Want to start small? It sounds like Green Belt training is for you! Fancy yourself a Black Belt? Get in touch! Want to aim high? It sounds like Master Black Belt certification is what you need. If you follow our blog, you know how passionate we are about great training. Read on to learn all about our mission and what sets us apart from the competition.

World-Class Training and Certification

Unlike lesser providers, we strive to deliver quality training for all your process and quality improvement needs. All we ask is that you give it everything you’ve got. You don’t become a Six Sigma Green Belt, let alone a Master Black Belt, overnight! Similarly, without complete commitment and a desire to succeed, you can’t expect to Six Sigma to flourish at your company. With us, you’ll bolster your Six Sigma development with Lean principles and Kaizen thinking. With our world-class training, we’ll teach you everything you need to know to set your business on the right path. Our unparalleled real-world training blows the competition out of the water. With programs for all belt levels, including White, Yellow, Orange, and Black, we also offer software tutorials for Minitab and SigmaXL. Master the art of Six Sigma through our first-rate training and certification programs. Let us help you help yourself.7

Professional Consulting Services

You won’t find great services like ours anywhere else. We can provide expert consulting services to help give you peace of mind and point you in the right direction. With our help, you can reduce costs and save massive sums. Each year, we save our clients billions in revenue, all of which goes back into their businesses to ensure future success. Our fully-certified consultants can assess your business and give you detailed feedback on what works and what doesn’t. Certain problems like waste and variation often go unnoticed, but with our help, you can eliminate them for good. You’ll soon see the benefit of Six Sigma once we’re through!

Trustworthy Six Sigma Advice

6sigma.com is the world’s most trusted source of Six Sigma knowledge for a reason. But you can’t always trust what you read on the internet. Six Sigma’s lack of a central governing body means there’s no one around to monitor its activities. This allows just about anyone to take up the Six Sigma name to make a quick buck. But not us. Six Sigma is our passion, and our goal is to educate and serve. 6sigma.com is known for its trustworthy advice on all Six Sigma matters. So get in touch today, and see for yourself why we’re the most reliable source of Six Sigma knowledge on the web.

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Determination to Succeed as a Consultant

Before setting out on the path towards becoming a consultant, you need to ensure you have the essentials. First of all, it takes a certain mindset to succeed as a Six Sigma consultant. You’re likely to struggle at first, but an indomitable desire to succeed is imperative. From a statistical standpoint, 80% of all consultancies fail early on. For some, the demands of running a business, pleasing clients, and marketing are too much to handle. The more determined you are to succeed, the better prepared you will be.

Workforce / Business Model

Secondly, you’ll need help. We don’t recommend trying to build and manage your consultancy alone. Think about the staff you’ll require. It may not be many, but it is still an essential number. Receptionist? Assistant? Additional consultants? A united workforce with strong team spirit will support you in your consulting work. An air-tight business model that your staff share and value is also critical. Spreading your workforce too thin can impact on company image as well as efficiency and profits. Remember, you can’t do everything yourself!

Six Sigma Knowledge

Thirdly, a thorough knowledge of Six Sigma methodology and techniques is critical to your work. If you can’t talk the talk, how are you going to walk the walk? Most consultants have at least a Green Belt level of Six Sigma training to their name, though the higher, the better. Most clients prefer someone with Black Belt training, and won’t take anyone with less than a Green Belt seriously. With a strong workforce and business model, comprehensive knowledge of Six Sigma, adequate training, and a determined spirit, you’ll stand a great chance of succeeding.

Company Image and Attracting Clients

With all the essentials out of the way, here comes the important part. Finding work. Clients typically seek out your help themselves, but, if you want to reel in the big fish, you must attract them. Image is everything here. Marketing and word-of-mouth are your two best friends. Sometimes, it helps to reach out to potential clients yourself. By making them aware of you, they are more likely to seek out your services. Be clear about what you offer and what you don’t. Make it clear on your website that you can turn businesses around using Six Sigma know-how. Once you’ve built up a portfolio of smaller clientele, you can start targeting bigger companies. They may even contact you once word-of-mouth gets going.

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First, assess the price across multiple training courses.

