Category: Training

What is a Black Belt (BB)? A Six Sigma Black Belt (BB) is a trained and certified professional who has achieved a high level of expertise and experience in the Six Sigma methodology. Six Sigma is a data-driven methodology and management philosophy that aims to improve the quality of processes, reduce defects, and minimize variability […]

What is a Black Belt (BB)? A Six Sigma Black Belt (BB) is a professional who has achieved a high level of expertise in the Six Sigma methodology. Six Sigma is a disciplined, data-driven approach to process improvement that aims to eliminate defects and improve the quality and efficiency of business processes.  The Benefits of […]

Dr. Mikel Harry is often credited with adapting the martial art concept of belt rankings to Lean Six Sigma (LSS). The hierarchy of belts indicates the level of training, competency, and acquisition of skills. While different organizations may have different names and colors for the levels of expertise in LSS, the following represents the most […]

The rock band, Queen, celebrated Champions with these lyrics; “We are the champions…. my friends….And we’ll keep on fighting ’til the end….We are the champions….We are the champions….No time for losers….’Cause we are the champions….Of the world.”  Lean Six Sigma also has its Champions. Let’s learn more about them. Role of the Champion While Lean […]

Does the term Master Black Belt sound pretty impressive? It should, because it is the highest level of achievement and expertise in Lean Six Sigma. Let’s explore the role of a Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt and how you can attain that pinnacle of success. Role of the Master Black Belt As you can […]

Will having a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt allow you to break bricks and beat up other people? Probably not, but it will help you remove waste, analyze data and improve processes in your organization. Let’s see what a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt does and how you can become one. Role of the Black […]

Lean Six Sigma Green Belt is where your more advanced training and certification begins. If you are already a White or Yellow Belt, you have learned some of the basic concepts of Lean Six Sigma. Green Belt is where your learning really takes off. Role of the Green Belt The hierarchy of Lean Six Sigma […]

You are ready to start your Lean Six Sigma journey but where do you start? White Belt training and certification is the entry point into learning about Lean Six Sigma. Lean Six Sigma White Belt training and certification If your organization is deploying a Lean Six Sigma (LSS) initiative, and you can participate in White […]

Organizations have been deploying and implementing Lean Six Sigma for decades. Yet, there are still many questions on how someone can get formally trained and certified in the tools, methodologies and philosophy of Lean Six Sigma. This article will be the first in a series to answer some of the most common questions about Lean […]

After completing your training and certification for White Belt, your next step might be to advance to Yellow Belt training and certification. Let’s see what’s involved with that. Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt training and certification As a Lean Six Sigma (LSS) Yellow Belt (YB), you will gain some basic knowledge and learn some skills […]

Getting recommendations from others for your Lean Six Sigma training and certification is a good strategy. But given all the variation in available programs, it is a good idea to have a list of criteria to compare your recommendations. Here is a list to get you started. What is the best Lean Six Sigma training […]

Taking Lean Six Sigma training and getting certified will cost you time and money. Is it worth it? Will you earn more money with the additional credential of a Lean Six Sigma belt? Let’s check it out.

If you are being Lean Six Sigma trained and certified by your employer, the cost should not be a concern for you. But what if you must pay for it by yourself? Cost may then be important. Let’s explore the variation in cost for being LSS trained and certified.

Would you be happy if your doctor received her MD from an unknown and unaccredited medical school? Probably not. What about your CPA or attorney? Again, probably not. For the same reason, your employer wouldn’t be happy with your Lean Six Sigma certification if it was awarded by an unknown organization with a poor reputation […]

Will being a Black Belt help you beat up your competition? In a way, yes. A skilled and experienced Lean Six Sigma Black Belt will help your organization improve all you do. Let’s see how.

One would think that with the levels of standardization and process efficiency we drive in Lean Six Sigma that there would be consensus on how much training a certified Black Belt should receive. Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, despite the herculean efforts by the American Society of Quality (ASQ) and the […]

LinkedIn, the largest and most popular business-oriented social networking service, announced over the weekend their top 25 “hottest skills” of 2014. What is a “hot skill” you’re likely wondering, as I did. Basically, LinkedIn looked across all 330 million member profiles, determined who was hired, which jobs were posted that recruiters were searching for talented […]

Traditionally, Lean Six Sigma (LSS) training has been delivered in classrooms, provided either by a company’s in-house experts or by a training or consulting firm. In the past 20 years, however, technology has taken training out of the classroom and online. Anyone with Internet access can learn the methodologies and tools of LSS. Now, individuals […]

Computacenter AG & Co. oHG, an information technology (IT) services firm that first began its Six Sigma deployment 14 years ago, has made its second consecutive appearance on iSixSigma’s Best Places to Work list. Computacenter was ranked at No. 10 for this year’s list, the same position it was given in the 2010 list. The […]

The publishing industry is on the threshold of major structural changes. The arrival of e-books is only the first threat, and it is having an impact sooner than expected. For example, Amazon.com sold more e-books than paper books in the first quarter of 2010. The credit crunch also has reinforced retailers’ demands for smaller, more […]

According to George Wilbanks, managing director of Russell Reynolds’ Asset and Wealth Management practice, many investment firms are looking especially hard for technology executives who have some kind of training in continuous improvement. “In the last two years, with so much volatility we’ve had in the markets, they’ve been asking for Six Sigma qualifications,” he […]

Australian financial services firm Westpac has launched a large-scale initiative to overhaul its information technology (IT) services, part of which will be accomplished through the application of Lean and Six Sigma techniques to reduce waste and remove unnecessary banking processes. The IT plan was announced during an Oct. 8 webcast briefing with Westpac investors. During […]

During 2008-2009, I led an effort to create an in-house Lean Six Sigma training curriculum in our 34-hospital healthcare system. Not only did my organization want the training to be effective and cost-efficient, but it also needed to help standardize the language used in the deployment as well as the program structure – areas that […]

When facing an imminent layoff, what path should Six Sigma professionals with a technical background take to get into the information technology (IT) arena? This topic was brought up in a recent online conversation on the iSixSigma Discussion Forums. The suggestions included getting familiar with the capability maturity model (CMM), joining an IT organization, becoming […]