Six Sigma Certification: A Sought-After Credential
Have you ever wondered what it means when someone says she is a "certified" Six Sigma Black Belt? Why does she need Six Sigma certification? If she has completed the training, she knows everything she needs to know, right?
Not exactly. Six Sigma certification isn't just a fancy way of saying someone has taken a training course. This certification represents the culmination of all the training, studying, and project work that a Black Belt candidate has completed.
First, the Black Belt candidate must complete the training. But you don't get certification just for showing up; you must demonstrate mastery of the subject matter. A Black Belt candidate cannot be certified until she has passed a final exam with a score of 80% or higher. In other words -- C students need not apply; only the equivalent of an A or B will result in certification.
But it's not enough just to soak up information in a classroom or from an on-line course. Next, successful completion of a Six Sigma project is required for certification.
The student must put her new skills into practice and prove to her instructors that she can implement process improvements as well as analyze process flaws. This could be a project in the workplace for candidates who take a traditional classroom-based course, or a simulated project in conjunction with on-line training.
Either way, the Black Belt candidate must successfully complete each of the DMAIC steps for her project. DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control) is a key Six Sigma method for improving an existing process. At each step, the Black Belt candidate must analyze available data using appropriate statistical tools, and develop a "tollgate" presentation to gain buy-in from stakeholders. During the training project, whether real or simulated, the candidate's efforts are assessed by a team of experienced Six Sigma Black Belts or Master Black Belts. Only once this hands-on practice has been successfully completed can the Black Belt candidate receive Six Sigma certification.
Six Sigma certification: It's more than just a piece of paper. It represents true mastery of theory and techniques of business process improvement, plus the ability to apply theory and technique successfully in order to effect change in a flawed process.
Six Sigma certification truly is a credential that is second-to-none. No wonder it is so highly sought-after. So are those who have earned it.
To learn more about online Six Sigma Certification and get bonus statistical analysis software (value 9) included your tuition. Or to view a course demo, visit the Acuity Institute Review
page.
Monique Sno, Certified Six Sigma Black Belt
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