For Six Sigma, there are three typical varieties of training courses. These include Certificate Courses. Certification Courses, and Training Courses. For a quick run down of each: a Certificate Course will usually only include the exam and, when passed, provide you with a certificate of completion. A Certification Course covers book material, real-life examples, the opportunity to work on a Six Sigma project, and a certification exam. Likewise, a Training Course usually only offers a classroom-like education, focusing on terminology and textbook examples. You will most likely not have a real-life Six Sigma project to work on and will only be tested on the theory.

Once you have determined what type of training program you are seeking, assess the price for multiple courses. If the prices are relatively similar, then it’s a safe bet they will be at a similar standard. However, if prices do vary significantly, move on to the second step: Course Assessment.

Second, review the course material.

While we recommend this step for training programs that vary in prices, it’s also beneficial to do so regardless of the cost. Any reputable Six Sigma training course will provide a brief syllabus of what you can expect to cover. It should Include the course hours, weeks, general topics, what reading material and programming software you need, and what projects (if any) you will work on. Depending on your course, each program should offer roughly the same amount of content within a similar timeframe. Likewise, if the program is more expensive, it should cover more material over a longer period of time. Less expensive programs, the opposite. Use this opportunity to compare programs, see patterns, and determine the exact “bang for your buck!”

Last, request and read reviews of the program.

When in doubt, always request reviews and testimonials from a training program’s coordinator. This step is similar to ones in our previous articles about ‘Due Diligence’ and ‘Asking for Testimonials’ and is rightly important. Feedback from former students can easily determine if a training course is worth the cost you are expected to pain. Many negative reviews from an expensive program is a clear warning sign to look elsewhere. Likewise, consistently positive reviews from a similarly priced program is a safer bet.

When searching for the right Six Sigma training program, the price and time commitment is a large factor in your decision making. Regardless of the certification level, follow these three simple steps to ensure you get the right value for the correct price!

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In the past few decades, the Six Sigma methodology has spread into multiple industries. More than before, it’s becoming a valuable skill for employees to have. However, not all training courses for Six Sigma are alike. For example, certificate courses only provide you with the examination to gain a certification. Whereas, training and certification courses provide both hands-on experience as well as a formal test. In this article, we will discuss the top benefits you will gain from a Six Sigma certification.

First, Enhance your Organization.

Six Sigma is a business process improvement method that aims at reducing production waste, decreasing the likelihood of manufacturing errors, and eliminating unnecessary components. Whether you’re a practicing Master Black Belt or just starting as a Yellow Belt, a certification course will enhance your organization skills. How you work alongside your counterparts greatly depends on the education you receive. From any Six Sigma certification course, you will learn how to organize your tasks, operate more efficiently, and reduce the chances of errors.

Second, Increase your Quality Improvements.

Additionally, Six Sigma focuses on improving the quality of products by reducing errors in the production process. With a Six Sigma certification, you will practice ways to sustain a higher level of quality for your company’s products, services, and attention to details. Through your certification course, you will be exposed to different “tools” you may use to improve quality sustainability. These include Root Cause Analysis, Value Stream Mapping, and the 5S’ of Kaizen. 

Third, Lead Teams and Projects.

The aim for most Six Sigma employees is to become an effective project and team leader. Whether at the senior executive level or on the production line, your certification course will prepare you to lead others better and more efficiently. Likewise, certification will allow you to exercise your skills for training other employees on the business process improvement method. All great business leaders must know how to communicate with their employees and their managers. As a certified Six Sigma professional, you will greatly benefit from the managerial experience gained through your certification.

Last, Greater Pay.

While greater pay should not be your only motivation for seeking Six Sigma certification, professionals with experience in the methodology can expect higher salaries, faster. The increasing in salary, though, corresponds directly to your level within a corporation. With a certification, you will have greater responsibilities, move upwards in managerial levels, and increase in your salary. For many professionals who want greater challenges and more professional leadership roles, Six Sigma certification is an excellent way to achieve this while also earning a higher salary.

The complete list of benefits you will gain from Six Sigma certification is, fortunately, endless. Depending on what certification you achieve and how you practice your knowledge of the methodology, you will continuously gain benefits from Six Sigma certification courses.

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First, Leadership.

