Does having a Six Sigma certification gives you the ability to actually change a business process based on the Six Sigma tools framework.
To gain essential knowledge of Lean Six Sigma, consider using Lean Six Sigma Executive Briefing delivered by pdtraining in Auckland, Tauranga and other cities in New Zealand.
One problem you’ll face when either trying to hire someone with a Six Sigma certification or get existing staff trained and certified is there is no one single body that is the over-arching certification body, which is why we have the 1 day briefing course to allow you to learn a little more about the program.
The Six Sigma program was originally developed by Motorola for its own internal use.
According to Wikipedia – “Six Sigma is a set of tools and strategies for process improvement originally developed by Motorola in 1985.[1][2] Six Sigma became well known after Jack Welch made it a central focus of his business strategy at General Electric in 1995,[3] and today it is used in different sectors of industry.[4]”
The International Quality Federation offers an online certification exam that organizations can use for their internal certification programs; it is statistically more demanding than the ASQ certification.[46][48] Other providers offering certification services include the Juran Institute, Aveta Business Institute, Six Sigma Qualtec, Lean Six Sigma Standardization Association (LSSSA), Air Academy Associates, Management and Strategy Institute, Council for Six Sigma Certification, IASSC. EmbryInc.com, and many others.[47]”
Source – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Six_Sigma
Another issue to understand is the various models and tools taught in any given Six Sigma program.
Two basic version are (from wikidedia):
- DMAIC is used for projects aimed at improving an existing business process.[41] DMAIC is pronounced as “duh-may-ick” (<ˌdʌ ˈmeɪ ɪk>).
- DMADV is used for projects aimed at creating new product or process designs.[41] DMADV is pronounced as “duh-mad-vee” (<ˌdʌ ˈmæd vi>).
- Also as known as DFSS (“Design For Six Sigma”)
Then there are the plethora of additional add-on tools and processes which can be used in either of these flavours of Six Sigma.
So you can see it’s not just a matter of asking if someone is belt-certified or knows Six Sigma – it’s much more relevant to ask what types of projects they’ve worked on and also which methodology you are implementing in your business.
As with any professional certification, just passing the test doesn’t make you an experienced Six Sigma consultant, just like passing the Bar Exam doesn’t make you a competent solicitor, BUT it does show you are serious about presenting your credentials and have the ability to learn information and apply that in a question-based format.
As with most things, identifying real experience is the key to finding the right individuals for your next project either from within the company or by using outside consultants.
So one question to ask is how will your staff gain a Six Sigma certification in New Zealand?
PDTraining has partnered with IASSC as an accredited provider of training with certification exams available in 8000 testing centres in 165 countries around the world
The IASSC describes their black belt certification process as follows:
“Certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belts
The IASSC Certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt (ICBB) is a professional who is well versed in the Lean Six Sigma Methodology, who leads improvement projects, typically in a full-time role. A Lean Six Sigma Black Belt possesses a thorough understanding of all aspects within the phases of D-M-A-I-C. They understand how to perform and interpret Six Sigma tools and how to use standard principles of Lean.
Certification Testing
The IASSC Certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt (ICBB) Exam is a 4 hour 150 question proctored exam based on the IASSC Universally Accepted Lean Six Sigma Body of Knowledge for Black Belts. The Exam contains approximately 30 multiple-choice and true/false questions from each major section of the ILSSBOK for Black Belts and is administered in more than 8,000 Testing Centers located within 165 countries throughout the world.”
Pdtraining delivers 1000’s of professional development courses each year in Wellington, Auckland, Napier, Christchurch, Hamilton, Dunedin and Tauranga, so you can be assured your training will be delivered by a qualified and experienced trainer.
All public Lean Six Sigma Executive Briefing courses include am/pm tea, lunch, printed courseware and a certificate of completion. Customised courses are available upon request so please contact pdtraining on 1300 121 400 to learn more.