Every company today is constantly looking for new ways to make its production and production processes leaner, greener and more efficient. Waste reduction is crucial for a higher return on the investment of the raw materials, energy, labor and other overhead costs that a business accrues. Introducing Six Sigma, a discipline, set of techniques or culture that companies are now using to get ahead of wasteful activities that significantly erode profits.
Any operations or production manager must have completed at least Lean Six Sigma green belt training to have the competencies needed to ensure profitability.
What is Six Sigma?
You may have heard of Six Sigma lean manufacturing, Six Sigma DMAIC, or Six Sigma methodology. Engineer Bill Smith developed the six Sigma methodology at Motorola in the early 1980s; he wanted to reduce the number of defects at Motorola.
Six Sigma is generally a set of techniques used to eliminate waste and improve the processes involved in production, thereby improving product quality, improving customer satisfaction and reducing defects in any organizational process. This set of techniques uses statistical methods, production statistics and continuous improvement methods to optimize production and improve the quality of output by identifying and removing all defects and variations.
How does Six Sigma work?
Six Sigma is used in businesses to measure the efficiency and performance of their production processes. Six Sigma is usually the goal regarding defects per million. Six Sigma optimized processes should have only 3.4 deviations in 1,000,000 products, which is an efficiency of 99.99966%. This way you can improve your processes to achieve Six Sigma, from four sigma (99.38%) to five sigma (99.977%) and then six, to ensure maximum customer satisfaction and reduce operational costs.
Six Sigma Methodology DMAIC Phases:
DMAIC stands for Define, Measure, Analyze, Improvement and Control, and is a Six Sigma sub-methodology that is applied to optimize existing processes. All these steps play a role in a cyclical process to ensure the best possible results:
The 4 Levels of Six Sigma Training
Six Sigma certification levels include yellow belt, green belt, black belt and master black belt certifications.
- Yellow belt training provides you with the basic education on Six Sigma methodology and jargon.
- Green belt training is a more in-depth training in case studies to demonstrate the use of Six Sigma approaches and tools.
- For black belt training, you must complete two six-sigma projects and work full-time for at least three years. You will master all Six Sigma philosophies and principles to help you effectively lead teams as they roll out the methodology in any organization.
- For a master black belt certification, you must have a black belt certification and a minimum of five years of experience, which you can waive if you have completed at least ten Six Sigma projects. This is a highly sought-after certification that not only gives you access to even more in-depth knowledge of the Six Sigma tools, but also the opportunity to mentor other professionals.
Conclusion
Participating in six-sigma training is an excellent way to grow your career in business management, especially if you specialize in production and operations management. So what are you waiting for? Gain expertise in Six Sigma and prove your worth in the world of quality management.