Above everything else, a Six Sigma Black Belts should be naturally born leaders. Employers will look to their Black Belt employees for guidance and motivation. Especially so during times of reorganization, project management, and other corporate restructures. Like any good leader, Six Sigma Black Belts have natural motivation. They want to push through dilemmas and find the best immediate result for the business process at hand. 

Second, Communication.

Although not first, communication is also key to the skillset needed for Six Sigma Black Belts. Whether you’re communicating with your employer and staff team, or between your supplier and a customer, effective communication is a must in the world of Six Sigma. Complementing the trait of a natural leader, Black Belts must exert an advanced skill with communication, speaking to multiple audiences at any time. Communication is vital to the success of business process improvements across the board!

Third, Technical Understanding.

Like other certification levels in Six Sigma, Black Belts are expected to understand the fundamentals of the methodology. However, what separates Black Belts from lower certification levels is their ability to recognize and understand when to use said fundamentals. While a technical or engineering degree is beneficial, most Six Sigma Black Belts will understand the need for thorough comprehension of the methodology and where implementation is necessary.

Last, Trust.

A team is only as effective as the weakest link, and this saying resonates within Six Sigma. Whether improving a business process efficiency or decreasing waste output, employees need a strong leader who will guide them towards the right goal. A Six Sigma Black Belt should practice trustworthy characteristics, promoting the integrity of the entire production or manufacturing team. In order to do this, employees must have trust in their leader. Complementing the first skill Black Belts must have to succeed, trust is equally important. When a team of employees does not trust the initiative of their leaders, progress cannot be made. In contrast, when employees respect their manager and trust that their goals are aligned with the company, progress is easily made.

These four skills are vital to the success of any Six Sigma Black Belt employee. Follow these, and you will practice the business process improvement methodology with integrity and ease!

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One tip we recommend you try why finding the right Six Sigma practitioner is to request testimonials. These can be from past or current students, or even companies who employ personnel from this particular course. Regardless, testimonials will offer needed insight into your practitioner. Though, practicing this tip can face numerous obstacles. In today’s article, we will outline our three-step approach to asking for testimonials from your online practitioner.

The Approach

Never begin asking for testimonials without a clear mission in mind. First, what type of practitioner are you considering? Do they offer certification, training, or only certificate examinations? Next, decide what information you want to receive. Do you want to read only testimonials from current students or should you request ones from certified Six Sigma employees as well? Once you have compiled your fundamental goal for using your practitioner, contact them

This step will provide you with the first indication of how official your practitioner in question is. If basic contact information, such as email addresses, phone numbers, or a physical address are hard to find, chances are you should find a new provider. If you do have contact information, first begin by sending an email. Briefly, explain that you’re interested in their program (specify which one if there are multiple). Then, ask for a list of testimonials from past or current students. Additionally, you can also request contact information for people who have taken the course, like references on a resume. 

The Response

How and when your Six Sigma provider responds will be your next indication of their program. If you have to wait more than two working days to receive a response via email, look for a new provider. Not only is this unprofessional, but it also indicates the level of attention you can expect to receive from staff if you enroll in the course.

If you get a response back but without any testimonials, this is another warning sign that you should consider a new recruiter. While the practitioner may be caught off guard by your response, providing feedback, positive or negative, on the course is not out of the question. Furthermore, if you received a reply but an answer as to why testimonials would not be provided, try giving them a call. This is also an opportunity to ask questions about the program directly to the provider and to feel out how they will interact with you.

The Conclusion

The end goal of this process is to receive testimonials from your potential Six Sigma practitioner. Now at the final step, your job is to form a conclusion. To help, here are some basic guidelines you can follow to decide if your practitioner is worth your time.

If you receive testimonials without hassle, move forward with said provider. Likewise, if they also provide positive and negative reviews about the course, it’s a safe bet you can trust the information given. However, if you do not receive testimonials, have difficulty communicating with the provider, or face a prolonged delay in contact, walk away. Of course, it can be irritating to have wasted time on an ill-repute practitioner. However, it’s better to waste an email, phone call, and a few days than weeks of partaking in a program, only to not receive what you expected.

