Six Sigma Jobs

Find out what your customer wants and does not want. Determine the best way to do that. Then, figure out a way to keep doing it that way over and over. At the root of Six Sigma is this simple idea. While the idea itself may be simple, you could not use the word easy to describe exactly how this is accomplished, not even at the most basic of production processes. If you could, there would be no need for an entire professional discipline focused on the simple idea of delivering a product when, where, how the customer would like it and to their specifications. Before quality management methodologies like Six Sigma and its predecessors, such as TQM (Total Quality Management), quality measurement and control was evaluated at the end of the process. For example, just before goods were sent to be packaged and shipped, someone looked at them and determined whether they were fit for customers. With the advent of modern quality management methodologies, the quality process now begins even before the supplies or resources to manufacture the end product are delivered to the factory. Experts in these methodologies commands formidable salaries and are sought-after in a variety of job roles including Supply Chain Management, Quality Assurance, Systems and Process Engineering, Logistics and Purchasing/Procurement.

An Overview
By definition, Six Sigma is a strategy for managing a business. Six Sigma’s goal is to improve the quality of processes by removing defects or errors in those processes, with specific attention given to definitively determining the cause of the defect. Once identified and isolated, the removal of the cause of the defect is the focus, with the goal of reducing to a minimum the variances that allow the cause to arise. Six Sigma employs a prescribed collection of quality management and statistical methods, as well as a specialized structure of roles and responsibilities. These roles are referred to as “belts” similar to martial arts rankings. Each belt comes with a tested set of skills and experience; the higher the belt, the deeper the expertise. Six Sigma is highly dependent upon measurements and targets. Every Six Sigma project follows a defined sequence of phases and steps for which target metrics have been established. These can include financial goals, such as reducing costs or increasing profits, or customer satisfaction improvement, by responding more rapidly to inquiries or reducing errors that generate calls to customer service.

Six Sigma is distinguished from its predecessors by several characteristics. Decision-making is based on specific, verifiable information. Very little subjectivity is tolerated in Six Sigma measurement. The goal is to bring processes to that quality level or greater. Passionate and involved top level leadership drives and supports the Six Sigma effort. New business processes are developed, which can be measured and evaluated, so that they may be examined and improved. The organization as a whole is focused on the goal of repeatable, measurable and improvable success.

History
While it originated at Motorola in 1986, it is used widely across many organizations in both product and service industries. Six Sigma remains a registered trademark of Motorola Inc., who has reported cost savings due to Six Sigma programs in excess of 17 billion dollars (US). Early adopters of the methodology include Honeywell and General Electric. By the late 1990s, approximately 66% of the Fortune 500 had come on board with Six Sigma for improving profitability and quality. The name Six Sigma is derived from the process capability discipline of statistics. Applied initially to manufacturing metrics, it identifies the range of quality expressed in Defects per Million Opportunities (DPMO). Lean Manufacturing, sometimes expressed as just Lean, another management strategy has been combined in some organizations with Six Sigma and has yielded a hybrid called Lean Six  Sigma. In recent years, some practitioners have combined Six Sigma ideas with lean manufacturing techniques to yield a methodology named Lean Six Sigma. Lean tends to concentrate on processes from the Supply processes forward; whereas Six Sigma begins with customer requirements.

Six Sigma Terminology
Six Sigma projects project methodologies were derived from Dr. W. Edwards Deming’s Plan-Do-Check-Act Cycle. Each Six Sigma methodology is made up of 5 phases and are generally referred to by one of these acronyms: DMAIC, RDMAIC and DMADV. The first two are applied to processes that are already in place but, which have been determined to be less effective than they need to be. DMADV is applied for new processes.

DMAIC stands for define, measure, analyze, improve and control. Define the problem, the customer’s wants and needs, and goals. Measure the current process and collect data. Analyze with the intent of verifying connections between cause and effect. Identify relationships. Determine root causes of defects. Improve the process using techniques such “poka yoke” (fail safes) and standardization. Implement pilot tests to prove process capability. Control the process in future state by detecting deviations and applying correction action ahead of defects. These steps should be tightly tied to metrics and reported in such a way as to involve all staff involved.

