What is a BELT?

According to six sigma the word belt refers to the level or the position, of a person in an organization at the time of performing a work or at the time of implementation of a project. Several personalities take part at the time of the implementation of a work, so as to meet and make sure that the project is launched with zero defects and is able to meet the customer satisfaction. Hence results in sustaining the quality and profit of the company or the organization.

In every company there are business leaders who lead the six sigma methodology at the time of sponsoring projects. These business leaders are known as the “Champions”. It is their responsibility to select the projects and then to find out the goals obtained out of the project. For the attainment of these goals, the champions select and mentor six sigma project leaders, who is know as the “Belt”.

There are 3 major levels of belts. Along with the training, these participants are also provided with certifications also. The six sigma certification differs from other types of certification. As in the other type of certifications, six sigma certification do not qualify a persons different capability, instead it gives importance to the specific ability which is needed for the defect free production of the company. The 3 major levels of belts and its certifications are:

Six Sigma Belts

Green belt certification

Black belt certification

Master black belt certification

CSSGB- Six Sigma Green Belt Certification

Here the six sigma green belt operators are given training to operate in the support or under the supervision of a six sigma black belt. Through this certification the person is trained to analyze and solve quality problems. This results in the quality improvement projects. The person, who had undergone the six sigma green belt certification, has at least three years of work experience in demonstrating the knowledge of six sigma tools and processes.

CSSBB- Six Sigma Black Belt Certification

The candidate who had undergone six sigma black belt certification is a professional who is capable in the explanation of six sigma philosophies and the principles. His knowledge also includes the supporting systems and the tools. This certification also deals with the training of the candidate in developing the demonstrating of the team leadership, understanding team dynamics and assigning team member roles and responsibilities. A six sigma black belt will be well versed will all the aspects of the DMAIC model in accordance with the six sigma principles. These professionals have basic knowledge of lean enterprise concepts. They are capable in identifying non-value added elements and activities. They are also capable in the use of specific tools

Master Black Belt Certification

The professionals who had undergone the master black belt certification are considered as a six sigma quality experts and they are responsible for the strategic implementations within an organization. The training is given for the improvement of the responsibilities of a master black belt, which includes training and mentoring of black belts and the green belts. Moreover the responsibilities or the duties of a master black belt extend to the range of helping the both belts in prioritizing, selecting and charting high impact projects.

Maintaining the integrity of the six sigma measurements, improvements and developing, revising six sigma training materials, qualifying or teaching the other six sigma facilitators about the methodologies, tools and applications in all functional areas of a company are some of the other responsibilities of a person who has completed master black belt certification.

Apart from the above certification there are yellow belt certification and lean belt certification

Yellow Belt Certification

Six Sigma Yellow Belt certification provides with the attendees an overall insight to the use age of the six sigma techniques. The training is also given in the field of six sigma metrics and the basic improvement methodologies. It is essential for six sigma yellow belt to learn how to integrate lean and six sigma methodologies to get the high level production and transactional systems. This is to meet the customer’s expectations and the objectives of the organization from the bottom, to its best. The certification helps the trainees to receive an idea about the introduction to the process management and the basic tools of six sigma. Strong understanding of the processes, enabling each individual to provide meaningful assistance is the other characteristics of the six sigma yellow belt certification. The aim of this certification is the achievement of the organizations overall objectives.

Lean Six Sigma Certification

Lean six sigma certification provides the professionals with both techniques of service and manufacturing in industries. Along with this lean certification makes an individual attain the following requirements:

- Focusing how to move fast in order to accomplish the objectives with in the industry.

- Involves in business enterprise, identifies and eliminates the activities which do not provide values to the product or to the service given to the customer.

- Awareness of the lean and six sigma methodology help the business enterprise in attaining a stable improvement.

- The improvement will start from the bottom level and will be having a fast accomplishment

- Identifying the potential areas, deciding the improvements, meeting the customer expectation and the business results are other fields in which the trainees concentrate.

- Emphasis is given in chasing the variations and waste out of the system, so as to make sure that the improvements are sustained.

How does the implementation of six sigma, benefit the quality improvement of a project?

The aim of each organization is bring out the best of its products, with reduced coast and time, to meet the customer satisfaction and to compete the global marketing. This is possible only through the production of defect-free products. If the products developed are defect-free, then it is sure that the result of the project is equipped to meet the customer needs. This defect-free products can be made through the quality improvement with in an organizational processes. The implementation of six sigma methodology helps an organization in quality improvement.

“The quality performance” is the foundation stone of all types of industries. The growth of an industry depends on its performance quality. So checking out of the performance quality of an industry is something which is inevitable. “SIX SIGMA” – The statistical representation, is a process of quality measurement, which helps the organization in the improvement of their quality.