Following this simple, three-step guide to asking for testimonials will put you on track to finding the right Six Sigma provider!

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Certificate, Certification, and Training

The first, and simplest form of due diligence to practice is clarifying what exactly you need. When searching for a practitioner, it can be easy to click on the first few links that show up. However, keep in mind that programs’ orders correlate to their amount of paid advertising. Furthermore, multiple practitioners will attempt to blur the lines of what their programs offer. This is where due diligence comes into play!

If you have years of experience practicing the Six Sigma methodology, a practitioner who provides a formal certificate after passing an online course is the best option for you. Likewise, if you’re new to Six Sigma and need a basic understanding of the process, a training practitioner is the better option. Lastly, a certification program is ideal for those who want to combine the training and certification test process under one practitioner. While this is usually the most expensive option, it does provide the most experience and formal understanding of Six Sigma. 

Where Does the Accreditation Come From?

While it’s important to understand what type of program your practitioner offers, it’s even more so to recognize where accreditation will come from. Is your practitioner offering a training course through a university or an online program? Does the Better Business Bureau support the program’s accreditation? Have industry leading corporations used a particular certificate exam to test their employees? These questions and more are an easy way to not only assess the legitimacy of your course but to also clarify where your accreditation comes from. A Six Sigma certification is only worth as much as the provider!

Quality vs. Quantity of Content

Lastly, finding a reputable practitioner can be done by assessing the quality and quantity of the course’s content. For example, most classroom Black Belt certification courses take between four to six weeks to complete. If you find a practitioner online who offers a similar course, does their curriculum take the same amount of time? Likewise, the quality of the course work provided should help you determine whether your practitioner is the right fit or not. Most legitimate certification courses require you to complete a Six Sigma project to receive feedback on your process improvement skills. If you practitioner offers no hands-on experience, they may be lacking in content quality. Additionally, another due diligence tip is to analyze the platforms on which these courses run. Is a practitioner using an up-to-date software for their projects? Is your practitioner providing the correct examples for you to practice; i.e. service industry versus manufacturing?

Slightly questioning and researching Six Sigma practitioners can easily determine if they are the right fit for your needs. Remember, Six Sigma is a business process improvement method that requires discipline, structure, and most importantly, due diligence!

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First – Ask Questions

If you believe your Six Sigma certification is not authentic, chances are, someone else in your program feels the same. Depending on your course’s structure, the first tip is to talk with our students about the program. Does everyone feel cheated out on authentic Six Sigma training? Were there any major indications of foul practice by the instructor? Remember, there is power in numbers. If a collective of participants believe the training is illegitimate, there may be actions you can take against said program. While legal actions may be difficult and expensive to entertain, you can always bring the attention of the falsely advertised program to the Six Sigma community. Word of mouth travels farther than most think!

Second – Assess Your Losses & Gains

Of course, it’s discouraging when you have spent countless hours reviewing material and projects only for your work not to be formally recognized. However, you will not loose all knowledge. Imagine failing an exam in high school. The grade alone does not reflect every detailed of knowledge and experience you gained through the course. For Six Sigma, it’s the same situation. While the quality of education concerning the business process may lack compared to other programs, there is still substance on what you did learn. Accepting being take advantage of can be difficult, but it’s important not to undermine what experiences you gain through each endeavor in life.

Third – Damage Control

Hopefully, you will recognize a reputable practitioner early on in your Six Sigma certification journey. However, if you have not been aware of the illegitimate practice and have invested countless hours and money into a program, the best thing to do is damage control. Assess exactly how much time, energy, and work you have invested in the program and what your losses are. Just like some business deals will fall through, not all Six Sigma training programs will truthfully advertise their program. If you believe you have fallen victim to gaining a fake Six Sigma certificate, your best option is to leave the program immediately. Then, consult other Six Sigma professionals you know well and discuss your situation. Whether these are work colleagues, managers, or counterparts, it’s important to discuss what has happened and clarify what experiences are worth keeping.

The post Hacked: What to Do If You Have Bought a Fake Certificate appeared first on 6sigma.

