Fundamental to the new ISO9001:2000 standard and many of the other new standards such as the ISO14001 environmental standard and health and safety standards is the concept of process. So, any introduction to these standards must really start by giving people an understanding of what is a process. 

The definition of a process is really quite straightforward; a process is defined as an activity or series of activities that turn inputs into outputs in order to achieve a defined outcome. 

If we think about this in relation to an organisation, typical inputs would be things such as raw material and customer requirements, usually in the form of orders and enquiries. Outputs would be the product and/or service provided to the customer. Activities within the organisation would be things like receipt of enquiry; order entry; purchasing of goods, manufacture of product, distribution of product and so on. In terms of what the objective of the process is, if you are interested in ISO9000:2000 then one of the key objectives
you must have is customer satisfaction as this is a key part of the standard. But most organisations also need to make some profit so that they can pay employees, shareholders, suppliers and invest for the future.

WHAT IS QUALITY?

The word quality has many different meanings, from inherent goodness, to technical specification. The ISO9001 standard defines quality as the degree to which a set of inherent characteristics fulfils requirements. This can be explained in relation to a product or service as follows: inherent characteristics means the in built features of the product or service, degree means how well they are met, and requirements refers to customer, and. So, quality can be defined as how well the product or service meets customer
requirements, or in simple terms:

QUALITY = CUSTOMER SATISFACTION

Deming developed a four stage cycle, Plan, Do, Check, Act, that defines the actions necessary to ensure good quality, and ongoing continuous improvement. 

This cycle has been used as a key principle of quality management over the years.

WHAT IS A MANAGEMENT SYSTEM?

Traditionally, many people thought that a quality management system was the documentation contained within a quality manual or other supporting literature within an organisation. However, this is only a small part of what a system is. 

The word “quality” can be defined as customer satisfaction, so a quality management
system is a system for ensuring that customers are satisfied with the products and services  supplied. However, very few organisations can afford to think only about satisfying customers, most have to ensure that they make profits so that they can pay employees, shareholders, suppliers, and invest in the future. So, to be effective, any management system must not only ensure customer satisfaction, it must also help the company achieve its other objectives, such as making profit. 

A management system is best considered as everything that you need to help you achieve your business objectives: processes, resources, structure and information, that’s pretty well every aspect of your business. 

The decision to implement a formal management system, using the frameworks available in International Standards, is therefore one at the heart of business strategy.

WHY IMPLEMENT A MANAGEMENT SYSTEM?

There is no doubt that implementation of a formal, documented management system, and the registration that many companies seek to recognise that their systems have achieved acertain standard, can be a considerable investment in time and money, so why do so many organisations do it?

There are two main reasons why organisations implement formal systems: The first is  that many customers demand that their suppliers are registered to a standard such as ISO9001. A standard defines a minimum set of requirements that a system must meet, and so registration indicates that the company has achieved that minimum standard. There are many different standards available on quality management systems, but
ISO9001 is the most well known and recognized worldwide.

If the supplier is not registered then they will not get onto the shortlist to tender for new business. The reason why customers think this way is that registration is a kind of guarantee of quality. Traditionally, companies with registered systems have performed better than those without. This does not mean that all companies without registration are bad, and vice versa of course!

The second reason is that implementing a formal system means that the organisation needs to examine every aspect of what it does, to try and improve things. This usually leads to better performance. Most companies that implement systems report that it does lead to better performance in the long run.

The exam is designed to assess knowledge of six sigma processes, tools and techniques. The exam is open book, and calculators are permitted. Laptop computers may not be used, or any device that has access to the internet, including mobile phones. The duration of the exam is 2 hours, and candidates may not leave the room until 1.5 hours after the start of the exam. Candidates must advise SigmaPro of their intention to attend the exam at least three weeks prior to the exam date.

