Six Sigma: skill levels

Vendor: Six Sigma

Certification overview

The Six Sigma certification is one of the most respected IT accreditations worldwide. With the Six Sigma Methodology being used by numerous businesses and public entities, having Six Sigma training and being accredited is career-boosting for IT professionals. General Electric and Motorola introduced the Six Sigma certifications in order to validate IT professionals' skills and knowledge in Six Sigma. Various professional associations provide Six Sigma certifications while some colleges and universities offer it through academic courses.

Six Sigma certification is divided into skill levels: Black Belt Certification, Green Belt Certification, and Yellow Belt Certification. Some providers include “lean” principles in their Lean Six Sigma training. Additional Lean Six Sigma certification are called Lean Six Sigma Black Belt Certification Program and Lean Six Sigma Green Belt Certification Program (for more details about Lean Six Sigma Certification Online, visit websites of various accredited institutions).

The International Association for Six Sigma Certification (IASSC) is a third-party certification body that facilitates converged and systematized Six Sigma training accreditation and certification within the Six Sigma industry.

According to IASSC, the Yellow Belt designation validates employees with fundamental Six Sigma training on methodology. They are the ones who are involved in Six Sigma projects but do not have a bigger role in it as much as the Green Belts and the Black Belts do.

Collecting data is a task reserved for Green Belts. They work hand in hand with Black Belts to accomplish critical aspects of Six Sigma projects. Before being certified, candidates undergo Six Sigma Yellow belt training. Green Belts are trained to be the next leaders in the Six Sigma projects or even the company as a whole. These candidates were prepared for their job through Six Sigma Green Belt Training. Black Belts are the leaders of the team and they assume the role of being the project manager. They were prepared for their role through the Six Sigma Black Belt Training.

Who need to do this certification?

IT professionals who want to verify their skills and knowledge in Six Sigma should get Six Sigma training and take the qualifying exams and be certified. Beginners should certify to be Yellow Belts, intermediate professionals should certify to be Green Belts, and advanced IT practitioners should certify to be Black Belts.

Benefits

Because Six Sigma minimizes an enterprise's defects and improves its efficiency and output quality, having accredited employees is beneficial to any employer. A Six Sigma certification instantly boosts the credentials of any IT professional. The Six Sigma certification also serves as an opportunity to recognize and develop advanced-level wireless employees for enhanced loyalty and retention.

Associated exams

There are no required exams needed to qualify for Six Sigma training and certification.

Prerequisites

Students must undergo training through an accredited institution before being qualified to be Six Sigma certified. Numerous Six Sigma Training online (e.g. Six Sigma Training UK)could be accessed to prepare candidates for the qualifying exam. Various online six sigma training courses vary in curriculum and cost. Candidates aiming to achieve Black Belts must first have two successful projects before being Six Sigma Black Belt certified.

Examination overview

Six Sigma fundamental problem solving is typically done through this process: define, measure, analyze, improve and control. A candidate aspiring to acquire a Yellow Belt must know the overview and fundamentals of Six Sigma. The student must also be well-versed in process mapping, analyzation of measurement system, collecting data and methods used in its process, Variation, and phase review. The candidate must also be able to verify Root Causes, identify chances for improvement, and analyze phase review. Finding solutions and planning implementation are also part of the course. Much of these skills and knowledge could be enhanced through Six Sigma online raining.

Students who would want to attain Six Sigma Green Belt certification must master the skills and knowledge of a Yellow Belt and more. The candidate must also be well-versed in data collection techniques, process sigma level calculation, and visual display of baseline performance. There must also be sufficient know-how on making a new process mistake-proof as well as on Statistical Process Control (SPC) Overview. There are available Six Sigma Green Belt raining through accredited institutions to prepare a candidate for this phase.

For an IT professional to achieve Six Sigma Lean Black Belt certifications, he/she must be well-trained in project management. Added to the skills and knowledge of a Yellow Belt and a Green Belt, a Black Belt must have ample statistical software training and knowledge on experiment design, hypothesis testing, piloting a solution, and statistical process control. A candidate could avail of Six Sigma Black Belt Training to prepare for certification. Also available for students undergoing Six Sigma Lean are Lean Six Sigma Training online including Lean Six Sigma PDF through various learning institutions (e.g. Lean Six Sigma Green Belt training, Lean Six Sigma Black Belt training).

Validity of certification

Once attained, an IT professional does not have to renew his/her Six Sigma certification again.

Expert review

According to Roderick A. Munro, Ph.D of Quality Digest, the Six Sigma methodology is still in the process of development and evolution. Because of this, a uniform set of rules, regulations and methods exclusive for Six Sigma is yet to be identified and set. This does not need to pose a problem for companies using Six Sigma, as long as they establish their focus in terms of employees' knowledge and skills set.