Experience

When interviewing for a new position, you are sure to be asked about your past work experiences. What projects you managed, how you tackled difficult situations, and more, will all be assessed by your interviewer. Likewise, when searching for a Six Sigma accreditor, first look at what experiences you will gain. If a training program is only a few weeks long and offers no hands-on experience, chances are, they are a poor accreditor. Additionally, further warning signs of poor training would be a lack of communication with other students, reluctance to critique your work and progress, and no availability to work on certified Six Sigma projects.

Course Work

Whenever applying to a new course or training program, it’s important to see exactly the institute plans to teach you. Whether you’re seeking a Black Belt certification or just beginning as a White Belt, it’s vital to know what your course covers. Likewise, if you have access to the training program’s content, compare it to other programs. This allows you to assess their similarities and differences. This tip is a easy was to see if you’re facing a poor accreditor based on the lack of relevant content. Remember, the goal of a Six Sigma training program should focus on exposing you to the methodology, not just taking your money.

Past Users

When you shop online, it’s commonplace to read reviews of products you might wish to purchase. Likewise, search for reviews of past individuals who have taken the Six Sigma training course(s) you’re interested in. Are past students now senior managers at well-known corporations? Do they run their own consulting firm? Or have they become stagnant in their progress? Furthermore, if you’re interested in gaining a higher Six Sigma certification, sometimes the best method to find the right training program is to just ask your manager. Chances are, your employer has a list of preferred programs that they trust and send their colleagues to.

Your Next Steps

At the end of the day, finding the perfect Six Sigma training course depends on three things. They are your time limitations, your budget, and most importantly, your own preference. Six Sigma certification is an invaluable asset that will progress you within your career faster than most other certifications. Take the time to carefully find the right program for you and always be on the watch for poor accreditors!

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What Makes an Honest Practitioner?

First, the positives; what makes an honest practitioner? Certified Six Sigma will first provide evidence of their qualifications. Typically, this includes a certificate from a training program. For Black Belts, a four-week course is almost always mandatory. Additionally, their certification should be accredited from a formal institute or company. However, be aware that many fake accreditors will try and pass off their certifications as authentic! You can read more about this in our recent article, Fake Accreditation.

Second, your applicant should provide concrete examples of working on Six Sigma projects. For Certified Black Belts and above, full-time, project managerial roles are the standard. These professionals devote their time to assisting executives while managing the majority of core operations. Likewise, said employees will have experience training others, as well as mentoring Certified Green Belts along their own Six Sigma journey. Finally, they should be excellent communicators. From discussing business process improvements with management to managing customer relations, Six Sigma employees take pride in their roles and have a dire passion for constant improvement.

What is NOT an Honest Practitioner?

Now, the negatives; what to look for in a dodgy practitioner. Every year, hundreds of individuals claiming to be Six Sigma employees will submit phony resumes to employers, hoping to trick a recruiter into believing their qualifications. Yet, there are a few obvious signs that said applicant is not exactly who he claims to be. First, there should be not difficulty with asking concrete questions about the business methodology. Whether an applicant is beginning as a White Belt or is a Master Black Belt, all Six Sigma professionals have a base understand of the business process and can explain how and where to implement it.

Next, no evidence of Six Sigma projects is an obvious warning sign. Unfortunately, no governing body dictates whether a Six Sigma certification is legitimate or not. Because of this, employers expect examples of working on projects with other Six Sigma professionals as evidence of their qualifications. Finally, a dodgy practitioner will have no enthusiasm. As a Six Sigma professional, you understand the need for discipline, structure, and desire to better your business processes. Without this passion and self-determination, you can never truly be a Six Sigma employee.

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What Do We Consider “Fake”?

Unlike earning a Bachelor’s Degree from an acclaimed university, there’s no governance of Six Sigma certification levels. Because the methodology depends solely on your skills and understanding, most professionals use past experiences, projects, and training courses to verify accreditations. Additionally, Six Sigma employees routinely partake in training courses, workshops, and manage projects that increase their knowledge of the methodology. However, this lack of a “governing body” over Six Sigma certification has led to fake accreditors providing inadequate training to individuals. 

The Signs

Chances are throughout your life, you have received a spam email claiming to give you $1,000,000 if you respond with your bank account information. Or maybe you have read into a business model that tried convincing you it was not a pyramid scheme. No doubt, these examples are nothing more than a scam. Yet, how do you seek out a fake Six Sigma accreditor from the rest?