Six Sigma is a systematical process of “quality improvement through the disciplined data-analyzing approach, and by improving the organizational process by eliminating the defects or the obstacles which prevents the organizations to reach the perfection”.

Six sigma points out the total number of the defects that has come across in an organizational performance. Any type of defects, apart from the customer specification, is considered as the defect, according to Six Sigma. With the help of the statistical representation of the Six Sigma, it is easy to find out how a process is performing on quantitatively aspects. A Defect according to Six Sigma is nonconformity of the product or the service of an organization.

Since the fundamental aim of the Six Sigma is the application of the improvement on the specified process, through a measurement-based strategy, Six Sigma is considered as a registered service mark or the trade mark. Six Sigma has its own rules and methodologies to be applied. In order to achieve this service mark, the process should not produce defects more than 3.4. These numbers of defects are considered as “the rate of the defects in a process should not exceed beyond the rate 3.4 per million opportunities”. Through the Six Sigma calculation the number of defects can be calculated. For this there is a sigma calculator, which helps in the calculation.

For the improvement and development of the quality of the performance and the products, six sigma methodology has its own theories and steps. There are two types of methods followed by six sigma methodology. They are the Six Sigma DMAIC and the Six Sigma DMADV. These sub-divisions are considered as the processes and the execution of these processes are done through three certifications. The three types of certifications used for the execution of the Six Sigma DMAIC and Six sigma DMADV are:

“Six Sigma Green Belts and Six Sigma Black Belts, which is overseen by Six Sigma Master Black Belts”.

The DMAIC is used to improve an existing business process, while DMADV is used either for creating a new product or for process designs for predictable and defect free performance. By DMAIC it means giving importance to defining, measuring, analyzing, improving and controlling a process to meet its better quality. The implementation of the six sigma methodology, helps in providing a logical sequence for existing concepts and the problem solving tools, by sufficient repackaging of the tools and concepts. Moreover the methodology of the six sigma is used by the project sponsors at each step of conclusion before moving to the next step.

Some of the areas where an organization seeks the help of six sigma for the quality improvement are:

When the cause of the low quality performance is unknown

When problems are found in common places

When the problems found are not able to well defined

When the approaches made are not inappropriate

When all the problem solving methods fail

When complex situations arises with many variables

For the successful working out of six sigma methodology, sufficient training should be given to the employees. The trainings provided to the employees are according to the need of the customer, according to their responsibilities, and according to the skills of the employees. The training sections are divided on the basis that there are different levels and colors for the each position. This would help the project leader to find out the responsibilities assigned to each participants. This methods of position arrangements help in finding out the defects with in the process before attaining the results. Through this it is able to avoid the defects naturally, reduce the time of production, reduce the cost, and attain the quality product to meet the customer needs.

The different levels or the belts in six sigma methodology are:

Green Belt, Black Belt, Master Black Belt, Yellow Belt and Lean Belt. Each level of trainings are provided with separate certifications to the participants.  Six sigma certification differs from other type of certifications in the sense, that other types of quality certifications ensure a person’s capability in the performance of unlimited process improvement. But in the case of six sigma certification it ensures an individual’s capability with respect to specified competencies

Six sigma gives important in the selection of project, which is the basis of quality improvement. It is important to select the correct project or else it will effect the employees and the team feeling ineffective and the end result will be less than ideal. Once the right process is identified, then the duty of quality manager is to chart the team, select the team, team leader and the members of the team for the working out of the projects.

As a conclusion, when applied correctly, six sigma will produce better results than most other methods through new culture. It is proven to be very marketable in all aspects.

What is six sigma metrics?

Six sigma metrics are the different types of measurements used in six sigma methodology, in order to measure the success of the company’s product quality. It doesn’t means, the simple collection and calculation of the data and defects are enough for the attainment of the success. In order to get the right measurement through the use of six sigma metrics, a successful business should apply these metrics in the right context in a innovative ways so as to solve the customer’s critics to the quality of the products. Therefore there are certain steps and six sigma metrics, in six sigma methodology to be applied for the defect-free products.

Different types of Six Sigma Metrics:

The two major types of six sigma metrics are :  Classical measures of Six Sigma metrics and Typical Six Sigma Measures.

Classical Six Sigma Measures: Under which the measurement of the quality of timeliness, accuracy, ease of doing business and cost are taken into consideration. Classical six sigma measurement gives important to improve the quality of the above said aspects for the organization’s six sigma measurement framework.

