Six Sigma is a business management strategy originally developed by Motorola, USA in 1986. Six Sigma seeks to improve the quality of process outputs by identifying and removing the causes of defects (errors) and minimising variability in manufacturing and business processes.
It uses a set of quality management methods, including statistical methods, and creates a special infrastructure of people within the organisation (e.g. "Black Belts" and "Green Belts") who are experts in these methods. Each Six Sigma project carried out within an organisation follows a defined sequence of steps and has quantified financial targets (cost reduction or profit increase).
Lean was originally used to describe the Toyota Production System, and is an approach used to maximise customer value whilst minimising waste. In simple terms this is creating more value for customers with fewer resources.
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There are four levels of Lean Six Sigma Training - Yellow Belt, Green Belt, Black Belt and Master Black Belt:
Six Sigma Yellow Belt
Yellow Belts are trained in the basics of Lean Six Sigma, and can typically carry out performance improvements within their teams.
Six Sigma Green Belt
Green Belt professionals are trained and certified at a more advanced level, in the tools and approach of Lean Six Sigma. They tackle change within their business in addition to their other responsibilities.
Six Sigma Black Belt
A Black Belt is fluent in the use of the Lean Six Sigma approach and tools, often delivers major performance or efficiency transformation for a business. Typically, they are Change Leaders within the business.
Six Sigma Master Black Belt
A Master Black Belt connects senior leadership teams with the change team. They are responsible for rolling out strategic change programmes using Six Sigma across the organisation. Typically, they are managers with the skills and knowledge to support, coach and mentor Green and Black Belts.
A Six Sigma process is one in which 99.999667% of the products being manufactured are expected to be free of defects (3.4 defects per million).
Estimates place the quality levels of key processes in successful businesses today within the three - four sigma range. But an entire world operating at a four sigma level would incur:
A world operating at a six-sigma level would be much safer, with far fewer errors and far more happy customers.