The exam will assess the following areas of knowledge:

The Six Sigma Context
• History & development of six sigma, basic six sigma metrics, links to strategic planning

Six Sigma Deployment
• Identifying and Selecting projects, assessment of risk

The Define Phase
• Project Planning, Project Definition, Voice of the Customer, the DMAIC process, executing Lean Six Sigma Projects         

The Measure Phase
• Process mapping, Cause and Effect tools, measurement systems analysis,  evaluation of stability and capability     

Introductory statistics
• Basic Probability and Statistics Models, Continuous Probability Models, survey Design

The Analyse phase
• Sampling Distributions & Confidence Intervals, Hypothesis Testing, Graphical analysis.       

Regression
• Correlation & Simple Linear Regression,    

Lean Concepts
• Elimination of Waste, Visual Management & Quality at the Source, Standard Operations, One-piece flow, Kanban Systems, Poka Yoke,  Value Stream Mapping

The Improve Phase
• Generating and Selecting Concepts, Full factorial Experiments

Lean Office
• Queuing Analysis, Cycle Time Reduction, Stock modelling

Implementing Change
• Piloting Concepts, Implementing New processes

The Control Phase
• Performance Measurement Overview, Rational Subgrouping, Technical Controls for DMAIC Projects, Closing Projects, Sustaining the Gains 

Control Plans & charts
• Variables Control Charts, Attributes Control Charts, Test Plans, Control Plans,

The exam will consist of 60 multiple-choice questions, and 10 questions requiring written answers. There will be a total mark of 100. Candidates may pass, fail or obtain a distinction in the exam.

If you think you are up for taking the Six Sigma Green Belt training and certification program, please contact SigmaPro now.

The training must be provided by an approved provider, a list of approved providers is shown below.

The training curriculum will cover the following topics:

The Business Case for Six Sigma
Deployment & Project Selection
Launching Projects
Managing Stake Holders
Gathering the Voice of the Customer
Determining Data Requirements
Validating Measurement Systems
Process Stability & Capability
Basic Statistics
Graphical Analysis
Sampling and Confidence Intervals
Hypothesis testing
Correlation & Regression
Value Stream Mapping
Lean Tools and Kaizen
Creative Thinking
Design of Experiments
Control plans
Statistical Process Control
Closing projects

The SigmaPro certification scheme is designed to assess Green Belt competences in three ways:

• Successful completion of an approved Green Belt training programme
• Review of a completed project carried out within the student’s own organization.
• The passing of an exam covering the Green Belt curriculum

Details of certified candidates will be held on the SigmaPro register of Green Belts.

All successful delegates will be awarded a SigmaPro Six Sigma Green Belt certificate.

The Training

Certified Green Belts must complete SigmaPro approved Green Belt training, covering a defined curriculum. Successful completion of the course will be verified by the course tutor and course attendance records. It is not necessary that all course weeks are attended on the same wave of training.

Project Reviews

Candidates must submit a written project report demonstrating effective application of the DMAIC methodology. Projects must demonstrate added value to the organisation concerned at least equal to the cost of Green Belt training. Projects must be successfully completed. The project reports must be verified by an officer of the organisation for which the project was carried out.  Once submitted, projects will be reviewed by a panel of a minimum of two persons and assessed for effective application of Six Sigma methods. Candidates must be prepared to answer questions on their project submissions at a review session. Candidates must submit project reports at least three weeks prior to the review session. Project assessment does not need to be done on the same day as the exam.

Project review will result in either a pass or resubmit mark, together with points for consideration on resubmission.

The exam

The exam is a 2 hour exam, consisting of multiple choice and written response questions. Candidates may not leave the room until 1.5 hours after the start of the exam. Candidates must advise SigmaPro of their intention to attend the exam at least three weeks prior the exam date.

Candidates will be issued with either a fail, pass or distinction mark.

Previous exam papers are available on request.

Application Fees

The application fee is £195 (plus VAT), which is not refundable. The fee covers the examination, project assessment and project review. Examination retests or project resubmissions will be charged at £95 (plus VAT).

What to do next?

• Take suitable training
• Complete and document your project
• Make an application
• Prepare for the exam
• Attend review session (if required)
• Certify

Approved providers:

SigmaPro Limited

Regus Business Centre
Central Boulevard
Blythe Valley Business Park
Solihull B90 8AG, United Kingdom

Tel: +44 (0)1676 532470

Visit SigmaPro Six Sigma Training to view all of our products and services

Target Group

Technical and Quality Staff

Engineers

Other occupations involving process improvement

Prerequisites

Ideal candidates possess good communicational skills and enjoy working in teams. Green Belts should be results oriented, and a basic understanding of maths is of help as some of the tools include statistical analysis of data.

