Print Article for : Six Sigma Black Belt

Your Online Guide » A Guide to Business » What is Six Sigma

[S519]Six Sigma Black Belt

by Frank Lucer, Fra

Those who are new to the practice of Six Sigma might be confused by references to Green Belts, Black Belts, Champions, and other designations of expertise. All businesses and organizations operate with a hierarchy of people. In the same manner, Six Sigma derives much of its strength by training and deploying people with varying levels of experience.

In this article, we'll explore one of those levels. I'll explain how Black Belts fit into the hierarchical pyramid and the role the play in a successful project. You'll learn about the training involved with earning the designation and how ongoing development is critical for professional growth.

One Of Several Critical Roles

It's important to realize that the hierarchical pyramid of Six Sigma process management relies upon several levels of skill and expertise. All of them are tasked with different responsibilities and each plays an essential role in bringing a project to a successful end. At the lower end of the pyramid are Green Belts; they typically comprise a project team. Black Belts, the experience level we're focusing upon today, oversee teams of Green Belts.

The next level is referred to as Master Black Belt status. Masters are appointed by Six Sigma Champions who report to an organization's CEO, CFO, and other department heads. The experts at each level represent important contributions to a project's end goal, whether that goal is increased customer satisfaction, improved process efficiency, or a reduction in training-related issues.

Education Plus Practical Application

To earn a Black Belt, a Six Sigma student must prove that he or she has mastered a number of key principles. Not only must they display a firm grasp of the fundamental concepts of the methodology, but they must also demonstrate mastery of the Green Belt curriculum. Black belts must show proficiency in lean enterprise theory as well as an understanding of the DMAIC paradigm.

The training also includes practical application of learned concepts. Students are usually placed within an existing Six Sigma project in order that they can apply the concepts they've learned. It also allows Master Black Belts to test students' understanding of both rudimentary and advanced principles of the methodology.

Ongoing Development

As with martial arts, becoming a Six Sigma Black Belt doesn't signify an end to a student's training. They must undergo constant improvement. That includes learning, understanding, and applying increasingly advanced concepts. It also involves exposing students to the responsibility of broader project management. As a Black Belt, the Six Sigma student is normally engaged in overseeing individual project teams. As their experience and knowledge base grows, they should be given opportunities to manage larger projects and coach other students.

Leading The Project

As noted, each level of expertise within the Six Sigma hierarchy is important to the overall success of the project. Whether the responsibility of each expert is to focus upon statistical analysis, problem identification, coaching lower-level students, or communicating with department heads, every level contributes to the end result. For those interested in learning the methodology and becoming certified as Black Belts, it's worth emphasizing that the designation only represents one step on a continual path of development.

After the training has been completed, Black Belts will be armed with the tools necessary to lead Six Sigma project teams. They'll be able to supervise a team of Green Belts and oversee the completion of each members' tasks. They'll also be equipped with the knowledge they need in order to communicate the rationale for the project to upper management, both during implementation and afterward. In the end, the key to completing the training is having a devotion to the methodology and realizing that it's one of many building blocks in the ongoing professional growth of the student.

In Six Sigma, an important tool used in business, the team's quality improvement and potentiality to excel is gauged. Being a continuous process, it is very often termed as a leadership philosophy, in which case, the commitment and dedication of the workers are also taken into consideration.

Three different levels of experts on a day-to-day basis manage the Six Sigma program. These experts comprise of the Master Black Belt, the black belt and the green belt. Team leaders and members need to be given a satisfactory compensation, as it is instrumental in building a sense of accomplishment and loyalty in them.

The primary function of the Black Belts is to lead and create teams implementing Six Sigma. Even though the objective is implementation of a measurement-based strategy there are no written rules and norms for the compensation of the six-sigma leaders or the team members. Being able to explain the Six Sigma principles and philosophies very effectively, black belts are a key to the Six Sigma process. Therefore, it is necessary to compensate their work accordingly.

Job Of The Black Belts

One of the most important elements of the Six Sigma project is to identify and appoint the Black belts. The black belts are not be formally trained in the engineering or statistician field they belong to. However, taking their ability and knowledge in to consideration, they could be assigned with various roles both in technical or statistical aspects. They are expected to read the statistical reports and formulate necessary remedies for all the loopholes involved. One of the many jobs of the black belt is to keep the team members informed about the project updates in the various departments. This also involves policymaking and rewarding or correcting failures done by the members.

Managing Compensation Issues

In accordance with Six Sigma principles, Black Belts have a considerable understanding of the DMAIC model (define, measure, analyze, improve, control). Companies could formulate a team-based bonus system for the improvement of every single member of the Six Sigma project. These members are the most valuable assets for the company, and timely recognition should be given. The bonuses should be goal oriented.

According to the Six Sigma Academy, completing nearly 4 to 6 projects per year, Black Belts save approximately $230,000 per project. The base pay offered to the level of the Six Sigma employees should be in the organizations top featured range. If another employee, for e.g. the manager, is asked to devote some of his time to the Six Sigma process, his contribution should also be equally compensated.

Innovative ways to give the six-sigma employees their deserved compensation should be thought of. Other than the base pay given, special recognition namely through award ceremonies, dinner parties or plaques could also be given. These acknowledgements act as a boost to the morale of not only the Black Belts, but also the other members of the Six Sigma project.

Additionally, the team's performance also depends on the leaders way of working. If a black belt is not satisfied with the compensation allotted, it could lead to a plummeting team performance affecting the company's profit in return. Therefore, to help the company to keep profits intact and the workers to be contented with their job, proper acknowledgement should be given from time to time.

Article Source : What is Six Sigma

About Author

Both Frank Lucer & Tony Jacowski are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.

Frank Lucer has sinced written about articles on various topics from Customer Service, Computers and The Internet and Finances. This information on six sigma and lean processes is provided by BMGI, a leading education and consulting firm in the field.. Frank Lucer's top article generates over 60500 views. to your Favourites.

Tony Jacowski has sinced written about articles on various topics from University, Six Sigma and Information Technology. Tony Jacowski is a quality analyst for The MBA Journal. Aveta Solution's Six Sigma Online offers online and certification classes for lean six sigm. Tony Jacowski's top article generates over 90500 views. to your Favourites.