Typical Six Sigma Measures: other six sigma measures come under the typical six sigma measurement. other types of six sigma measurement are rolled-throughput-yield, DPMO, six sigma tailor and critical-to -quality (CTQ).

Rolled-Throughput-Yield:

“Rolled-Throughput-Yield = Product of the Yields at all Steps in the Process”. Rolled throughput yield (RTY) is the percentage of the possibilities or probabilities, that can take place in a single unit, which passes through a series of process. This step is done to get a product of free of defects

Defects Per Million Opportunities (DPMO):

Six sigma metrics calculates the number of defects with in a process, procedures and service. This type of calculation which indicates the number of defects is know as DPMO or defects per million opportunities. Here the defects are measured in the number of millions of opportunities. To calculate the DPMO, defects per opportunity is calculated first. Once the defects per opportunity is obtained, that number should be multiplied by 1,000,000 to get DPMO.

Defects Per Opportunity (DPO):

This is the calculation made in six sigma metrics for finding out the total number of possible defects that can be counted in a service. The formula of the defects per opportunity, uses the number of defects and the number of units times that is the defect opportunities.

The formula for the calculation of defects per opportunity go like this:

DPO = Number of defects divided by the Number of units X Number of opportunities

number of defects

DPO = —————————————————————

number of units X number of opportunities

Critical To Quality (CTQ):

The measurable character critical to quality is the key to measure the product or process, whose performance standards must be met in order to satisfy the customer needs. This procedure is done on the basis of the customer’s requirements. CTQ gives the result of the product and the services through the customer’s definition. These definition includes the upper and lower specification limits. All the factors related to the product or service are also included to customer’s demand. The CTQ is invited from a qualitative customer. The CTQ should be actionable, and quantitative business specification. in general it is said that CTQ is something that the customer is expecting from the product that is the basic need of the customer.

Implementation of Six Sigma Metrics:

The first step to be taken for the implementation of six sigma metrics, is the collection of data that are sufficient, relevant, representative, contextual and timely. Type of metrics should be planned on the basis of these data collected. This is an important step, because if the data is not these attributes, the metric based on this data can bring out a bad assumptions and wrong conclusions.

Once sufficient data are collected, find out the type of metric to be applied. While selecting the metric, see to it whether the metric is actionable. The action ability of the metric helps the upper management to get the idea about the current levels and to decide whether those levels are acceptable or not.

The third section includes the presenting of the metrics in a clear format which gives a line of clear sight. This helps the upper management to get a quality metrics. More over it also helps the upper management to know about the actions taken to improve the metric, because this information is critical to the success of the business. Through this the upper management is able to find out the high-level metric and drill down the business to gain a better understanding about the root cause of the problems

Last but the least, the metrics should be presented in a simple manner, by presenting the most critical seven to twelve metrics, which is required to run the business successfully.

What is lean manufacturing?

The methodology of the lean six sigma is to bring about the maximum result with less time in the inventory, space, people and money. The lean aims about speeding up the process and getting the right product at the first time. Here lean manufacturing is the systematical approach of identification and the elimination of waste through continuous improvement by the flow of products, which meets the demand of the customer.

The philosophy of lean manufacturing is derived from the “Toyota Production System”. Lean manufacturing is a generic process of management, for the production of goods through the removal of waste and implementing the flow. The operational strategy in lean manufacturing gives importance in the achievement of better production of goods that meet the customer’s satisfaction, through the process of shortest possible cycle time by eliminating waste and reducing incidental work. Lean manufacturing is a technique which helps in decreasing the time between the customer need and the shipment. It is designed in a way that there is a rapid improvement in the profit, gaining the customer satisfaction, reducing the production of time and sustaining the employee emotions. In general it is said that lean manufacturing is considered as a company’s “half human effort, the half manufacturing space, the half investment in tools and the half engineering hours for the development of a new product with in the half time scheduled”. It is clear that the benefits gained through the implementation of lean manufacturing is the lower costs, higher quality and shorter lead time for the production.

The characteristics of lean processes are:

-Single-piece production

-Repetitive order characteristics

-Just-in-time materials or pull scheduling

-Short cycle times

-Quick changeover

-Continuous flow work cells

-Collocated machines, equipment, tools and people

-Compressed space

Lean manufacturing approaches:

Lean manufacturing is used under two approaches. The first approach is used for the identification and the continuous elimination of the waste. It is clear that as the waste is being eliminated, the quality of the product improves, while the production time and cost is reduced. The second approach to lean manufacturing, is focusing on improving the “flow” of the work. By the word flow means, the smoothness of the work. in the second approach the focus is given in the smoothening of the work, through the system and not the waste reduction. The second approach was promoted by Toyota.

