Six Sigma Training and Implementation

Company training is not often regarded as important when resources are required elsewhere to meet higher priorities. This changes with Six Sigma. Very structured and detailed training is necessary to provide the skills and knowledge that are needed to successfully implement the work ethic of Six Sigma. Without a focused and fully committed training effort, Six Sigma may fail in its early stages of development. So, who needs to be trained? According to Greg Bruce (2002), the "key players" in the total Six Sigma effort are:

• An executive leader — who is committed to Six Sigma and who promotes it

• Champions — who remove barriers

• Master Black Belts — who work as trainers, mentors, and guides

• Black Belts — who work and manage the Six Sigma projects full-time

• Green Belts — who assist Black Belts on a part-time basis (p.80)

An in-depth training program begins with a 2-3 day Six Sigma orientation session for executive management, and is typically followed with 5-8 days of Project Champion training. This consists of an overview of DFSS (DMADV) and PFSS (DMAIC), change management, Master Black Belt and Black Belt assistance, project management, resource allocation, process integration, and team dynamics.

Green Belts (GB) receive 10-15 days of training, mostly in the application of basic tools and techniques in the DMAIC stages. They receive a certificate for the successful completion of the formal training and assigned project tasks. They also assist Black Belts (BB) in the completion of Six Sigma projects. Black Belts' training often consists of 20-25 days that include all major components of Six Sigma work, an expanded mix of tools, inferential statistics, and the completion of two small Six Sigma projects within the learning cycle. The Black Belt will also receive a certificate of completion. The Master Black Belt (MBB) usually receives 2-3 weeks of additional training in financial results reporting, team conflict resolution, mentoring, and train-the-trainer information to train Black Belts and Green Belts. They also act as internal consultants for people assigned to Six Sigma projects.

The length of training programs varies from one practicing organization to another. This is also true for certification requirements. The tools and techniques presented in training programs for Green Belts, Black Belts, and Master Black Belts overlap greatly since they provide a common communication platform for Six Sigma teams.

The following is a selection of recurring training modules found in researched training programs that offer Green Belt and Black Belt certification:

• DFSS (DMADV) and PFSS (DMAIC) roadmaps

• Sampling methods, instrument development

• Data collection, and "Best Practices" Benchmarking

• Descriptive statistics (Histograms, Pie Charts, Scatter Diagrams, etc.)

• Inferential statistics [Hypothesis testing for t-distribution (Student's "t"), Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), Chi-square ("π²"), Correlation ("r"), etc.]

• Six Sigma process capability calculations

• Variability reduction techniques

• Voice of the customer tools, Quality Function Deployment

• Design of experiments (DOE)

• Measurement systems analysis

• Problem definition and selection

• Problem-solving tools and techniques

• Process analysis, cycle-time reduction

• Statistical process control (SPC) tools

• Measurement and assessment tools

• Project management and monitoring

• Team dynamics and conflict resolution

• Team building and facilitation skills

• Team research and document preparation

• Team project reporting and presentation

A strong case is made for the inclusion of team building/team dynamics training by George Eckes in Six Sigma Team Dynamics (2003). He points out that "many groups of individuals who call themselves a team end up failing miserably using either the DMAIC or the DMADV methodology — often, the reason behind their failure is poor team dynamics."

The implementation of Six Sigma across the organization requires careful planning, resource allocation and funding for full-time employees trained and assigned to Six Sigma projects. Other costs will be incurred for consultants and trainers to train the initial core of selected Six Sigma people, and also to establish an administrative support and reward system. Forest Breyfogle (1999) believes that:

Six Sigma can be the best thing that ever happened to a company. Alternatively, a company can find Six Sigma to be a dismal failure. it all depends on implementation. Organizations need to follow a road map that leads an organization away from a Six Sigma strategy built around "playing games with the numbers" to a strategy that yields long lasting process improvements with significant bottom-line results (p. 111).

There are many opinions about how to successfully implement Six Sigma. General Electric relies on the strategy of implementation teams under the leadership of company executives, proven and accepted training programs, and a changing corporate culture that links a reward system to performance measurement. Some other considerations are:

• Creating a steering committee to develop an implementation plan

• Developing measurable goals (ideally based on gap analyses such as Benchmarking)

• Developing metrics to monitor Six Sigma project outcomes

• Training top management levels, establish a guidance committee

• Communicating the Six Sigma quality strategy to all employees

• Training Project Champions, Green Belts and Black Belts

• Defining customer requirements and processes

• Performing benchmarking, identify best suppliers

• Identifying and selecting high profile Six Sigma projects

• Establishing Six Sigma teams to work on DFSS and PFSS projects

In addition, Smith and Lee (2002) give good advice:

to deploy strategic Six Sigma initiatives rapidly and with sufficient speed and scale to enforce optimal success that CEOs [among others] — ensure that the company is both passionate and consistent about how it stays in touch with customers [and] — recognize that success with strategic Six Sigma means making a full-time commitment and applying the manpower to ensure that Six Sigma projects succeed (pp.44-48).

Six Sigma requires a superior, criteria-based selection of projects that have a high probability of success. Please refer to tool # 154, "Project Prioritization Matrix." The criteria for selection may be to increase customer satisfaction, at least 50% defect reduction, a process cycle time reduction of 50% or more, or an identifiable cost savings of $100,000 to $250,000 per project. Generally speaking, the number of Black Belts in some organizations represents roughly one percent of the workforce. The requirements for full-time Six Sigma employees will vary for the size and type of organization. At the start-up, one may consider a Project Champion, a Master Black Belt working with perhaps 15 Black Belts that lead 15 teams, and approximately 150 Green Belts to assist the Black Belts, a ratio of 1:15.

Black Belts working with teams are expected to complete 5-8 projects per year. For every 10-15 Black Belts, a Master Black Belt is devoted full time for support and training activities. Green Belts assist in research, form and facilitate teams, and under the leadership of Black Belts, complete their own projects. Project Champions provide the resources and funding for the teams. They also remove any roadblocks that teams may encounter. In support of Six Sigma teams, Thomas Pyzdek, the author of The Six Sigma Handbook (2001), cautions against four ineffective management support strategies:

• "Command people to act as you wish

• Change the rules by decree

• Authorize circumventing of the rules

• Redirect resources to the project"

Hopefully, organizations have gained the experience to avoid these dysfunctional activities in past TQM efforts.