First, the basics.

Check their website for a phone number, physical address, or an email address. These simple contact details can tell you right away if an accreditor is legitimate or not. You’d be surprised how many fake accreditors list inaccurate addresses or non-working contact numbers online!

Second, the reviews.

All Six Sigma certification and training programs should be willing to provide you with references who have used their services. Additionally, if an accreditor “claims” to be an official accreditor, they should proudly display reviews from successful professionals.

Third, the sources.

Before embarking on your Six Sigma journey, you must first ask why you want a certification. For professionals, employers either encourage (or demand) they become x-Belt Certified and will offset the costs of the training program. Likewise, most employers will use a verified, proven certification program that has a history of delivering quality education to their students. Third-party accreditors typically want one thing: your money. Furthermore, they will have little interest in providing you the hands-on experience you will need to be an official Six Sigma professional.

What to Do If Encountering a Fake Accreditation?

However, what should you do if you find yourself enrolled in a fake accreditor? Depending on how much time and money you have invested in the program, the easiest option would be to simply walk away. If you have just begun your certification training, notify your employer or other prospective students of the fake accreditor.

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In 1995, CEO Jack Welch made it his priority to turn General Electrics into a Six Sigma practicing corporation within five years. Like most executives, Welch’s motivation behind implementing the methodology was to improve the quality of the company’s products to be better than their competitors. Six Sigma aims at achieving a certain degree of production defects. Specifically, 3.4 defects for every million products produced. Likewise, this degree of defects insured near-perfection in all production processes.

The Implementation of Six Sigma in General Electric (GE)

Training

The success of Six Sigma depends almost solely on its implementation into the company. Without strict discipline, training, and project management, your company will not reap the magnitude of benefits you might expect. For General Electric, Welch began implementation by requiring nearly every employee to partake in a 2-week, 100 hour Six Sigma training program. Additionally, every employee was expected to complete a certified Six Sigma project by 1998. Like other successful Six Sigma companies, such as Motorola, Welch also required employees to complete follow-up training courses to perfect their current skill sets. 

Mentors

However, Welch alone did not implement Six Sigma across the entire corporation. Just as you will see with other companies, mentoring was a major variable for General Electric’s success. Master Black Belt Six Sigma certified professionals were hired for full-time mentor roles who trained and managed fellow employees. Likewise, the trained employees would then qualify as Black Belts and could manage other Six Sigma projects throughout the company. Additionally, lower certification levels, such as Green Belts, assisted in numerous projects as team members and the workforce.

Management

In conjunction with thorough, routine training for most employees, Welch gained the support of upper level management and executives by linking their bonuses to quality improvement. Immediately, senior executives had a motive to encourage their employees to perfect their Six Sigma skill sets and improve their production quality. Furthermore, any employee seeking a promotion would have to be Six Sigma Green Belt certified.

Specific Approaches

One key aspect to General Electric’s success was their three specific approaches. The first, “Show Me the Money”, brought focus to cutting costs in specific price-sensitive markets. This included removing workplace production defects, while also improving quality and productivity. The second, “Everybody Plays”, sought to bring Six Sigma business improvement processes to all product line components. From the suppliers to the assembly line personnel, everyone integrated the methodology into their roles. Last, “Specific Techniques”, ranked projects by aligning them to specific business goals the company had.  This was done by using Six Sigma tools, such as process mapping. 

The Results of General Electric implementing Six Sigma

Through revolutionizing their corporate culture, improving the quality of their products, and reducing their production costs, General Electric greatly benefited from the Six Sigma methodology. By 1997, General Electric experienced a nearly $700 million in corporate benefits, and over $2.5 billion by 2000. Increasing product reliability and improving production efficiency lead to enhanced customer relations and thus, greater revenue generation.

Without the strict, disciplined integration executed by Welch, General Electric would not be the successful Six Sigma corporation it is today!

