The Lean Six Sigma journey explained

Lean Six Sigma is a process improvement methodology, making business practices more efficient while increasing manufacturing quality. The training journey works as a multi-level structure – 6 Sigma belts; white belt, yellow belt, green belt, black belt, master black belt, right through to champion. But don’t worry, we’ll explain the full Lean Six Sigma journey in this article, and cover what gaining certification can do for you.

What are the benefits of Lean Six Sigma?

The tools, methods, and principles involved in the Lean Six Sigma approach have enhanced profitability for companies around the world. For businesses, this process improvement technology is designed to:

• Better daily working by providing meaningful analytics.
• Eliminate problems.
• Remove inefficiencies.
• Increases profits.

For professionals, the Lean Six Sigma methodology:

• Improves their understanding of their industry.
• Allows them to manage better.
• Reforms their capabilities as a leader.
• Provides a superior handle of responsibilities.
• Gives them a competitive advantage, increasing their career prospects and opening new doors.

The Lean Six Sigma qualifications have worldwide recognition in all types of business operations and are recognised in various industries as an accredited standard.

Who should get Lean Six Sigma certified?

The certification helps validate professionals’ proficiency in these areas and as such is beneficial across a broad range of roles. From process owners to project managers, operations staff to change leaders. Those in HR, IT, and finance roles can also benefit from Lean Six Sigma training.

The set of tools and techniques which the Lean Six Sigma journey provides makes it ideally suited for team leaders, quality engineers, analysts, auditors, and software professionals, as well as senior managers. As you progress, you will advance your capabilities and understanding, allowing you to rise to middle and top-level managerial positions in many cases.

Lean Six Sigma professionals are in high demand for all of these roles because they can drive business solutions with their problem-solving skills while identifying risks and defects in a business process, and most notably, action resolutions.

The Lean Six Sigma training journey

Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt

We know what you’re thinking, we’ve skipped white belt! As part of the Lean Six Sigma journey, the yellow belt is the most basic formal certification program. It is the perfect starter course for anyone looking to build a foundation of Lean Six Sigma knowledge ahead of pursuing green and black belt levels. There are no prerequisites for the Lean Six Sigma yellow belt and at ILX the training is delivered 100% online through our e-learning platform.

At this level, candidates will learn:

• The general philosophy of process improvement.
• Process mapping.
• The history and background of the methodology.

The course builds:

• An understanding of Lean Six Sigma.
• Where to apply it.
• How to work effectively in an environment using Lean Six Sigma.

It also teaches:

• Problem-solving.
• How to implement efficient processes.
• How process improvement methods support project teams working in a culture of continuous improvement.

Lean Six Sigma Green Belt

To clear things up, you do not have to have a yellow belt Lean Six Sigma certification in order to become a green belt. However, a green belt professional should have more than three years of work experience, and be proficient in the Lean Six Sigma fundamental to advanced elements. And so in this way, the yellow belt certification serves as a good foundation of knowledge.

The Lean Six Sigma green belt deep dives into the principles and tools needed to improve project executions. It exposes candidates to hands-on process improvement techniques and statistical analysis tools that can be used to solve business problems.

Green belt teaches the Define, Measure, Analyse, Improve, and Control (DMAIC) framework and how to use it to handle Six Sigma projects and teams. As with the yellow belt, the green belt course is delivered as an e-learning format, giving you the flexibility to train at your own pace.

Lean Six Sigma Black Belt

Again, it is not mandatory to have a yellow belt or green belt qualification in order to pursue the Lean Six Sigma Black Belt. At this level, a professional is expected to be proficient at handling complex improvement and process-related projects. A Lean Six Sigma Black Belt professional is regarded as an expert in this field.

This Lean Six Sigma training course equips candidates with the skills needed to apply Lean thinking to lead teams and enhance the quality of business processes and sustain them beyond project execution. The course teaches a thorough understanding of:

• Define, Measure, Analyse, Improve, and Control (DMAIC).
• Design For Six Sigma (DFSS).
• Total Productive Maintenance (TPM).

Black belt or master black belt professionals are often mentors for white belts, yellow belts, and green belts. They provide training in addition to leading projects. Black belts are agents of change and are expected to handle complex improvement processes with the aim of refining efficiencies by removing waste from organisational processes. From here, you can look to become a Lean Six Sigma champion, which is particularly suited to those in upper management.