Last Modified:03th January, 2025
All the companies use a set of tools and techniques to improve product quality, remove defects, and assure superior quality. This set of tools and techniques is known as six sigma certifications. The Six Sigma certified professionals are expected to identify the risks and defects. Then, they are skilled enough to eliminate risks and errors. In this article, we will discuss everything you need to know about six sigma certification as well as levels of six sigma certification.
A SixnSigma course is designed to eliminate waste and reduce variation. This coursenequips organizations with tools to improve their business. The statistical termn"Sigma" helps a professional judge to what extent a product needsnperfection.
Objectives of the Six Sigma Training
Many people have debates about why they should go in for Six Sigma Certification. The objectives Six Sigma training should clear their doubts. They are as follows
- Six Sigma training modules explain how to measure processes and products.
- Six Sigma training helps people analyze data and do hypothesis testing.
- The Six Sigma certified employees contribute significantly towards meeting the targets of the organization.
- A six Sigma certificate ensures employment in a high position in the industry. It also guarantees promotion to existing positions.
- A Six Sigma certification imparts knowledge that helps people simplify their current job.
- Six Sigma trained personel contribute to business improvement in general.
- A Six Sigma training allows people to perform to overcome variation.
- A Six Sigma certified employee identifies a project's requirements and caters to them in the project definition phase.
- Six Sigma modules guide people to do hypothesis testing.
- Six Sigma certified people know how to satisfy customers.
- A Six Sigma certified candidate becomes invaluable to the stakeholders of the organization as well as the clients.
Lean Six Sigma Certification Requirements
Those who belong to the corporate sector cannot afford to miss a chance to be certified Six Sigma professionals. Employees try to be Six Sigma certified professionals for many reasons. The reasons are as follows:
- Career Advancement: A Lean Six Certificate validates the skillset and professional abilities of an employee. According to the trend of jobs, the need for certified Six Sigma professionals has been on the rise since 2001. It develops the expertise, abilities, and knowledge of the professionals. As a result, a Lean Six Sigma certification course advances the career of the professional to a great extent Improved rate of customer satisfaction. The entire corporate sector is based on customer satisfaction. A Six Sigma certified professional knows how to satisfy the existing customer. Once the existing customers are satisfied with the products and services, they bring in more new customers.
- Better understanding of the subject: The Six Sigma professionals have a better understanding of specific topics. They implement this theoretical understanding of the effective marketing and production of a topic. They know how to implement the best methodology to produce and improve service. They use a combination of their knowledge and experience to fix the prevalent issues.
- Accept leadership roles: The Six Sigma Certified professionals are competent enough to accept leadership roles. Notably, a certified Black Belt professional in Six Sigma is considered an expert in executing the Six Sigma projects. A Six Sigma project makes people efficient in managing complicated projects, solving challenging issues, and leading products that bring about positive changes. Professionals who aspire to be leaders should go in for Six Sigma certifications.
- Standing out: six Sigma training makes the professionals stand out in the corporate crowd. The Six Sigma certificate also empowers them to lead the project to implement the positive changes that an organization needs are implemented.
- Adherence to set standards: The Six Sigma modules emphasize on set standards. The Six Sigma certified professionals ensure that the organization adheres to the government and industry standards. They implement specific strategies to ensure that the quality guidelines are followed.
- Higher Salary Package: The companies offer their highest salary package for Six Sigma certified professionals. There are different levels of Six Sigma certification. The professionals are offered a different salary after they are certified in each level.
Six Sigma Certification Levels
The Six Sigma certification consists of four levels. The levels are as follows:
- Yellow Belt
- White Belt
- Green Belt
- Black Belt
Six Sigma Certification Levels
- Six Sigma Yellow Belt: This basic-level 6 sigma yellow belt certification course teaches some basic methods to the trainees and their underlying procedures.
- Six Sigma White Belt: This course prepares the trainees to understand the essential roles every team member has to follow, variability, and process improvement.
- Six Sigma Green Belt: The modules of the green belt are designed to teach people how to analyze, identify, and most importantly how to boost your organisation growth by identifying and reducing waste. The methods of improvement are also a part of the green belt module. Trainees learn how to oversee organizations and to use the principles of Lean. The people who complete this course specialize in executing Six Sigma projects and interpret Six Sigma tools. The modules of the Six Sigma green belt also cover different phases of DMAIC. It is helpful for team leaders and those who are already in some leadership posts. At this level, people learn to prepare charts and process maps to guide their team members.
- Black Belt: A professional who holds a black belt in Six Sigma receives the industry's highest pay package. They lead projects where people have to apply analytical tools and manage the industry's most complex issues and support improvement teams. The Six Sigma Black Belt certified professionals efficiently manage teams, plan, collect data, and deploy. They know how to assign duties to team members according to their skill set.