Location and Duration

Our Public Green Belt Training Courses are held both in Birmingham and in London. All of our courses include full documentation in hard and soft copy (PDF files). Lunch and snacks are included.
The Green Belt Course consists of eleven days training spread over four months.
Upon successful completion of the training, you will receive a certificate of training competence. If you wish to become formally certified, you can do so by completing a project, and passing a short exam. Details are available on request.

Why Book a SigmaPro course

Here is what we offer… SigmaPro
Over 20 years experience 
All trainers are Master Black Belt and at least MBA degree
Proprietary course material, developed by Six Sigma founding member
Full explanation of DMAIC & DMADV methodologies
Mixed class curriculum (lecture, workshops, exercises, group work, etc.)
Personal, competent and free advice at any stage of the education
Course material included in seminars (printed folder and PDF files)
 
 

Yellow belts are ideally placed to assist Six Sigma Black Belts and Six Sigma Green Belts with their larger more complex projects Yellow Belts are ideal in Service Environments where a limited set of analytical tools is enough to sort out process and admin problems.

Yellow Belts can complete projects in Industrial Environments where complex statistical analyses is not required.

Yellow Belts take up Lean Six Sigma responsibilities alongside their normal tasks in the company.

When should you book this course?

If you have been asked to participate in a current or future Lean Six Sigma or Business Improvement programme, or you would like to take your career one step further, then our Yellow Belt course will provide the essential training that will allow you to take your skills to the next level.

What will you learn?

The Yellow Belt course provides you with an understanding of what Lean Six Sigma is and the ability to execute projects within your own organisation with effective use of Lean Six Sigma tools and techniques. You will be able to confidently identify where more complex tools could add value, and be able to effectively support Green and Black belts.

The programme is a mix of lectures, reading, discussion and practical exercises, with a case study built into the course that allows delegates to apply what’s learnt in a classroom simulation.

Objectives 

To introduce delegates to Lean Six Sigma 

To give delegates a working knowledge of the Lean Six Sigma DMAIC road map

To provide delegates with a good understanding of a selection of foundation Lean Six Sigma tools

To enable delegates to run Lean Six Sigma projects not requiring complex statistical analysis

To enable delegates to provide significant support as team members of black and green belt.

Typical participants will be those who are involved in supporting or leading process improvement activity in either transactional or industrial situations.

What are the prerequisites?

Ideal candidates possess good communication skills and enjoy working in a team. Yellow Belts should be results oriented and keen to assist in the delivery of Strategic Objectives.

Certification

Upon successful completion of the training, you will receive a certificate of training competence.

For orther Six Sigma Training Courses please follow the link.

Programme Success Factors
Project Selection

Define 

Launching Projects
Managing Stakeholders
Voice of the Customer

Measure 

Validating Measurement Systems
Data Collection & Value Stream Mapping
Capability and Stability

Analyse 

Graphical Methods
Basic Statistics & Capability / Stability
Hypothesis Testing 

Improve 

Creative Problem Solving
Design of Experiments,
Pilots and Trials / Waste Elimination

Control 

Control Plans & Charts
Mistake Proofing, Sampling & Controlling
Kaizen & Closing Projects

Introduction to Structured Business Improvement

…successfully identify, select, launch and execute improvement projects.
…analyse the Voice of the Customer to see what your customers really want.
…employ key success drivers to ensure your project succeeds.

Measuring, Modelling & Process Analysis

…use Value Stream Mapping to identify improvement opportunities.
…ensure measurement data is accurate to pinpoint process weaknesses.

People Selection & Team Management

…employ change management to overcome resistance to change.
…lead and motivate teams using goal deployment strategies.

Advanced Data Analysis 

…use hypothesis testing, correlation & regression to make the most out of collected data.
…test the impact of potential changes using design of experiments.

