Six Sigma Training: What Are the Benefits?

Six Sigma Training is becoming the training course of choice for those in the manufacturing and business industry. It began in 1991 in specialized industries such as Honeywell; however, by the late 1990s, almost two-thirds of Fortune 500 companies had jumped onto the Six Sigma bandwagon. The primary goal is to boost employee morale, improve production quality, all the while shrinking costs associated with production and manufacturing of products. Does this sound like something you could benefit from? You can started by taking Greycampus Six Sigma Primer.

The Six Sigma Hierarchy

The Six Sigma Hierarchy uses a spin-off of Judo and other martial arts terminology for rankings: Black Belts, Green Belts, etc… The following list delineates the hierarchical duties associated with each ranking.

• The Visioneers

This group is the tier of executives who have a vision for implementing the Six Sigma Training program. The CEO and other leaders are involved at this level by creating the mission for the lower levels to achieve.

• Champions

Champions are responsible for the implementation of the leadership’s mission. This tier group is a pool of upper management.

• Master Black Belts

This tier of employees is responsible for the day-to-day training of the other quality control employees. They have been hand-picked by the Champions to teach the others to work at a higher level of quality production. They are known as coaches for the other employees and are fully dedicated to training their colleagues and solely responsible for the application of the Six Sigma program.

• Black Belts

Black Belts are trained directly by the Master Black Belts, but instead of being responsible for Six Sigma responsibilities corporate wide, they are devoted to only a particular products that require the Six Sigma program. In addition, they need Six Sigma Black Belt Training.

• Green Belts

Green Belts are also trained by the Master Black Belts, but they incorporate the Six Sigma principles into their regularly scheduled business itineraries and agendas. Some applications require the Six Sigma applications, but other duties assigned to Green Belts can be completed separately, without the specialized Six Sigma Green Belt Training.

Yellow Belts and Orange Belts are also used as terminology in the Six Sigma Training; however, they are not as common and are primarily used by employees during special projects that can apply the Six Sigma principles.

Companies that use Six Sigma

• Dow Chemicals

Dow started implementing Six Sigma techniques into its business operations in 1999. They called one project the “Steam Trap.” With this project, and using Six Sigma, they were able to identify 75 failed traps and 45 visible steam leaks. Dow then analyzed the root of the problem. From that point, they were able to recover 87.3 percent of the steam previously lost.

• 3M

In 2000, 3M introduced Six Sigma to their employees. It was brought in by their CEO, James McInerney. His goal was to train thousands of their staff to become “Black Belts.” They also provided “Green Belt” training to all of their employees, as well.

• American Express

In 2003, American Express made the move to standardize Six Sigma training across its company. It trained 88 “Black Belts” and 2,195 employees in the process.

These are just a few of the many global companies that have incorporated Six Sigma techniques.

Benefits of Six Sigma Training

• Return on Investment

As every investor knows, the return on investment is the most important function of a business: making money. By streamlining corporate practices, reducing costs, and increasing efficiency, Six Sigma is an investor’s dream because it results in fewer mistakes, fewer injuries, a reduction in errors, and reduced downtime due to these particular production woes; thereby increasing the return on investment.

• Customer Satisfaction and Loyalty

Happy customers are returning customers, and this is a great benefit of the Six Sigma protocol. With fewer mistakes, faster production, and the ability to meet the customer’s demands either early or on time, orders will continue to roll in and customer loyalty increases. Thus, the Six Sigma protocol makes everyone in the business to business community happy.

•  Increased Stock Value

Corporations are all about the bottom line, and the Six Sigma Principles are no different. When the Return on Investment increases and customers are happy and ordering larger and more products, the stock value rises dramatically. Becoming investor friendly and a force to be reckoned with within the competitive industry, is another advantage of the Six Sigma Training. These two pieces tied together create an increase in the financial sector; yet another reason that Fortune 500 companies are jumping on and staying on the Six Sigma bandwagon.

•  Employee Motivation

Employees, who are actively involved in the Six Sigma process, are proactively involved in their job performance. They will become vested in the outcome of the Six Sigma program because they have opportunities for training, advancement, and intrinsic valued rewards. Knowing that there are set goals that must be achieved also gives each employee a part to play in the total outcome of the business. The Six Sigma program gives each employee a vested morale boost and thereby improves productivity, collaboration, and cooperation among coworkers.

• Six Sigma Certification

There are multiple ways to become certified in Six Sigma Certification. Online training and institutes are becoming much more popular because it is a desirable qualification in business and industry. Some corporations set up their own training institutes in-house so that employees can become trained and certified while already employed by their organization. If you are interested in Six Sigma Training, and your employer does not already supply the training opportunities, do not despair. There are a multitude of opportunities available to you.

Six Sigma Trainers

There is a high demand for Six Sigma Trainers to be consultants, speakers, and writers on the topic. If this the reason you plan to learn more about the Six Sigma program, there is an abundance of career opportunities available to you, if you follow through with the training courses.

Green Belt or Black Belt

If you are looking to increase your career opportunity at your current job, online training opportunities are available to you. However, the higher the level the belt, the more expensive the training course will cost because it is a more involved training program to move up from a Green Belt to a Black Belt.

Class Style

Some students are best suited to face-to-face; brick and mortar classrooms. If this is the case, you may have to travel to a location that teaches the Six Sigma curricula. However, if you are fluent in computer technology and have the self-discipline to make yourself follow through with the lessons, online training may be just the ticket to a higher belt level than you are already hold. Each individual must take into consideration their learning styles before committing to a program that will fit their learning needs.

Training and Certification

The good news is you have a wide variety of resources to help you get started, at your own pace. Nonetheless, the Six Sigma certification process is not totally finished until the DMAIC projects have successfully been completed and an exam has been passed. After the project has been reviewed, additional fees have been paid, and the waiting period is behind you, you will have the Six Sigma Certification that you desire. Then, you will really understand The 5 Whys Template: Simple Steps to Get to the Root Cause of a Problem.

As with any other training program, the Six Sigma Program is a stepping stone toward a better quality position within the chosen trade or Fortune 500 organization. Stepping up your game at work not only helps the corporation become a better organization, it creates a better you. If you are considering Six Sigma Training, the effort put forth will help you achieve your belt of choice and personal satisfaction.