Six SigmaTraining

Do We Need Six Sigma?

Six Sigma is probably the hottest improvement approach around today. Developed by Motorola, and applied by Boeing, Kodak, Digital and many others – it was the success enjoyed by GE that brought it to full industry attention. From manufacturing it then moved into the service sector with major verifiable cost savings being achieved, in particular, in financial services. Later applications have covered all sectors including the public sector.

Which Belt Do I Need?

Apart from the very few Master Black Belts (top level company experts for which Services Ltd. runs special development programmes) the top level Six Sigma practitioners are Black Belts; these receive 20 days training and typically work full-time on improvement. Green Belts receive 12 days training and may typically spend 20% of their time on improvement. Advanced Green Belts receive 16 days training and typically spend 20-40% of time on improvement activities. Yellow Belts receive just 4 days training and White and Grey Belts even less. Which belt programme you select should depend on time and resources available, needs and desires to succeed. We will be happy to counsel you.

Because our programmes are modular, our Green and Advanced Green Belts can subsequently upgrade to Black Belt status easily and cheaply. Contact us for details.

Management Briefing

This one-day programme is designed to provide managers with a detailed insight into Six Sigma, its implementation and benefits. Run by Professor Bendell, Chas McCann or Stanton Bennett, this programme is also available on a private basis, and can be used to generate management commitment for Green/Black Belt practitioner programmes, or to generate support and commitment to the launch of a Six Sigma initiative. As well as presentation sessions describing the philosophy and benefits of Six Sigma, workshop sessions allow delegates to take stock of their organisation’s current position and potential for application and to begin to develop an improvement path. Content includes: the meaning, use and benefits of Six Sigma; its relationship to other Quality initiatives; organisational self-assessment; alternative approaches to Six Sigma; implementation issues; likely barriers; action planning; variation reduction approaches; the statistical toolkit and software; organisational checklist and evaluation.

Project Champion Training

Champions are crucial to the success of Six Sigma programmes and need detailed understanding of the approach, implementation and their own – and Black and Green Belts roles. This two-day programme briefly reviews the detail of the Six Sigma approach and role requirements, and allows Champions to develop an in-depth understanding of their roles and question key areas of concern through role-play exercises, plenary sessions and discussion.

Normally lead by Stan Bennett or Professor Tony Bendell the programme covers; Where is our company now and what are we trying to achieve?; What is my role in Six Sigma?; Project Management, Monitoring and Review; Developing, Managing and Optimising the interactions between Black and Green Belts and Project Champions; The Project Champions Toolkit; Reporting and Responsibilities; Six Sigma Infrastructure and Culture Change; Common problems.

Yellow Belt Training

This 4-day programme is designed for people who are new to Six Sigma, non-quality and technology experts, and people who want to improve quality in a team rather than be project leaders. Typically many delegates come from Management and Supervision. It introduces the Six Sigma approach, roles and toolkit, and integrates it with the desire for the Lean Organisation. The DMAIC methodology and project management requirements are developed as well as Process Mapping, Data Capture and Analysis.

White/Grey Belt Programmes

Black and Green Belts need help from personnel at various levels with background knowledge of the process that is being improved. The Services Ltd. Six Sigma White and Grey Belt Training Programmes offered in-house provide an introduction for personnel who will be involved in improvement teams lead by Six Sigma Black or Green Belt practitioners. The programmes provide easy-to-understand explanations of the concept and practice of Six Sigma project-led improvement, the Six Sigma toolkit, and the various roles and responsibilities. Content will vary with individual requirements.

Black and Green Belt Programmes

Services Ltd. delivers in-company Six Sigma training/mentoring packages for all levels of requirements in both manufacturing and transactional environments. We also offer specific Design for Six Sigma programmes in both areas. Our public certificated Black and Green Belt programmes are also project-based incorporating a delegate project to be undertaken between four-day training blocks. Black and Green Belt programmes are overlapping - the 20-day Black Belt programme incorporating five four-day training modules typically two to three weeks apart and the 12 to 16-day Green Belt programme consisting of the first three (for Green Belt) or four (for Advanced Green Belt) of these modules. Delegates are encouraged to bring their own laptops to these courses
to maximise learning. We also recommend the use of MINITAB software.

Included in the programme costs are delegates’ notes and facilities, lunches and refreshments during the courses plus a one-day company consultancy familiarisation visit, ongoing project supervision and project assessment and certification by Professor Bendell and colleagues for successful participants. Courses are non-residential, however, local accommodation can be arranged on request.