Tips for a Six Sigma Certification from Knowledge Source

How to become a Six Sigma certified organization?

Knowledge Source - Manufacturing Info puts out three ways to do it:

1. hire a certification training company
2. get the full-time trainings from certified instructors
3. hire a training school

Read more…

Filed under: Training, Certification, Six Sigma

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10 Reasons for a Six Sigma Certification

Time and again, we hear companies saying that Six Sigma works for them. Other companies however do not and cannot claim benefits from their Six Sigma deployments.

If you throw these issues to quality practitioners, even Six Sigma proponents, they would say that the Six Sigma of Six Sigma depends on many factors. It’s true.

However, just in case you really think Six Sigma can add value to your company, let me share with you 10 reasons why you need a Six Sigma certification.

1. To save money - These programs are designed to reduce the amount of waste that is created when you are manufacturing your products. What these processes will do is look at you entire manufacturing process, one step at a time and see where you can make any changes or improvements that will increase your productivity. These programs increase your productivity because they get rid of waste and poor quality, which means you are producing more quality products and you are not wasting time or energy on production costs.
2. To make quality your companies priority - make your products and services worth your customers’ money, and that your products add value to your customers’ organization.
3. To reduce operational costs - focuse on reducing the number of defects that are produced, reducing the cycle time, and cost savings.
4. To make your manufacturing plant more efficient and help improve safety, meaning less accidents will occur at your manufacturing plant.
5. To train everybody in the company from upper management on down - everybody in the company is on the same page and being on the same page ensures that everybody is doing things the same way.
6. To teach people how to problem solve - with the training mentioned in #5, everyone in the organization is going to learn how to approach a variety of situations and figure out how to solve the problems they face.
7. To increase your floor space - you will be more organized, which means there will be less clutter in places so you can actually see what is going on. This makes sense because if you can’t see what is going on there is no way to figure out what needs to get improved.
8. To take a narrower focus on what needs to be improved, rather than a broad focuses - this helps boost employee morale and show people that it is going to work.
9. To take a look at one section at a time and to actually look at your quality standards to see if they need to be improved
10. To focus on cost cutting measures that can reduce the value and quality - basically six sigma focuses on getting rid of costs that have no value to the customer.

Source:
BusinessKnowledgeSource.com, a featured link of Six Sigma Zone

*Photo from Stock.Xchng

Filed under: Certification, Six Sigma Zone, Six Sigma

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Six Sigma Reference Feature: SixSigma.us

SixSigma.us provides Six Sigma training and Six Sigma certification. The site also has invaluable resources from Lean Manufacturing to Six Sigma and its tools. Whatever industry you belong, they can give you the corresponding Six Sigma training.

You can also take enrol in their Six Sigma training courses wherever you are in the U.S. They offer the courses in Austin, Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Dallas, Denmark, Denver, DC, Houston, Kansas City, Las Vegas,Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New York, Orlando, Philadelphia, San Francisco, San Jose, Toronto.

I must say, its resources are quite comprehensive. It has good articles and a good list of recommended readings.
For a time the posts of this blog also appear in its news archive. Check out this site!

Filed under: Training, Certification, Six Sigma References

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Six Sigma Reference Feature: ASQ

The American Society of Quality, or ASQ, is the world’s leading membership organization devoted to quality.

This website is like a one-stop shop for all your quality needs: education, government, healthcare, manufacturing, service, and more!

It stands by its slogan, Make Good Great^®. If you are a member you will have access to the latest in technologies, concepts, tools, and trainings for quality professionals, quality practitioners, and everyday consumers.

Also, you will find networking opportunities, careers, and recommended books and publications that you can use in your field.

Check out the site and find out about the wonderful world of quality.

Filed under: Tools/Toolkits, Lean Six Sigma, Finance, Training, Certification, Deployment, Data, Six Sigma References, Healthcare, Public Sector, Information Mapping, Processes

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Implementing Six Sigma in Call Centers Level I—Yellow Belt Training

If you’re working in a call center, there’s nothing that will please your customers more than prompt responsiveness, reduced errors, streamlined processes, and consistent, high-quality services. If you’re wondering how to do this? Then you better attend the Yellow Belt Training on Implementing Six Sigma in Call Centers.

The training is the first step to becoming a truly Six Sigma organization. There’s no harm in starting from scratch, and build your skills with slow, but sure steps.

Sponsored by ICMI, the seminar is selling like hotcakes for already the October 16-19 dates are all sold out. Register as early as now for the March 12-15, 2007 dates in Ponte Vedra, Florida.

