Lean Six Sigma Demystified
Quality improvement, operational effectiveness, and deficit reduction are all business goals that any organization would strive to achieve… but what does it all mean, really? And how does an organization, or even a single employee, begin the process?
Luckily, the Six Sigma program is all about process. Originally designed as a process improvement tool for major manufacturing companies like Motorola and General Electric, the Six Sigma methodology seeks to improve quality in team processes by identifying, minimizing, and removing defects that can obstruct time, costs, customer satisfaction, or profit.
This means that through adopting a Six Sigma mindset, organizations and teams can work together more smoothly and efficiently, without wasting resources of any kind: time, cost, or people… hence the “lean” terminology in our Lean Six Sigma programs.
Bringing our Lean Six Sigma program to your team puts an emphasis on productivity, data, and strong leadership skills. The Lean Six Sigma Institute offers a variety of certifications, each with their own “color” and “belt” — a nod to martial arts training — to indicate proficiency level. At the CCE, we offer Lean Six Sigma Green Belt and Black Belt programs.
No prerequisites are required for the LSS Green Belt program, but an appetite for improving your process or project is a must. However, successful completion of a Green Belt project and awarding of a Green Belt certification is a requirement for enrolling in LSS Black Belt, which takes the Six Sigma methodology even further and requires an additional project for completion.
This applied knowledge component is a core reason why the Six Sigma methodology has been so successful with students at the CCE. Past participants have called our LSS programming “an essential course” for anyone focused on delivering outcomes, with a “direct impact” on their teams and organizations. Almost 90% of our 2019-2020 Green Belt participants remarked that they would apply skills from their Six Sigma course into their daily work, and more than ⅓ of our 2019-2020 participants demonstrated interest in continuing on to Black Belt certification.
To learn more about our Six Sigma programs and what they can do for you, visit our Open Enrollment Programs website or drop us an e-mail at corp-ed@vcu.edu. Wherever you may be in your process, we’re here to help.