RDMAIC includes all the above steps, but preceded by an additional phase: Recognize key success factors for the organization, and direct efforts and resources toward projects that will have the most significant impact.

DMADV stands for define, measure, analyze, design and verify. Define design goals consistent with customer wants and needs and organizational mission. Measure and identify Critical-To-Quality (CTQ) factors, process capabilities, and risks. Analyze data and create alternatives, followed by a high-level design. Evaluate designs and choose the optimal one. Design details, refine the design, and strategize design verification. Simulations can be applied here. Verify the design and execute pilot tests. Upon verification and execute the hand off to the ultimate process owners.

Roles
Six Sigma is characterized by the unique hierarchy of roles. The following definitions are ordered from the closest to the process being evaluated, to executive management.

Yellow Belts: These individuals are trained in the application of Six Sigma tools on the job. They are on a Black Belt’s team on the entire project.

Green Belts: Operating under the guidance of Black Belts, Green Belts are involved in the implementation of initiatives alongside their current job responsibilities.

Black Belts: This is a full-time, 100% dedicated Six Sigma role. Black Belts are primarily focused on Six Sigma project implementation.

Master Black Belts: This is the other 100% dedicated role. These individuals function as Six Sigma coaches and have teams of Black Belts and Green Belts. Selected by Champions, they spend most of their time on statistical analysis and monitoring the application of Six Sigma across the organization.

Champions: This role is essentially in command of company-wide Six Sigma implementation. These individuals are typically drawn from Senior Management staff and mentor Black Belts.

Executive Leadership: This includes the C-level and other top management staff. They initiate the vision for Six Sigma efforts. They empower all other roles to fulfill their responsibilities for Six Sigma.

The statistical and process analysis skills required for Black Belt roles are evidenced by certification. The standards are relatively high for passing the exam at 80% or better. The exam is followed by the demonstration of the ability to complete all phases of Six Sigma project. Whether  “real world” or classroom lab experience, the candidate must successfully report on and prove competency in all phases to receive certification. The effort to complete the certification process will likely be rewarded with “top of the list” treatment as a job candidate, a valuable advantage in a challenging job market.

In today’s business-oriented economy, there is a growing demand for people to fill six sigma jobs. Six sigma consultants can help a faltering business get back on track or a thriving business to become even more successful. For this reason, a thorough understanding of the six sigma method is an asset that any aspiring business consultant ought to possess.

Despite the demand, six sigma jobs are difficult to find. As an independent consultant, you must demonstrate to companies why your help is a requirement in order for their businesses to flourish. This means you have to work harder to sell yourself than people applying for more traditional jobs do. When looking for work, you must shift your focus from being a consultant to being a salesperson so that you can effectively market yourself to businesses.

Possessing certain training helps. Many businesses are interested in hiring Master Black Belts, who are people that have gone through a rigorous training process and are certified in the six sigma method. You will also find it somewhat easier to obtain employment if you already have some experience as a consultant. In the end, however, experience and training are not as important as what you can do for companies. In order to convince them to spend time and money on your consulting services, you need to appeal to their self-interest. Demonstrate why your services are vital to the company and you should easily get a job.

The most important aspect of your job search is research. Before contacting a particular company, you should find out its financial weaknesses and develop a plan to combat them. During the meeting, you will need to show how utilizing your services will cut costs or increase profits in the long run. It is important to demonstrate how your ideas will benefit the company financially rather than emotionally. Avoid discussing how the six sigma method will affect morale or company reputation. These goals are secondary in importance to most businesses; while they care about other aspects of the business, their continued survival is dependent upon earning more than they pay out.