The difference between the two approaches lies not on the attainment of the goal, but achieving the goal at the first time itself. In the second approach, the smooth flow of the work helps in exposing the defects or the quality problems which is there in the work already. This exposing of the defects leads to  the reduction of the waste naturally.

Types of wastes:

The elimination of waste is the goal of lean manufacturing and Toyota defined that there are three types of waste like: “muda, muri and mura”.

MUDA: muda is process of activity that results wasteful or which does not add any value to the production of goods which meets the customer satisfaction. There are seven types of muda. They are as follows:

Overproduction: Production of goods beyond the demand

Transportation: Moving the products that is not required for the processing

Waiting: Wasting the time waiting for the next production step

Inventory: All the necessary steps like components, work-in-progress and finished products not being processed

Motion: Movement of the people or the equipments more than it is needed for the processing

Over Processing: The result of poor tool or product design creating activity

Defects: The efforts used in inspecting and fixing the defects.

MURI: The pushing of a person or a machine beyond its natural limits with in a work is referred as muri, which is another type of waste. all types of unreasonable works that the management is imposing towards the workers and the machines comes under this category. This is because of the poor management organization. Poor management organization such as making carry heavy weights, moving things around, dangerous tasks, even working faster than usual

MURA: This is the action which focus on the implementation and elimination of fluctuation at the scheduling or the operational levels. This includes the levels of quality and volume.

The use of different belts and the colors

According to six sigma the word belt refers to the level or the position, of a person in an organization at the time of performing a work or at the time of implementation of a project. Several personalities take part at the time of the implementation of a work, so as to meet and make sure that the project is launched with zero defects and is able to meet the customer satisfaction. Hence results in sustaining the quality and profit of the company or the organization.

Each belt is given different colors for the purpose their six sigma success identification. Each color represents each responsibility. This is because the aim of six sigma is not only the production of defect free projects and products, but also the fast implementation of the projects with out time waste. This is able when the work is divided into several parts. More over each color indicates each quality or level of skills. This identification could help the project leaders to find out the apt person for assigning the different tasks. Each color is having different task responsibilities and skills to perform. Therefore the color will also help the project leader to find out the skills and the responsibilities of the person assigned to the work.

The 3 major levels of belts and colors are

Green belt

Black belt

Master black belt

There are training and certifications for each color of belt. For example:

CSSGB- Six Sigma Green Belt

Here the six sigma green belt operators are given training to operate in the support or under the supervision of a six sigma black belt. Through this certification the person is trained to analyze and solve quality problems. This results in the quality improvement projects. The person, who had undergone the six sigma green belt certification, has at least three years of work experience in demonstrating the knowledge of six sigma tools and processes.

CSSBB- Six Sigma Black Belt

The candidate who had undergone six sigma black belt certification is a professional who is capable in the explanation of six sigma philosophies and the principles. His knowledge also includes the supporting systems and the tools. This certification also deals with the training of the candidate in developing the demonstrating of the team leadership, understanding team dynamics and assigning team member roles and responsibilities. A six sigma black belt will be well versed will all the aspects of the DMAIC model in accordance with the six sigma principles. These professionals have basic knowledge of lean enterprise concepts. They are capable in identifying non-value added elements and activities. They are also capable in the use of specific tools

Master Black Belt

The professionals who had undergone the master black belt certification are considered as a six sigma quality experts and they are responsible for the strategic implementations within an organization. The training is given for the improvement of the responsibilities of a master black belt, which includes training and mentoring of black belts and the green belts. Moreover the responsibilities or the duties of a master black belt extend to the range of helping the both belts in prioritizing, selecting and charting high impact projects.

Maintaining the integrity of the six sigma measurements, improvements and developing, revising six sigma training materials, qualifying or teaching the other six sigma facilitators about the methodologies, tools and applications in all functional areas of a company are some of the other responsibilities of a person who has completed master black belt certification.

The major works and responsibilities are done under these sections. Meanwhile there are some concepts which is related to the customer requirements and the process of thinking. These are the sections done by the yellow belt.

Yellow Belt

Six Sigma Yellow Belt certification provides with the attendees an overall insight to the use age of the six sigma techniques. The training is also given in the field of six sigma metrics and the basic improvement methodologies. It is essential for six sigma yellow belt to learn how to integrate lean and six sigma methodologies to get the high level production and transactional systems. This is to meet the customer’s expectations and the objectives of the organization from the bottom, to its best. The certification helps the trainees to receive an idea about the introduction to the process management and the basic tools of six sigma. Strong understanding of the processes, enabling each individual to provide meaningful assistance is the other characteristics of the six sigma yellow belt certification. The aim of this certification is the achievement of the organizations overall objectives.