Read More Six Sigma Case Studies:

Demonstration of Six Sigma Principles through Catalent Pharma Solutions

Case Study: Lean Six Sigma Improves Environment – Baxter Manufacturing

Case Study: Lean 6 Sigma in Aerospace Manufacturer Streamlines Processes & Improves Cycle Time

3M 6Sigma Case Study – Pollution Prevention

Amazon Six Sigma Case Study

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When mishaps occur, it’s easy to become frustrated. However, as a Six Sigma professional, it’s your responsibility to get the project back on track as quickly as possible. To better prepare you for the unavoidable future, here are a few tips you can use when mistakes arise.

Prepare

The best way to resolve production errors is to prevent them from happening in the first place. Six Sigma is a business process improvement method that focuses on reducing waste and removing unnecessary components. For most Six Sigma Projects, this methodology will automatically reduce the chance for errors. Although, mistakes are still not completely avoidable. Before beginning a project, ensure your employees have thorough training and understand the Six Sigma methodology completely. A comprehensive understanding with adequate practice is the best way to prevent errors from occurring.

Damage Control

However, when errors do occur, the first thing you should do is remind yourself and your team that you are human. Mistakes will happen and while perfection is a goal, it’s not necessarily achievable. Likewise, when mistakes happen, assess where and when the error occurred. Using your Six Sigma Toolkits, such as Root Cause Analysis, you can locate and correct the production error and get back on track. Additionally, you can also integrate the Kaizen methodology to maintain a clear workspace, revisit locations of errors, and reorganize your components. While you may lose time when a production error occurs, it’s crucial to take the time needed to locate and correct what exactly went wrong.

Getting Back on Track

Whether you have just finished fixing a production error or are practicing prevention methods, getting back on track with your project should always be the end goal. Getting back and staying on track requires discipline, obedience, and a strong management team to motivate their employees. When management communicates effectively with other employees, it’s easier to maintain a proper business process and Six Sigma project. Additionally, practice is always key. If you want to avoid errors from occurring, practice the Six Sigma methodology in all of your business processes when available.

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At some point in life, everyone dreams of being their own boss. Running your own company as an entrepreneur reaps numerous benefits, such as flexible hours, better pay, and most of all, control over what you do and when you do it. However, not everyone has the courage to form their own startup consultancy. Many will invest countless hours and hundreds of dollars into a business model that simply does not work. Some may fear that creating their own business is too risky and does not offer stable benefits their families will need. Yet, the remainders will strive and work as hard as possible to get their company off the ground and in the end, succeed. Whether you have years of experience in a professional industry, a technical education background, or are starting completely new, Six Sigma certification will put you on the path to success!

Six Sigma and Consultancy

Six Sigma is a world-renowned business process improvement method that has integrated itself into numerous industries. Additionally, the Six Sigma methodology uses data-driven analysis to reduce production waste, increase process efficiency, and deter manufacturing defects. Like most business methodologies, you can earn a variety of level certifications that qualify you to work on specific tasks. Beginning with White Belt, you can test your knowledge of Six Sigma and gain higher ranking certifications throughout the program. Furthermore, most entrepreneurs that create their own Six Sigma consultancies have Green Belt certification. This is the medium rank and proves that you possess a thorough understanding of the methodology and how to implement it into practice. However, most successful entrepreneurs continue to learn the details of Six Sigma and earn higher certifications throughout their experience.

What You Will Need

Before you begin creating your own firm, there are a few key things you must have. First, above all else, you must have an exponential desire to succeed. Statistically, four out of five consultancies will fail in the first stages of their life cycle. To beat this, you must believe in yourself, possess a strong passion for your work, and practice a sustainable business model. Next, as a Six Sigma consultant, you must ensure your knowledge of the business process methodology. Consultants, either individually or as a team, are expected to have basic to advanced knowledge on most subjects pertaining to Six Sigma. When advertising your services to potential clients, find ways to express your understanding and why they should choose your services over someone else.

Additionally, it is crucial to have a united workforce. Most consultancies begin small, three to five people at most. When working with your team, continuously practice and test their knowledge of Six Sigma and encourage them to expand their skillset. Finally, every consultancy needs a concrete business model with a solid mission statement. What are your services, what are your specialities, and how will you profit from them? Too often, young consultants spread their workforce and knowledge base too thin and cannot maintain a precise company image. Find what services you offer best and perfect them!

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