Course Objectives:

• Provide participants with practical examples from the customer contact center industry on how to use Six Sigma tools to improve service, quality, revenue, and cost in customer contact centers.
• Use Six Sigma tools and analysis on data from their own customer contact center operations to dramatically show the positive impact of using Six Sigma in their operations.
• Learn how to use Six Sigma to manage metric performance (set priorities, set Specification Limits, and Six Sigma Scorecard).
• Learn when to use each Six Sigma tool with specific guidelines for the customer contact center industry.
• Lean how to be wary of excessive “numbers crunching” that does not lead to performance improvement and how to prevent this from occurring.
• Use key Six Sigma tools to more effectively install, deploy, and improve the ROI from using the COPC-2000® Standard for Vendor Management Organizations (VMOs) or Customer Service Providers (CSPs).

Sign up now!

Filed under: Training, Certification, Events/Announcements

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Six Sigma Managing Projects at Trinity Real Estate Solutions

Six Sigma methodology scores a hit again with Trinity Real Estate Solutions. The company is known for its state-of-the-art online technology that allows them to provide the residential real estate lending industry with high quality ordering, tracking and delivery of new construction and renovation property services.

Based on its profile, Trinity is dealing with customer data every single transaction day. Its business therefore depended on the efficiency of its processes to give current data anytime it is needed. A couple of days ago, the company announced that Travis Eck, Manager of Operations-Inspection Division, completed his Six Sigma Black Belt Certification. The company considers this certification another feather in their cap.

Trinity management and even Eck himself believe that Six Sigma will make them do something extraordinary for their customers. Eck acknowledges:

“In the inspection world speed and accuracy top the list of aspects that are critical to quality from a customer’s point of view. In choosing a project I looked at a common area that would positively impact all parties involved in our transactions and turn time of our inspections topped the list.”

Six Sigma taught Travis to base decisions on facts and not feelings. This benefit goes far beyond project goals or change management. Basing decisions on the facts allows Travis to be a better manager and solve the right issue the first time.

Continue reading…

Indeed, choosing the right project is the most important thing for an organization deploying Six Sigma. Key concepts of Six Sigma specifically the completion of leadership sponsored projects helped Eck a lot in selecting the right project and seeing it through successfully. His training is well worth it.

Filed under: Benefits and Savings, Certification, Deployment

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Six Sigma Issue: Standardize Certification or Not

Yesterday, I did my usual once-a-week visits to other Six Sigma blogs and websites. I found one interesting entry by Andrew Downard, titled “Whither Certification.”

I recall that I’ve written about certification and standardizing Six Sigma certification before. It was brought about by one comment of a fellow blogger.

Right now, there’s no standard certification system or an authorized body to certify that you are a Six Sigma organization. As I’ve said, this is unlike ISO certification which companies regularly renew, and even hire an auditing body to check on noncomformants. This is because in a way an ISO certification legitimizes a company’s business. In fact, a company considers it as one of their strenghs to be ISO certified.

Downard wrote a good entry as he cited the many issues surrounding a standardized certification. He says:

There is no automatic value to a business in having either “tough” or “easy” certification criteria, or even criteria which are consistent in their application. Indeed, the only thing that should matter in setting up a certification program is what behavior the business wants to recognize and reward. Want to drive the efficient acquisition of knowledge? Design metrics and base certification around those. Want to complete a lot of projects quickly? Design your certification around that. Want to use Six Sigma certification to drive employee morale and buy in? Then certify everyone as they walk out the door of the training course. I could go on, but you get the idea. None of these methods of evaluation are good or bad ideas except in the context of what the organization wants to do. Continue reading…

To which Sue Kozlowski reacted:

…Company certification may not “travel,” even between organizations with similar products or services, so Gen X’ers looking to move up and out may not get credit for past training or experience. Also, lack of a national standard (by “national certification” I don’t mean to imply that only one company could offer it - only that the requirements would have to be equivalent among those companies) means that the Six Sigma philosophy may get watered down so that the terms GB, BB, and MBB become meaningless. (Grandmaster Black Belt? Gold Belt?)

Maybe we need to differentiate “certification,” with its implication of stringent training, experience, and professional-body approval; and “credentialing,” with its implication (at least in healthcare) of meeting organization-specific requirements.

Filed under: Six Sigma Organizations, Certification

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The Certified Six Sigma Black Belt Handbook

I visited Six Sigma forums again today. It’s such a learning experience to be doing so. You get to learn about real issues and concerns of Six Sigma and quality practitioners.

So today, Joe Patterson claimed that he had been helped by The Certified Six Sigma Black Belt Handbook by D. Benbow and T. Kubiak.

His exact words were,

“If anyone is preparing to take the six sigma black belt certification exam, there is one book that is a must: THE CERTIFIED SIX SIGMA BLACK BELT HANDBOOK by D. Benbow and T. Kubiak - published by Quality Press (ASQ). I have over 15 text books on six sigma - but none of them compares to the simplification this book gives - there was not anything in this book I couldn’t figure out on my own. I really liked how this paralleled the test. I wish I had this book 2 years ago! I received the book only 2 weeks before my third test. I was able to read through it in my spare time with a fine tooth comb in just under a week. I also believe it helped me grasp a few areas that I was having difficulty in such as probability. I will be recommending this book to anyone who wants to learn about six sigma! Thanks again for putting this book together! I really needed this.”

