality Managers and Master Black Belts who help functional and process Managers to set and lead the Six Sigma Vision within their specific areas.  Training includes the detailed information about the concept, methodology and tools, as well as detailed statistics training and computer analysis tool use and may extend from three to four weeks.

Project Leaders :   This level  includes the Project Leaders who are also called Black Belts. They are responsible for implementing theSix Sigma methodology and tools within the business. Training includes detailed information about the concept, methodology and tools of Six Sigma.

Employees: This level includes the lower rank employees also called as Green Belts . Training is specifically developed for  part-time project leaders and includes the  Black Belt training program which is  shorter in duration as less detail on complex tools and statistics is provided. In complex cases employees are recommended to ask Black belts for assistance.

Six Sigma Training

What is Six Sigma Training and why it is required

The basic aim of the Six Sigma is to modify the organization’s culture with the business Improvement Methodologies. It is achieved by providing the Six Sigma training to the professionals. In order to implement the Six Sigma in the organization effectively it is required that at each level of hierarchy from Top level management to employees at the bottom level should be appropriately trained as per the need of the organization.

Six Sigma Training plays a major role in the progress of company as it brings about the desired change in the organization culture. In a way merely changing the infrastructure and getting the materials in place alone would not bring about the Six Sigma benefits, the change in the culture of the company including its vision and perception of quality excellence is mandatory for the successful implementation of Six Sigma and training helps in achieving this goal.

Training equipped the professionals with the required skills based on their level. Training involves the workshops based on the various phases of the Six Sigma methodology and in between the different phases professionals are required to carry out practical work on floor to practice the phase they have been taught. Resources are made available to all the participants which help them in understanding the fundamentals of Six Sigma  and its implementation.

Training involves the teaching of advanced statistical analysis and tools, its application in various phases of Six Sigma implementation, systematic use of data and facts, designing the processes for improvement and understanding the customer requirements.  By observing the course contents of various institutes we can make out that they differ widely in their focus however they have same fundamentals of Six Sigma in place. Companies prepare their own courses for training to provide more flexibility to employees.  In case of various University and training institute the course material is uniform for all Six Sigma Training.

Lean Dynamics

Lean dynamics is a practice of business management that focuses on eliminating wasteful expenditure of resources by emphasizing on the dynamic business conditions that leads to the accumulation of wastes in the first place.

Lean dynamics was evolved in the aerospace industry where Lean manufacturing was being practiced. It was targeted at reducing the costs to bring about new products and making them affordable. The study in aerospace manufacturing reveals that application of Lean principles for mitigating the amplification of variation is critical for overcoming the disruption leading to accumulation of waste. Later on these findings were accepted by other industries as well.

It creates tangible and steady and strong values for companies and their customers in changing and uncertain conditions. It stresses on creating greater value and efficiencies by optimizing the flow by competing in the business condition that requires innovation. It has been emerged as recognized approach for business improvement.

The difference in approach of Lean Manufacturing and Lean dynamics lies in the fact that Lean manufacturing activities identifies and eliminates “waste”, however lean dynamics focuses on the dynamic conditions which results in wastes  accumulation in the first place. It identifies and addresses sources of lag or disconnects in flowing value through various activities like information, innovation, operations, decision making e.t.c.  which amplify disruption on changing of business conditions.

It leads to inherent dynamic stability in the business structure which allows companies to accommodate in uncertain and changing business conditions. It helps the companies to provide the greater customer value in terms of quality, customer satisfaction and innovation. Also companies will show greater resilience in the market and perform well with positive results in growth, profitability and market capitalization.

By applying “lean dynamics” principles, companies are consistently thriving in challenging business environment and this approach of Variation Management has become prominent for the transformation and improvement of various organizations.

Lean Manufacturing

Lean manufacturing is a practice that identifies the non value added activities that is considered as waste from the perspective of the customers and focuses on eliminating them. Here customer is anyone who consumes a product or uses as service and value defines the process for which customer would be willing to pay.

Basic principle of Lean manufacturing lies in the cost reduction by eliminating wastes. Lean principles are derived from the Japanese industry and in particular from Toyota Production System. It is famous for its efforts to eliminate the original “Toyota Seven Wastes”  leading to the improvement for Customer Value.

There were two different approaches to Lean Manufacturing.

(a)   First approach states the need for identifying and eliminating the waste which eventually leads to the improvement in quality and reduction in cost and production time.

(b)   Second approach focuses on improving the flow of work which steadily eliminates the waste from the system.

Lean manufacturing stresses on increased efficiency by focusing on optimizing flow. Waste reduction occurs naturally as a result of implementing the smooth flow. The goal of both the approaches is the same, they only differ in the way they achieve it.

Examples of the Lean tools are Value Stream Mapping, Kanban, Five S e.t.c.

Type of wastes

Lean focuses on reducing the waste and Toyota had defined three types of waste Muda, Muri and Mura. These are the Japanese words which forms the key concept in Toyota Production System.

Muda : It is a Japanese term for wasteful activity, unproductive and that does not add value. Distinction is being made between value added activity, waste and non value added activity wherein Non Value Added activity is considered as waste which must be completed.

Mura : It is a Japanese term for unevenness and inconsistency. It focuses to achieve the JIT (Just in Time) by eliminating the variations and thus ensuring smooth flow of value added steps.

Muri : It is a Japanese term for overburden and unreasonableness. It is demanding greater level of performance from a process than it is capable of.

