Six Sigma Certification - FAQ

What is Six Sigma Certification?

Six Sigma certification is a confirmation of an individual's capabilities with respect to specific competencies. All six sigma certificate holders are not equally proficient in successfully undertaking an improvement project, just as all people that have a valid drivers license are not equally proficient on the road.

What Is Involved In Six Sigma Certification?

Six Sigma certification requires learning the appropriate subject matter, passing a written proficiency test and demonstrating competency in a hands-on environment. The materials may be purchased from many Six Sigma training and consulting company and usually comes bundled with classroom training. Generally, an individual or company will purchase a training session, which has different scopes of training and duration for each level or category of Six Sigm certification (green belt, black belt, master black belt, sponsor, etc.).

The written proficiency test may be administered by the six sigma certification company or the business hiring the training company. Typically, companies new to Six Sigma will defer to the training company's proficiency test. Companies that have been performing in-house training for years (such as Motorola or GE) have created and administer their own written proficiency tests.

After a quality professional has completed training, they must complete one or two quality projects and demonstrate competency in applying the concepts acquired through classroom training. The practical demonstration of competency is not standardized. Some organizations require a certification candidate to complete one project if a green belt or sponsor, and two projects if a black belt or master black belt; others require less or more.  

What Are The Six Sigma Certification Levels Or Heirarchy? 

A Six Sigma program within a company may typically have the following  heirarchy:

The CEO and Board of Directors are at the highest level of a corporation. They have decided to implement the six sigma methodology in their company.

Upper Management representative or Vice-President of Six Sigma. They are responsible for all overall adminsitration of the six sigma program and reports to the CEO.

Master Black Belts (MBB) report to the VP of Six Sigma and are the highest level of "belt". Some may specialize in DMAIC, DFSS, or both methodologies but they are subject matter experts in six sigma material usually with advanced statistical knowledge. Companies that focus on research and development may be more interested in DFSS experts, while those that are process oriented may have a better need for DMAIC experts. MBB's may lead some projects, very large in scope with high impact to organization. They are responsible for teaching programs, developing materials, and internal Six Sigma certification program.

Champions or Sponsors are leaders trained to select and prioritize Six Sigma projects that deliver the goals and objectives of the company. Champions will select and mentor Six Sigma project leaders such as Black Belts and Green Belts. Champions are frequently engaged in the beginning of DMAIC and DFSS projects in the DEFINE phase to ensure the scope is being maintained and going in the right direction.

Black Belts work for the MBB. They are usually full time Six Sigma employees carrying out the duty of a change agent. Black Belts work projects smaller in scope than the MBB but larger than the Green Belts (GB). Black Belts are also be subject matter experts and will often conduct training, mentoring, and develop new six sigma material. Often they will lead a team that has Green Belt(s) on it, but are not required. It is more important to engage critical stakeholders of the project that are willing to change and participate. With cross-functional representation the subjective component of the methodology will add more value. Black Belts have usually been selected as high caliber talent and capable of leading transformation. The technical skills are half of the skillset, being able to change the culture is the other.

Green Belts can run projects themselves, and often have an assigned Black Belt as a mentor. These teams may have other Green Belts on it and also include those involved as stakeholders such as operators, supervisors, human resources, finance, and anywhere else in the company. Anyone with a stake in the outcome and is willing to participate can be on the team. Green Belts often continue to hold their existing job and responsibilities.

Yellow Belts typically go through about 15-20 hrs of training and an exam. At this secondary level are the introduction of metrics and basic improvement methodologies. Yellow Belts retain their existing job and participate on Six Sigma teams as needed and will have responsibilities from data collection, waste identification, to basic analysis.

White Belts are trained in general principles of Six Sigma and Lean Manufacturing. Certification usually requires one day of training and an exam. When this level exists within a company's Six Sigma infrastructure it is considered the first level. White belts become accustomed to the structure and format of a DMAIC or DFSS project.

Six Sigma "Belts" are often thought to be those with engineering backgrounds. While there are many that succeed due to their statistical background it is certainly not the requirement. In fact, each company should train a wide variety of backgrounds as their change agents to lead the company on the Six Sigma journey. Candidates should come from human resources, finance, clerical, operations, sales, marketing, quality control, engineering, supply chain, and all other departments within an organization.

Should One Get Six Sigma Certified?

Six Sigma Certification can be applied to many aspects of business, and therefore can benefit almost all companies. By enrolling your employees, Six Sigma can drastically improve your organization's bottom line, and at the same time help your employees climb the corporate ladder. Six Sigma has become the flagship method for separating your organization from its competition.

The reasons for certification are the same for any other certification:

• to display proficiency in the subject matter 
• to participate and contribute to an improvement project 
• to increase desirability by employers 
• to potentially increase your salary 

Ultimately, certification is a professional decision that can only be made by you. In some cases, it will be required for you to advance within an organization. For instance, at some companies it is a requirement of every salaried employee to be green belt trained and certified if they want to be promoted within the organization. In other cases, Six Sigma certification will display your energy and intent to be a leader within the quality profession.

How Can I Get Six Sigma Certified?

There is no single body designated to provide Six Sigma certification to the quality profession. Almost every one of the dozens 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.

