The quality of the services and products you market represents the most critical factor influencing your market position and reputation among your target audience. However, to increase the efficiency of your production line and eliminate defects in the manufactured items, you will need to use a complex business methodology that takes into account the particularities of your organization and the industry in which you operate. Is your focus on quality without compromise? Do you want to enhance the efficiency of your workforce while simultaneously eliminating roadblocks in your internal procedures? In that case, investing in a Lean Six Sigma yellow belt will be an excellent idea.
Why a Lean Six Sigma belt?
There are many reasons, and they all concern streamlining the internal processes used by your company and increasing the quality of the products you offer. Lean and Six Sigma are complementary methodologies whose role is to find internal elements within firms that can be leveraged for progressive growth in market share and gradual improvements in the quality of services and products offered. As in Six Sigma, a goal in Lean Six Sigma is that the products marketed achieve a defect rate of less than 3.4 per million. Is this attainable? No, but a Sigma Five ratio is.
By improving the internal procedures and eliminating the obstacles that contribute to losses in profitability and production line stability, the error rate of marketed products can decrease to less than 0.2%, a percentage that allows for continual market growth. The key behind the Lean Six Sigma methodology is the focus on data analysis and the implementation of statistical tools. Therefore, for a correct deployment of the philosophy, your employees must be knowledgeable about its framework. So, investing in a Lean Six Sigma yellow belt will be an excellent idea.
What are the Undisputable Advantages?
Lean Six Sigma is a methodology that combines the principles of using data analytics to improve production factors, specific to Six Sigma, and the methods used in Lean, focused on continuous product improvement. The origins of Six Sigma come from Japan in the 1980s, where companies such as Motorola used the DMAIC framework to improve existing production factors and increase, therefore, product quality. The combination of Six Sigma with Lean came a little later. However, the effect was immediate, and today, most companies involved in manufacturing combine Six Sigma either with Lean or with Kaizen.
The focus of Lean Six Sigma is on eliminating defects in the production processes and reducing waste that could have a long-term negative financial effect. As complementary methodologies, in both Six Sigma and Lean, the ultimate goal is to improve the public’s perception of the products marketed while simultaneously implementing a data-driven approach to the decision-making process. Six Sigma provides a structured approach to problem-solving, is a method by which business risks can be mitigated, and when combined with Lean, is the best manufacturing philosophy to reduce lead times.
What Are Belts in Lean Six Sigma?
Like many other business methodologies, Lean Six Sigma uses a bespoke system of hierarchies to differentiate between certifications. For simplicity, in Lean Six Sigma, the hierarchy is done by belt colors. The basic level is the “White Belts,” who are novices who are just beginning to understand the ins and outs of the Lean Six Sigma methodology and don’t yet have the knowledge to handle their companies’ internal projects. The next level is the “Yellow Belts, which is an intermediate level, where students learn statistical analysis concepts such as FMEA, C&E Matrix, or Process Variables Mapping.
The investment in a Lean Six Sigma yellow belt can be significant for your company, as graduates of this program are expected to possess the knowledge to assist in small, internal projects designed to improve overall production line efficiency. The next level is “Green Belts,” who are project leaders with a solid understanding of the Lean Six Sigma methodology and who can act as trainers for White or Yellow Belts. Finally, the last levels are “Black Belts,” “Master Black Belts,” and “Champions,” who are professionals experienced in the DMAIC framework that can create comprehensive frameworks through which the Lean Six Sigma methodology will be implemented.
What are the Differences between Six Sigma and Lean?
Lean and Six Sigma are complementary theories whose goals are similar. A pillar of Six Sigma is the focus on variation reduction and, hence, on improving production processes that increase the quality of products sold. Moreover, the long-term vision of Six Sigma is to use data tools for measuring and eliminating inefficiencies in production. Six Sigma is not the best methodology if you want to shake up the industry and innovate. However, for high-level companies, where a percentage difference in product variety can mean millions of dollars in losses, it is a crucial philosophy synonymous with long-term financial stability.
The goals of Lean are similar. However, the main focus of this philosophy is not to reduce variation between products but to eliminate waste, such as overproduction and unnecessary transport costs. The keyword in Lean is efficiency, which can be aided by a long-term strategy of continuous improvement, which takes advantage of production flow and is encouraged by a positive work culture that fosters departmental collaborations. Lean Six Sigma combines the commonalities of the two methodologies into one distinct philosophy, which was first implemented in 2002 and has since become a staple of the manufacturing industries.
Do You Need a Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt?
The answer to this question will depend on your viewpoint. Are you a nationally or internationally active company, and do you want your production line to be streamlined while your internal costs decrease? In that case, investing in a Lean Six Sigma yellow belt program for your employees will be beneficial. The better trained your staff is, the more often their knowledge can be used to improve the performance of your organization.
The ROI from implementing a business methodology that fits your company’s needs will be significantly higher than the cost of the program, so your decision should be obvious. Are you an employee and want to get a Lean Six Sigma belt of your own volition? Then, you will make an excellent choice, as Lean Six Sigma belts are internationally recognized and can be a valuable mark in your CV that future employers will notice. Lean Six Sigma is a methodology that combines the practicality of Lean with the analytical focus of Six Sigma. Therefore, on an international level, it is an approach that is gaining more and more traction.
Salman is a prolific environmental writer, and has authored more than 500 articles in reputed journals, magazines and websites. He is proactively engaged in creating mass awareness on renewable energy, waste management, sustainability and conservation all over the world.
Salman can be reached on salman@cleantechloops.com
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