Seven original Muda are as follows

(1)    Defects                        :  Checking for defects.

(2)    Inventory                 :  Unprocessed product

(3)   Overproduction      :  Exceeding Demand

(4)   Waiting Time            :  Next Step Awaiting

(5)    Motion                        :  Unnecessary human movement

(6)   Transportation         :  Moving the products not required

(7)   Processing Waste    :  Non Value Added activities

Just in time

Just in Time is a business improvement strategy wherein by reducing the  in-process inventory and its associated costs. It requires a very effective communication so that as soon as old stock gets consumed the new stock should be ordered. It involves a process where signals are being used to keep track of the activities and stock. It helps in reducing the inventory and costs. It also save spaces of warehouses.

Is Successful Lean Implementation a Challenge

The successful implementation of Lean poses a big challenge as it requires a lot of discipline. It has been implemented in numerous organizations throughout the globe and we have examples of both success and failure, however it cannot be said with certainty that Lean implementation is applicable for a particular sector. Only Toyota has made efforts to implement Lean in its every key processes.

Product designs are developed and checklists are reviewed so that not only costs are reduced but also the risk associated with project is decreased. Companies need to reinvent themselves continuously and look for new opportunities for reducing the overall costs and improving the performance.

Leaders have played a major role in making a Lean principles a big successes in various organizations. Experienced members at Toyota have ensured that the Lean Culture should be transferred across the company and one way to do is to guide other less experienced Lean players.

Lean Services and its future

Lean Thinking has met with success in some processes of the companies across the world and there is no such evidence to prove that Lean will be successful in some countries. One of the sector which has seen widespread application of Lean is call center industry. Big challenge is to utilize Lean thinking in public Sector and lack of reference implementation would make task of strong implementation difficult.

Lean Thinking is facing few critical challenges. There is need to discover new process technologies which will suit to Lean Value creation. Application of Lean in areas related to the management of information is required. Application of Lean thinking to all business processes apart from manufacturing industries will be tough task ahead.

How to Implement Lean Six Sigma

Integrated Approach for business improvement

Lean Six Sigma combines both Lean and Six Sigma methodologies into an integrated system for business improvement. Effective utilization of the features of both the practices needs to be done while applying integrated approach Lean Six Sigma.

(1)   In  the initial phase of the project  where momentum should be increased , Lean projects  are deployed as they are tangible and can be completed within few weeks . Later on Six Sigma projects are applied to take care of advanced problems.

(2)   Lean based on broad principles is used when one does not require detailed analysis and tools while Six Sigma is applied to solve the complicated problems which require advanced analysis and statistical tools.

(3)   Value Stream Mapping is utilized for the development of the pipeline of projects which can be tackled by the Lean or Six Sigma methodology.

(4)   As per the requirements of the industry the content of the training needs to be adjusted. Lean tools are basically specific so they require adjustment however Six Sigma tools are applicable for almost every process. Therefore some areas will use Lean tools while others will utilized Six Sigma tools.

(5)   Lean principles are taught in a different way from that of Six Sigma. Training for Lean tools requires workshops which includes training session followed by direct application. In case of Six Sigma the training comprises of various phases as in DMAIC or DMADV sub methodologies. Here each phase is practiced in sequential manner in training sessions and with practical applications after each phase is taught.

Interaction between the two methodologies will helps to achieve the desired results where effect of one is reinforced by the presence of other. In fact implementation of Lean and Six Sigma together has resulted in impressive results as being observed by various companies across the globe. This integrated approach is able to address varying kinds of process problems in the most effective and efficient manner.

Lean Six Sigma

What is Lean Six Sigma

In simple terms, Lean Six Sigma is a methodology which combines the business improvement methods of Lean manufacturing practice and Six Sigma process.  Lean practice focuses on speed of the process while Six Sigma relies on quality. Therefore by the fusion of both the practices we have Lean Six Sigma which provides speed and quality to the customers. It leads to faster improvement in the business processes relating to customer satisfaction, quality and cost.

Lean : Speed

Six Sigma : Quality

Lean Six Sigma : Quality with Speed

Lean Practice was evolved to bring about faster execution of the business processes and Six Sigma was devised to deliver quality excellence to the products and processes.  Each of this practice has its own benefits and drawbacks.  Initially, both the practices were considered rivals to each other. Followers of Lean stressed that Six Sigma does not take care of speed while advocators of Six Sigma pointed out lack of quality excellence in Lean methods.

How the Lean Six Sigma evolved

As a result of applying various tools for business improvement, the need for both the speed and quality was recognized. If a process is showing great speed but with no quality or quality with no speed then it does not lead to business improvement. So a balance process which focuses on both Lean and Six Sigma was evolved. In a way both these practices complement each other because of their unique features and they provide opportunities for streamlining the core processes.

Comparison between Lean and Six Sigma

(1)   Lean stresses on eliminating waste and creating flow while Six Sigma reduces variation and improves process capability by using the problem-solving approach with the help of statistical tools,

(2)   Lean is applied mainly to the manufacturing processes and Six Sigma is applicable for all the business process.

(3)   Lean projects are driven by Value Stream Map while Six Sigma takes up different approaches in a project selection.

(4)   Length of projects in Lean methodology is usually about one week to three months however Six Sigma it extends from two to six months.

(5)   No formal training is required with Lean approach however Six Sigma involves broad based training utilizing various resources.