As you start working in any industry, you will gradually find out that there are certain issues with every business process which affect their overall productivity and efficiency. By identifying the defects and trying to eliminate them, we create room for improvement in every business process. There are certain methodologies that focus on quality improvement and are applicable across sectors. They promote exceptional changes in the performance of the companies and help them meet business goals. Lean and Six Sigma are two of the popular quality improvement methodologies.
Six Sigma is nothing but the tools and techniques used to accomplish this task. The aim here is to ensure continuous improvement with minimal defects with an emphasis on customer satisfaction. Problems in six sigma are solved using the DMAIC cycle, i.e. Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control. In broader terms, the problems are Defined, what needs to be improved is Measured, then the process is Analyzed, Improvements are implemented, and finally, Control plans are made to monitor the performance of the processes post improvement.
Lean, on the other hand, is an approach that assists in identifying and eliminating activities (or waste) that don’t add value to the business processes. These waste are basically categorized into eight kinds known as DOWNTIME – Defects, Overproduction, Waiting, Non-utilized talent, Transportation, Inventory, Motion, and Extra-processing. The goal of this methodology is to reduce process cycle time, improve product delivery time, and achieve better efficiency in the process of creating and delivering customer value. Lean and Six Sigma, being complementary to each other, are combined to drive customer satisfaction and achieve continuous improvement by minimizing waste and reducing variations in business processes. Today, technology is advancing at a fast pace and has made the environment quite dynamic. As such, the full potential of improvements can’t be incorporated if either Lean or Six Sigma is used. Hence, the combination of both is streamlining business processes and giving better results.
This article is all about letting you understand what you’ll learn in a Lean Six Sigma training program, like the Simplilearn Lean Six Sigma Expert Program, and how it helps you grow your career.
When you step into the world of quality management, there are certain certifications that help you demonstrate your skills in this field. Renowned institutes like the American Society for Quality (ASQ) and the International Association for Six Sigma Certification (IASSC) offer various certifications (categorized into different levels) to help companies achieve excellence through quality. Six Sigma certifications have levels like Yellow Belt, Green Belt, Black Belt, and Master Black Belt.
Now a lean six sigma expert program is an all-in-one training program to help you master Lean and Six Sigma methodologies. It makes a professional capable of achieving management roles that employers seek for their quality management projects. Every business aspires for continuous improvement and thus require skilled professionals who have problem-solving skills and business know-how to enhance internal processes. With a Lean Six Sigma expert program, one can gain all these required skills.
A Lean Six Sigma expert program will help you achieve the following certifications and tools expertise.
Lean Six Sigma Green Belt Certification
Offered by IASSC, the Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certification is designed to validate a candidate’s expertise in the core to advanced elements of Lean Six Sigma methodology. It also includes competence in subject matters contained within the phases of Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve and Control (DMAIC). By becoming an IASSC certified green belt, a professional becomes capable of leading improvement projects or work as a team member of complex improvement projects.
The associated exam consists of 100 questions, out of which around 20 questions would be of multiple choice and true/false type format. The time allotted for this exam is 3 hours and there are no prerequisites to take it. The passing score is 70%.
Lean Six Sigma Black Belt Certification
A professional who is IASSC Certified Black Belt is typically appointed by companies to lead complex quality improvement projects due to their higher level of expertise in the Lean Six Sigma methodology. This certification helps them learn how to implement, perform, interpret, and Lean Six Sigma in various projects. IASSC recommends aspirants to take training from a qualified institution before applying for this certification exam.
The Black Belt certification exam is a closed book exam consisting of 150 questions and the exam duration is 4 hours. Out of the total, 30 questions are of multiple choice and true/false type from each major section of the IASSC Lean Six Sigma Black Belt Body of Knowledge. The passing score is 70%.
Minitab
As the official website describes it, Minitab is a leading provider of quality improvement software and services as well as statistical education. The tool is being leveraged by more than 90 percent of the Fortune 100 companies to apply statistics and improve quality and processes. The package helps companies find trends, solve problems, and discover meaningful insights in data by providing a best-in-class suite of statistical analysis and process improvement tools.
Now that you know you’ll gain these important skills through a Lean Six Sigma expert program, you shouldn’t wait to enroll in it. Apart from the high-quality course material, you’ll also get to work on various case studies, industry-oriented projects, and reinforce their learning through simulation exams. So, are you ready to step into the world of quality management?