FAQ
What is the minimum number of hours in a Green Belt / Black Belt program?

According to the Body of Knowledge (BOK) of the American Society for Quality (ASQ) and the international certification programs recognized by Motorola University and the International Society for Six Sigma Certifications, the minimum hour number of the Six Sigma program is:

  • Green Belt – 80 hours
  • Black Belt – 120 hours

There are a number of Six Sigma programs that are widely marketed and apply only a fraction of the BOK for each level. Acosixsigma is recognized for the large amount of curricular content that applies to all types of industry. For example, the estimated time for a Black Belt certification course is 120 hours, not including additional time allocated to a Six Sigma project. Other providers offer Black Belt training courses totaling 90 hours and Green Belt courses advertised at 56 hours. Therefore the variability in class hours obviously serves as a warning for interested companies to carefully check the subjects when taking a particular course against the established criteria for certification.

What is a Lean / Kaizen / Blitz Event?

A Lean/Kaizen/Blitz Event is an intense effort where the team applies specific Lean approaches to reduce waste, defects, and cycle time and to implement improvements in a particular process or department.

What is Lean Six Sigma?

Lean Six Sigma is an integrated set of methodologies that encompasses both Lean and Six Sigma concepts. It combines two powerful toolsets to address all aspects of quality, cost, and delivery. Both sets of methodologies have a customer and quality focus and are based on continuous improvement, which allows them to be very complementary.
Lean focuses on offering competitively priced products and services by eliminating waste and its drivers, while Six Sigma focuses on minimizing and reducing process variation that causes nonconformities.

How is Lean Six Sigma different from Lean or Six Sigma on its own?

Lean Six Sigma combines the strength and rigor of Six Sigma and data-driven analysis with the simple tools of Lean to eliminate waste and its drivers. The combination of the two methods provides a more robust set of tools for organizations to apply to solve problems, using the tools and techniques that best suit the specific problem at hand. Rather than the traditional independent use of tools, Lean Six Sigma combines Lean approaches into Six Sigma through the DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve and Control) method, as well as allowing Lean approaches to be used on their own. in the DMAIC model.

How does Lean Six Sigma apply to process improvement?

Process improvement is necessary for the performance of an organization that does not meet customer requirements. Lean Six Sigma offers a comprehensive set of tools, techniques, and approaches to enable an organization to gather customer requirements, analyze existing performance against those requirements, implement solutions to address performance gaps, and maintain best-in-class status. The tools and techniques used are the most appropriate for the specific problem at hand.

If I have an existing Lean program, can I incorporate Six Sigma into it for a strategic integrated Lean Six Sigma system?

Yes, due to the complementary nature of both methodologies, Six Sigma can be integrated into an existing Lean program. ACOSIXSIGMA can work with your organization to integrate Six Sigma concepts and Lean tools into your current efforts, giving you the ability to use the tools and techniques that are best suited for the specific problem at hand.

How long does it take to establish Lean Six Sigma management philosophies in an organization?

Although there is no concrete timetable to successfully establish Lean Six Sigma in an organization, our experience has shown that it takes 2-5 years. There are no short cuts. Progress largely depends on how well top management leads the initiative. If senior management is up front leading the effort, then Lean Six Sigma will spread throughout the organization quickly and permanently.

Do I have to be a Green Belt before being a Black Belt?

No. To be a Black Belt it is not necessary to be a Green Belt. The international Six Sigma certification program includes introductory topics to each module that allows the leveling of the participants in all the advanced modules.

How do we know which processes in our organization should be targeted for improvements?

Not every process needs immediate improvement. Start by considering which processes impact your customers the most and put your priorities there. For example, a hospital might learn from customer surveys that they care less about the length of time it takes to be admitted than about the proper procedures, insurance, and medications.

How do I know when to use the toolset in a Lean Six Sigma blended approach?

Based on the nature of the problem at hand, the corresponding Lean Six Sigma tools are applied. When the detailed solution and the causes are unknown and the most advanced statistical tools are needed, the DMAIC method can be applied, which involves incorporating known Lean approaches in the Improve phase and executing the improvement in the form of projects.
When the detailed solution is unknown, less rigorous tools are needed, and a known DMAIC Lean approach can be applied to solve the problem, which involves the use of Lean tools mainly throughout the DMAIC phases and the execution of the application. improvement in a Kaizen or Lean Blitz event.

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