Target Audience For Six Sigma Black Belt Certification
A Six Sigma Black Belt certification is for the people mentioned below -
- Operation managers
- Quality managers
- Lead quality engineers
- Process Improvement managers
- Manufacturing managers
- Manufacturing process engineers
- Continuous improvement consultants
- Quality Assurance specialists
- IT and finance managers
- Management professionals like HR
- Frontline supervisors
- Factory supervisors
Six Sigma Methodologies
DMAIC and DMADV are two of the most popular and widely used Six Sigma models.
DMAIC and DMADV Difference
DMAIC typically defines a business process and how it applies; DMADV defines customer needs as they relate to a service or product. With regard to measurement, DMAIC measures the current performance of a process, while DMADV measures customer specifications and needs. To Know more Strategic Differences between DMAIC and DMADV which focuses on making improvements to a business process to reduce or eliminate defects. Develop an appropriate business model to meet customer requirements.
Eligibility to take the Six Sigma Certification
Those interested in appearing for the Six Sigma certification need to have experience in analyzing and solving quality-related issues. The knowledge of Lean, DMAIC and other quality projects determines Six Sigma certification for which an individual is eligible.
A candidate needs to have three years of experience in one or more areas discussed above to be eligible for the green belt.The candidates who need to apply for a Black belt, also need to have three more years of experience in one or more areas. They also need to be a part of a project. A signed affidavit stating that they were an active part of the project should be in their possession. Alternatively, they may participate in two projects and have signed affidavits for each
Exam and Certification body for Six Sigma Training Course
IASSC, CSC, and ASQ conduct the Six Sigma certification.
- IASSC: It stands for the International Association for Six Sigma Certification. It conducts a Six Sigma certification. This professional organization doesn't provide any training or guidance for Six Sigma. It only conducts the different levels of the Six Sigma exam. It conducts certification for the following Six Sigma levels:n
- Green Belt
- Black Belt
- Yellow Belt
- ASQ: The full form of ASQ IS American Society for Quality. It offers eighteen different Six Sigma certification exams for people of different intellectual levels. It provides certificates in the following levels of Six Sigma:n
- Yellow Belt
- Green Belt
- Black Belt
- Master Black Belt
This organization needs Black Belt candidates to clear a written exam. They also need to have practical experience of three years in their selected field. Finally, they need to produce a signed affidavit stating they have participated in two projects. If they participate in one project, it needs to be combined with three years of experience.
People need to pay a fee to take the certification. The fee depends on whether the person is joining as a student, advisor, or for a full-time course. The amount also varies according to the level of Sig Sigma certification. However, people may reduce fees by becoming members of ASQ.
- CCSC: The Council for Six Sigma certification provides Six Sigma certification as per industry standards. This organization's primary goal is to ensure that all the people have the required Six Sigma knowledge at the appropriate level. Candidates are eligible to apply for the basic white belt course free of cost. The other levels have different charges. This organization offers the following levels:
- White Belt Certification
- Yellow Belt Certification
- Green Belt Certification
- Black Belt Certification
- Master Black Belt Certification
key roles to successfully implement Six Sigma professionals
Six Sigma professionals need to play specific vital roles to implement their theory successfully. The key roles are as follows:
Executive Leadership: The CEO and the top-level managers of a company need to set up a vision on which Six Sigma needs to be implemented. This way, the other stakeholders also have the freedom to explore new ideas to improve the departments.
Champions: They are selected from amongst the top levels of an organization to take responsibility for implementing Six Sigma throughout the organization. They also act as mentors to Black Belts. They act in an organized manner.
Green Belts: These employees take up the Six Sigma implementation alongside their other responsibilities. However, they need to work under the guidance of Black Belts.
Black Belts: They apply Six Sigma methods to specific projects. Their prime focus is on the execution of Six Sigma projects. They also provide specific leadership to specific tasks.
Master Black Belts: They act as in-house Six Sigma coaches. They guide the Green Belts and devote all their time to Six Sigma. They identify the projects for Six Sigma. They ensure consistent application of Six Sigma across all the departments.
Job prospects of Six Sigma certified professionals
The Six Sigma professionals have no shortage of jobs. They are expected to improve the company. Their onboarding adds value to the organization. Their job prospects are bright since they bring profits to the organization. A Six Sigma certified professional adds value to the organization. Job portals reveal that more than two thousand vacancies are there for Six Sigma certified professionals.
Primary Application Field for Lean Six Sigma
A Six Sigma approach is generally applied in large scale industries. Let us check out a few sectors in which the Six Sigma approach is needed:
- Finance: Six Sigma has individual modules that show people how to allocate cash to avoid bank charges. It reduces defects while collecting checks and makes reporting more accurate.
- Engineering: The process improvement strategies, as mentioned in Six Sigma, are implemented here. Six Sigma professionals also know how to reduce time and construction waste.
CONCLUSION: Quality measurement has been made thoroughly professional of late. Earlier, quality management was based on an abstract theoretical department and a statistical approach. The entire project has been named "Six Sigma." The concept behind the name is that if there are six standard deviations between the process mean and its closest specification limit, literally no objects will fail to meet the specifications.