Most likely a company will value an individual's certification if attained from a leading Six Sigma business, such as Motorola, GE and Allied Signal. The businesses that have only over the past few years embraced Six Sigma will also have value, but not to such an extent. Attaining certification from a second-tier consulting company will have even less value in the future, and finally being trained without certification will have the least amount of value.

How Long Does It Take For Six Sigma Certification?

How long will it take me to complete the course / Can I file for an extension?
The required time needed to complete the course is fully dependent upon the individual and how much time is devoted to the course per week. That being said, generally the average (working professional) student takes between 3-8 weeks for our Yellow Belt Certification Program, 2-3 months to complete our Green Belt Certification Program, and typically the average student completes the Black Belt Program in approximately 6-8 months.

These are very rough estimates and the time required varies greatly between individuals. Most students typically only spend a couple hours per week working towards their certification. However, there are students who have completed their Green Belt Certification within a month.

What Are Good Business Sectors For A Certified Six Sigma Professional To Seek Employment In?  

Six Sigma professionals can work in a many professional environments, including:

• Aerospace 
• Manufacturing 
• Computer industry 
• Communication 
• Information technology 
• Training and instruction 
• Transportation 

What Are Key Attributes Of Successful Certified Six Sigma Professionals?

To be successful, Six Sigma professionals must have a certain set of skills and knowledge. This includes:

• Understanding of statistical analysis 
• Self confidence and self motivation 
• Strong analytical abilities 
• Problem solving 
• Creativity 
• Ability to “think outside the box” 
• Strong interpersonal skills 
• Communication, both verbal and written 

What Is The Scope Of Training In A Six Sigma Certification Course?  

The following is an overview of a Six Sigma Master Black Belt Curriculum and Body of Knowledge:

Overview of Six Sigma

• DMAIC Methodology Overview 
• Financial Benefits of Six Sigma 
• The Impact of Six Sigma to The Organization 
• The Six Sigma Language 
• Project Prioritization 
• Training the Trainer 
• Integrating DMADV (Design for Six Sigma Methodology) with DMAIC
  Leading Organizational Change 

Define

• Stakeholder Analysis
• Developing a Business Case 
• Project Management 
• Project Definition 
• Project Charter 
• Chartering a Team 
• Defining Roles and Responsibilities 
• Gathering Voice of the Customer, Support for Project 
• Translating Customer Needs into Specific Requirements (CTQs) 
• SIPOC Diagram 
• Define Phase Review
• Process Vision
• Understanding Variability
• Communication Plan
• Identify and segment Key Customers
• Hi-level Process map

Measure

• Process Mapping (As-Is Process) 
• Data Attributes (Continuous Versus Discrete) 
• Defining Metrics 
• Measurement System Analysis 
• Gage Repeatability and Reproducibility 
• Data Collection Techniques 
• Calculating Sample Size 
• Data Collection Plan 
• Understanding Variation 
• Measuring Process Capability 
• Calculating Process Sigma Level 
• Rolled Throughput Yield 
• Visually Displaying Baseline Performance 
• Statistical Software Training 
• Measurement Phase Review 
• Measurement Basics
• Measurement process and plan
• Selecting Measures
• Measuring Value
• Cost of Poor Quality 

Analyze

• Visually Displaying Data (Histogram, Run Chart, Pareto Chart, Scatter Diagram) 
• Detailed (Lower Level) Process Mapping of Critical Areas 
• Value-Added Analysis 
• Cause and Effect Analysis (a.k.a. Fishbone, Ishikawa) 
• Affinity Diagram 
• Data Segmentation and Stratification 
• Correlation and Regression (Linear, Multiple) 
• Process Performance (Cp, CpK, Pp, PpK, CpM)
  Short Term Versus Long Term Capability 
• Non-Normal Data Distribution Transformations 
• Central Limit Theorem 
• Goodness of Fit Testing 
• Hypothesis Testing 
• Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), Two Sample T-Tests, Chi Squared Test 
• Design of Experiments (DOE) - Full, Fractional Factorials 
• Verification of Root Causes 
• Determining Opportunity (Defects and Financial) for Improvement 
• Project Charter Review and Revision 
• Statistical Software Training 
• Analyze Phase Review 

Improve

• Brainstorming 
• Multi-Voting 
• Process Simulation 
• Quality Function Deployment (House of Quality) 
• Selecting a Solution 
• Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) 
• Poka Yoke (Mistake Proofing Your New Process) 
• Piloting Your Solution 
• Implementation Planning 
• Statistical Software Training 
• Culture Modification Planning For Your Organization 
• Improve Phase Review 

Control

• Assessing The Results of Process Improvement 
• Statistical Process Control (SPC) 
• Process Score Cards
• Rational Subgrouping 
• Establishing Process Standards for Inputs, Process and Outputs 
• Developing a Process Control Plan 
• Documenting the Process 
• Statistical Software Training 
• Control Phase Review 
• Response Charts

The scope of training for green, yellow and white belts will obviously not cover all of these topics as well as not go as much in-depth as the black belt.

How Much Does Six Sigma Certification Cost?

There is no simple answer. It depends on the size of your company. The upfront cost are much higher per employee for smaller companies. To get a better idea of such cost read -Yearly Cost of Six Sigma By Comapny Size

If you feel this FAQ could help your supplier, customer or other business associate, feel free to refer this website to them. 

If you are interested in taking formal training in Six Sigma, please contact any of the training providers advertised on this page.

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