In addition to understanding the company’s needs, make sure you can talk confidently about how the six sigma method can address those needs. Some business people are suspicious of improvement programs that they haven’t heard of; you need to be able to convince them that the methods you are using are legitimate, scientifically based, and necessary. You may need a refresher course or obtain extra training before you begin if you have not worked as a six sigma consultant before.

You can find job openings for six sigma consultants over the Internet; there are several websites devoted to these kinds of jobs. However, any successful business person takes initiative by approaching businesses that are likely to benefit from their services. You are more likely to be successful at landing six sigma jobs if you target companies to present your services to than if you wait for businesses to ask for help.

It may seem counterintuitive that adding headcount to your manufacturing roster, Lean jobs or otherwise, should actually save you money. But companies continue to implement Lean Manufacturing techniques because the techniques really work. If you want to improve your process, with results that you can see on your bottom line, hire a Lean Manufacturing expert.

Lean Manufacturing is a business philosophy, which strives to eliminate waste from the business process. The business process can include any process with defined steps, but it was traditionally a manufacturing tool. Toyota pioneered modern Lean Manufacturing, which they referred to as the Toyota Production System. But even the Toyota system piggybacked off a strategy developed by Henry Ford referred to as Just-In-Time Manufacturing. Today, Lean jobs are available across the manufacturing sector, because the Lean philosophy has spread like wildfire.

Lean Manufacturing is a strategy designed to improve performance by eliminating all waste from the business process. The paradigm defines waste as unnecessary time and resources. More specifically, it uses the acronym “TIMWOOD” to differentiate seven types of waste, which include: waste in transport, waste of inventory, waste of motion, waste of waiting, waste of overproduction, waste of overprocessing, and waste of defects/rework.

Transport includes the movement of product. Ideally, each step of the business process is sequential and geographically right next door. Conveyors, forklifts, and an administrative assistant walking paperwork to another office down the hall are all waste in transport.

Inventory refers to work in progress, and eliminating waste of inventory the backbone of the Just-In-Time philosophy. Ideally, product moves from one step to the next without any delay.

Motion involves movement of people. The administrative assistant above demonstrated waste in transport, because the paper was tied up in the relocation instead of being processed immediately. But the admin also demonstrated waste of motion by being unable to perform other tasks.

Waiting involves either product or people sitting idle. While the admin assistant walked the paper down the hall, the recipient waited for the paper to arrive. A stamp and stapler may have been waiting to process the paper, which means the tools were not fully utilized.

Overproduction refers to too much finished goods in stock. Overproduction requires up-front cost to make and storage costs, while not seeing revenue.

Overprocessing occurs when resources perform tasks that add no value. For example, the admin may have made a copy of the document for her files, which she will never reference again.

Defects are errors in the product, which must be corrected before further processing can occur. When employees must rework defects in the process, both the employees and the product are tied up in the rework process. The employees are unable to perform other tasks, and the products are unable to earn revenue.

In the end, you want to improve your bottom line. You can do this by eliminating waste in your business process, with the help of a Lean Manufacturing expert. Add Lean jobs to your roster, and watch your process improve.

Six Sigma education is a necessary part of many businesses today.  It is a business management strategy that was originally developed by Motorola but has since been adopted by many other companies.  There is some controversy about the subject but in its most simple form it functions to improve the quality of outputs in manufacturing and business processes.  It is centered around identifying and eliminating errors and defects by using quality management methods.  Each Six Sigma project includes statistical and financial targets.

It is interesting to note wher the term “six sigma” comes from.  It actually originates from the idea that if you have six standard deviations between the specified limit and the mean, that every item will meet specifications.  This is based on capability studies that measure standard deviation in sigma units.  It is a math function that represents being efficient.

Six Sigma projects usually follow two main methods.  The DMAIC and the DMADV.  They each have five phases and some similar processes.  DMAIC is used primarily for improving existing business processes, while DMADV is used for creating new products and process designs.