It comes with a CD that contains a wide selection of supplementary problems covering each chapter and a simulated Six Sigma Black Belt exam which has problems distributed among the chapters according to the scheme published in the body of knowledge for the ASQ certification.

Well, who knows you might find this book useful too.

Filed under: Training, Certification

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Relying on Black Belts to Deliver the Goods

Among the top news in the Six Sigma community are two leading manufacturing companies that have appointed certified Six Sigma Black Belts to deliver the goods so to speak.

Accuride Corporation, one of the largest and most diversified manufacturers and suppliers of commercial vehicle components in North America, appointed Ben Laaper to Vice President / Global Sourcing.

As VP, Laaper will be responsible for procurement and logistics at all Accuride business units. Part of his expanded role is the taking on the role of driving Accuride’s continual improvement processes surrounding procurement reengineering. Many believe that Laaper is highly qualified for the job. Laaper has more than 30 years of procurement and sourcing experience and is a certified Six Sigma Black Belt of MoreSteam University. Read the complete press release here.

Hayes Lemmerz International, Inc., leading automotive supplier, appointed Fred Bentley to the new position of Chief Operating Officer and President of the Global Wheel Group. The appointment comes in time for the company’s strategic realignment of its wheel businesses to strengthen coordination and synergies worldwide. The realignment brings together the company’s North American and International Wheel Groups, forming the Global Wheel Group.

Like Laaper, many also believe that Bentley can do justice to his new post. Bentley has been part of Lemmerz’s growth overseas and is a certified Six Sigma Black Belt, and one of his expertise is lean manufacturing. Read the complete press release here.

Just what is it about Six Sigma Black Belts that people rely on them to take on serious roles such as driving companies to succeeding further? Two of my previoius posts (Naming the Six Sigma Masters and Doing Six Sigma Right) have discussed Black Belts trainings. A Black Belt training is serious training. Before you get certified, you need to complete certain number of hours and complete a project. So that when you come out of the training you are ready for process improvement projects.

Thomas Pyzdek, author of the Six Sigma Handbook, listed down the 101 Things A Six Sigma Black Belt Should Know. Among them are…

1. In general, a Six Sigma Black Belt should be quantitatively oriented.
2. With minimal guidance, the Six Sigma Black Belt should be able to use data to convert broad generalizations into actionable goals.
3. The Six Sigma Black Belt should be able to make the business case for attempting to accomplish these goals.
4. The Six Sigma Black Belt should be able to develop detailed plans for achieving these goals.
5. The Six Sigma Black Belt should be able to measure progress towards the goals in terms meaningful to customers and leaders.
6. The Six Sigma Black Belt should know how to establish control systems for maintaining the gains achieved through Six Sigma.
7. The Six Sigma Black Belt should understand and be able to communicate the rationale for continuous improvement, even after initial goals have been accomplished.
8. The Six Sigma Black Belt should be familiar with research that quantifies the benefits firms have obtained from Six Sigma.
9. The Six Sigma Black Belt should know or be able to find the PPM rates associated with different sigma levels (e.g., Six Sigma = 3.4 PPM)
10. The Six Sigma Black Belt should know the approximate relative cost of poor quality associated with various sigma levels (e.g., three sigma firms report 25% COPQ). Continue reading.

This sure sounds like a tough job to do. But the training will equip the person to do it and do it well. For companies who believe that process improvement can only happen through Six Sigma should seriously consider a Black Belt training for their highly capable employees.

Filed under: Certification

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Certifying on Six Sigma

In an article in isixsigma, Charles Waxer mentioned about receiving a lot of questions regarding Six Sigma certification. Like any other scientific endeavor, certification is very important. It renders your effort valid and legitimate–a confirmation of an individual’s capabilities in specific competencies. Every company has a different set of certification requirements. The general ones are as follows:

Six Sigma certification entails learning the appropriate subject matter, passing a written proficiency test, and displaying competency in a hands-on environment. The materials can be purchased from almost any Six Sigma training and consulting company, but almost always comes bundled with classroom training.

After a quality professional has completed training, s/he must complete one or two quality projects and display competency in applying the concepts learned in the classroom training.

The next logical question might be, where to get certified. The article has this to say.

There is no single body authorized to provide certification to the quality profession. Almost every one of the tens of companies providing Six Sigma training and consulting also provide certification. Why is this? Because individuals and companies are spending a great deal of money, sometimes in excess of $30,000 per individual, to become trained, and they feel like they should have something to show for it. Hence, certification became a popular add-on service for consulting companies because it allowed them to differentiate between skills levels, as well as charge additional fees.

Six Sigma Certification

Filed under: Certification

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