Discover Six Sigma Professional Terminology
Six Sigma is a business model that was developed by Motorola, and is now being used by many companies and businesses. Its main purpose is to identify defects in the manufacturing processes of companies or businesses interested in quality improvement.
The Six Sigma Methodology uses a number of proven methods that trained and certified professionals within those companies use in their daily operations. However, the terminology for these has always been a sense of confusion for most people unfamiliar with the process, as they share nomenclature with more commonly known martial arts practitioners. Below are some of them and their true meanings within the realm of quality improvement:
Executive Leadership – This category includes the top management of the company. Mostly, it comprises of the Chief Executive Officer and other top managers. Their primary objective is to set up the vision for the Six Sigma program and other related issues.
Champion – This can be defined as the person who champions the Six Sigma project of the company. In a detailed manner, it can be used to refer to a senior manager in the organization who propels the project to ensure that it is used in the proper and accountable manner, free from any accusations. On the other hand, he or she uses their authority to overcome any eminent organizational barriers.
Master Black Belt – This is an expertise in a particular field with extensive experience on the same. Such a person has profound knowledge and expertise in all the aspects of Six Sigma. In most cases, he or she is given the responsibility of selecting and training Black Belts within an organization. Besides that, they also have the task of ensuring that the standards of the project are kept at optimum at all times.
Black Belt – This is a full-time professional mandated with the responsibility of ensuring that there is smooth running of all the operations within a Six Sigma Project. To qualify as a Black Belt, an individual must demonstrate excellent mastery of the methodology’s knowledge and tools, as well as statistical theory. This level of mastery is achieved through training consisting of classroom based theory (online or in an actual classroom), tests, and the completion of a project, real or hypothetical. The actual specifics of the training are up to the provider offering it.
Green Belt – This is a member of an organization who has undergone extensive training on the methodologies, and has participated in various projects on the same capacity on a full time basis. They can either work under the leadership of a Black Belt, or lead smaller projects while the Black Belt retains the overall supervisory role.
Sponsor – This is a senior manager within an organization mandated with the role of distributing resources, defining the company objectives and evaluating the outcomes. He is sometimes referred to as the project champion. However, his role within the organization does not supersede those of the champion.
Change Agent – A change agent is responsible for leading changes with the organization. This is done by championing, managing, and planning the necessary changes and their implementation.
Design for Six Sigma (DFSS) – This is a process used to design a new project, design, or service. On the other hand, it can also be used for redefining the same from scratch. This is in sharp contrast to the normal Six Sigma approach (DMAIC) that is mainly used to enhance the existing processes and other related features.