DMAIC has five different steps. The first is to define high-level goals and identify the current processes.  Next is to measure the key parts of the current process and collect data that is relevant to the project.  Then comes analyzing data to confirm cause-and-effect relationships.  You have to find out what the relationships mean, and try and consider all of the factors.  Next is to improve the process based on your previouis analyzation of the findings.  This could be done with techniques like design of experiments.  Last step to DMAIC is to control to make sure that there are no deviations from the target.  This would mean setting up pilot runs and mechanisms to monitor all processes.

DMADV has a similar first step in that it is to define goals for design that will meet strategy for customer demands.  Next is to measure and identify characteristics that are critical to quality (CTQ’s), risks, and capabilities of the process.  Following that is analayzing to find design alternatives, and to make a high-level design approach to select the best choice.  Last is to verify the design, do some test runs, and put the production process to work and then give it back to the owners.

The hierarchy to Six Sigma is set up much like martial arts with black belts, yellow belts and green belts.  There are master black belts as well as champions and executive leadership.  It is a vertical leadership model starting at the top with the Executive Leadership (CEO), and trickles down to the yellow belts.  There is some controversy here as people have called it unoriginal and a flamboyant revamp of traditional facilitators.  Other criticisms claim that although Six Sigma does effectively reduce errors and defects it also ends up stifling creativity because it does not allow for new products and technologies to be developed.

No matter what your view is of Six Sigma education strategies, it is important to know how it works and how it applies to businesses.

A common certification in all industries today is Six Sigma, which can be achieved by passing the detailed Six Sigma Exam. This business management strategy focuses on the improvement of the quality of processes by eliminating causes of errors or any type of unpredictably primarily in manufacturing but can be extended into business. There are multiple quality and statistical methods within the process. Each Six Sigma project follows specific steps and includes cost reduction or profit increase.

The Six Sigma hierarchy includes master black belts, who are the masters of Six Sigma and have completed the maximum amount of training, black belts that have less experience but still lead projects and green belts that support the black belts. The criteria for certification varies depending on the level an individual is attempting to obtain. Obviously the higher the level, the more projects and training are required. Every level requires the candidate to take a Six Sigma exam.

Once the candidate has completed their training, they must apply for certification. This can be completed by submitting all qualifying work history with supporting documentation as well as the correct fee for the exam. The next step is to register for the exam at a local ASQ (American Society for Quality) chapter. The certification exam is only offered twice a year; in March and October so proper planning is a must. Once registered, it is necessary to prepare for the exam. There are many resources available on the internet for preparation. These include, practice tests, reference materials, sample tests, and numerous books. The most effective method to prepare for the certification exam is to review the Body of Knowledge. This will help the candidate discover what areas they need to review.

Every candidate is required to pass a written exam consisting of 150 multiple-choice questions that will quantify comprehension of the Body of Knowledge portion of training. The exam is only offered in the English language and consists of one section which the candidate has up to four hours to complete. The content of the exam are subject areas from the Body of Knowledge, which is how the questions are formulated. Each individual exam draws only a portion of the Body of Knowledge so not every subject area will be covered. If the candidate passes the exam, the American Society for Quality will review the results and notify the candidate within two weeks of the exam.

Six Sigma certification is becoming an industry standard in quality improvement across all fields and industries. Depending on the level of certification, it requires a lot of training and retained knowledge. Those who become certified will add value to their department and make themselves much more marketable. The projects involved and knowledge gained from the training will help in all aspects of business, thus necessary skills are obtained during the certification procedure. Six Sigma will assist in eliminating excess which increases efficiency. Consequently, passing the Six Sigma exam involves much time and focus, but the results outweigh the effort.

In 1986 Six Sigma was created to eliminate manufacturing defects and to improve production quality so as to increase the volume of sales since there was Zero defect in the products that used the Six Sigma Test.

Six Sigma is a type of strategy used for business management which is also used for online training of all types of businesses globally.

This test method is taken from what is called “Process Capability Studies” and has been used to manufacture explicit and precise output that is impartial.

As an example using this approach the overall defect operating level within a company would show as being below a DPMO of 3.4.  DPMO meaning: defects per million opportunities.