Lean Tools

…eliminate waste and speed up processes to help you save cost.
…introduce Kaizen to ensure your whole organisation is aiming at the same goal

Software

…analyse data easily with just a few mouse clicks using Minitab™ 15.
…effectively utilise leading software tools like SigmaWorks™ & ProcessModel™.

10 Days (2 Weeks) – Open Access Training - £3,950

Maximise the results of your business improvement effort and BOOK NOW!

The success of a business improvement process is dependent on the people involved. SigmaPro’s acclaimed Six Sigma Master Black Belt programme has been specifically designed to provide the highest level of technical expertise and leadership skills. If you aspire to operate at the highest level, consider Master Black Belt training with SigmaPro. If you are looking for the best MBB certification available, you won’t be disappointed.

Why book this programme

SigmaPro’s acclaimed Master Black Belt (MBB) curriculum provides participants with an in-depth knowledge of how to successfully implement both dMAIC and DfSS in service and industrial organisations, how to coach technical practitioners on statistical and other quantitative methods and how to lead and facilitate training on dMAIC and DfSS topics.

The Master Black Belt Role

Master Black Belts (MBB) have outstanding technical understanding of Lean Six Sigma tools. They work with
senior management to identify and prioritise improvement projects, and quantify the impact to the  rganisation for both DfSS and DMAIC projects. MBB’s act as internal coaches to Black Belts, Green Belts, and Champions by mentoring, assisting and training on technical methods during project selection, launch and operation, and represent the interface between management and project execution. MBB’s partner with Champions and Executives to foster a corporate culture of improvement, they become change agents with powerful team leadership skills alongside their technical capabilities. Experienced MBB’s are able to lead large complex improvement projects, and can apply Lean Six Sigma methodologies to marketing, sales and portfolio management.

Course Price and ROI

Our courses reflect our belief that excellent, comprehensive training and support is a prerequisite to ensuring your success as a Master Black Belt.

The course price includes certification.

Master Black Belt Course Price Structure

First Delegate £3,950
Second and subsequent delegates £3,550

We not only offer Six Sigma Master Black Belt training but a whole array of other Six Sigma Training course, please follow the link to view more.

Become a Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt Professional
…many application examples to get really familiar with the statistical tools and methods.
…gain insight into the tools used by experienced professionals in their every day Lean Six Sigma practise.

Financial Evaluation of Six Sigma Projects
…use Portfolio Management to select the best financial mix of projects.

Fully Understand Customers & Consumers Needs
…employ choice modelling to understand competitors in your sector.
…create Response-Surface-Models to test changes in your processes.

DFSS Application
…apply basic DFSS tools when designing new processes.

Advanced Project Analysis
…apply the most powerful statistical tools to drill down into problem areas.
…use ANOVA/MANOVA Routines to identify critical process steps.

Lean Six Sigma for other departments
…use Lean Six Sigma to maximise lead potential in your Sales and Marketing.
…streamline customer handling in Call Centres and advice centres.

Software
…analyse data easily with just a few mouse clicks using Minitab™ 15.
…effectively utilise leading software tools like SigmaWorks™ & ProcessModel™.

SigmaPro have a Six Sigma Master Black Belt course coming up on 15th September. Please follow the link for more information. Alternatively contact us.

For other Six Sigma Training Courses please follow the link, we have many courses to view.

What other delegates say about the course…

“The SigmaPro course exceeded even my highest expectations. The course was intense. It was thorough. And, it gave me a great deal more confidence in applying the Six Sigma tools. I would recommend the SigmaPro courses to anyone who is serious about learning this material”

Agricultural Chemistry

“SigmaPro’s Master Black Belt Course was exactly what I needed. [...] most technically demanding course I found in my search for a MBB curriculum and the materials focus intensely on the statistical analysis foundations of the Lean Six Sigma discipline. My goal in attending MBB training was to go to the next level of understanding [...] and SigmaPro exceeded all my expectations!”

High-Tech Machine Manufacturing

“The tutor was extremely professional and adapted to specific requirements of the class, excellent facilitator. Overall an excellent course.”

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