The goal of the test is to target quantifiable projects in an organization and reduce the cost an organization undergoes due to defect and poor production quality. This in turn will increase the profit within the company since there are less rejected products.

The Six Sigma Test tool is used as a gauge to measure a business’s stability and effectiveness, and how things can be improved, analyzed and quantified.

Here are some of the things the Six Sigma Test program can do for a business for training and certification:

• Create and implement the test in the business infrastructure to recognize the leadership role of the business in the market.
• Provide real results from data obtained as opposed to data that is not measured and actual.
• Offer good management roles and support within a company or organization.
• The test also looks at statistical data and solutions for better quality and methods to eliminate and reduce errors and defects in manufacturing.

Below we can point out to two of the methods used by the Six Sigma Test:

A)      To Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve and Control or the DMAIC process a business undergoes.  By first defining the goal the company sets, collecting the information and data, and analyzing the relationships related to a cause and effect scenario.  Finally improving and developing the business strategy using data analysis, and controlling the process by doing several pilot runs and monitoring the results continuously.

B)      To Define, Measure, Analyze, Design and Verify the new design of the product or the DMADV process. When you define the strategy of the business and set goals for the demands from the customer, you can identify the risks of production, analyze and evaluate the alternatives for product design and details, and finally verify the quality of the production process via a couple of pilot runs.

An interesting point is that near the end of the 1990’s many huge multinational companies including consumer based businesses, as well as state and federal government agencies all used the Six Sigma Test to reduce damage and overall production expenditure and increase their company sales and profits.

The directors and managers of these companies wanted to realize sustainable quality and commitment both from its employees and the products the company produced by means of the Six Sigma Test; the rules it applies for effective leadership in a market, industrial achievement and global success and recognition.

Six Sigma is a state of mind that does not allow for failure. Those aligning their thought processes with this philosophy have one thought in mind, success. This mindset is formula driven and business oriented. Six Sigma is against happenstance. What needs to be known to get the job done and get the job done right with definite specifications, translates into accuracy from the outset.

Schools that devote part of their curriculum to courses introducing this concept to eager young minds are located at various university campuses and are also available online. Schools such as Grand Canyon University in Arizona and many other Career Development schools promote this kind of study. This philosophical mind over matter type of schooling is hard to pin down precisely. At first acquaintance, it appears more of a loose conglomeration of studies scattered throughout the educational system. Its rigidity is a little off putting at first introduction.

Questions arise such as is it conductive to mental health to be so programmed for success in one field when youth are not yet familiar with their best choices? Against that argument, the business world has proof that Six Sigma has it measure of success in the business world. Many successful business leaders successful and even educators trying to turn schools around embrace this idea. Whatever works against lives of crimes certainly cannot be bad. But my basic question remains, is this the best and only approach to success. To answer that is dependent upon each individual’s definition of success and therein lays it success or its failure!

Six Sigma had its beginning in medieval England in the 13th century with the craftsmen who organized guilds. They set down rules for selecting what went into a superior product. With the coming of the Industrial Revolution, this gradually began to change. It changed ever further in North America. The concept did not die but expanded to include the process. How the product was built or manufactured, grown or put together became part of the amended original idea of success. Now it is part of every quality product and in the minds of consumers who demand quality. Even the labeling went through an overhaul.

It is common to hear of quality control and this is certainly a good thing. Quality over quantity is an overall concept in all organizations, neighborhoods, in all places where interaction between humans take place. Yet, as we see today, something is missing. The more quality control tries to succeed, the more it fails. What is going on here? Success and failure is nothing new. It has been with us since the beginning of time. It is what separated the have’s from the have nots, the achievers from the non-achievers and it has built cites and churches, and palaces and has written books and is ongoing.

Yet the problem of failure continues. Where did quality control — Six Sigma theories — go wrong, where did it go right and what is it’s promise for the future? This answer is still up in the air and we await its proclamations.