• HISTORY:

Since the 1920's the word “sigma”(s) has been used by mathematicians and engineers as a
symbol for a unit of Measurement in product quality variation

In the late-1980's Motorola extended the Six Sigma methods to its critical business
processes, and significantly Six Sigma became a formalized in-house 'branded' name for a
performance improvement methodology, i.e, beyond purely 'defect reduction.‘

In 1995, Six Sigma became well known after Mr. Jack Welch made it a central focus of his
business strategy at General Electric, and today it is used in different sectors of industry.
(General Electric, or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation
incorporated in New York )

By the year 2000, Six Sigma was effectively established as an industry in its own right,
involving the training, consultancy and implementation of Six Sigma methodology.

• RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN STANDARD DEVIATION AND SIX SIGMA:

In the instance of Six Sigma, standard deviation relates to data that can be expressed as
fitting a normal distribution. A normal distribution curve, sometimes known as a “bell
curve,” is a plot of data where the three key measures of central tendency are all in the
graph’s center.
The program’s name comes from the area under the normal distribution curve, after
moving six standard deviations away from the center (three σ in each direction).
Because data that can be expressed as a normal distribution curve tends to behave in
specific ways, we can calculate exactly how much of the data is included in the area under
the curve at each sigma interval.

• SIX SIGMA LEVELS:

White Belt
Professionals are considered Six Sigma White Belts if they have not undergone a formal
certification program or extended training. A single session with an overview of relevant
methods and vocabulary for LSS shows workers at all levels of an organization how they
contribute to efficient, reliable outcomes. With this basic grounding, White Belts
participate in projects and problem-solving tasks related to quality management and
waste reduction.

Yellow Belt
A Yellow Belt designation indicates an exposure to Six Sigma concepts that goes beyond
the fundamentals provided for a White Belt. Yellow Belts may have attended training
sessions over a day or two, developing the knowledge they need be assigned to a project
as fully contributing team members. They may guide limited-scope projects and assist
managers at higher belt levels.

Green Belt
Earning a Green Belt certification requires professionals to attend a full course that
introduces them to Six Sigma methods for developing and improving products, services
and processes. They learn to apply problem-solving frameworks such as DMAIC: Define,
Measure, Analyze, Improve and Control. This improvement cycle lays out a series of steps
to understand the problems in a business process, set useful metrics for measuring
changes, examine relevant data, implement solutions and then sustain the results over
time.

Green Belt training is valuable for individuals in roles like project management, health care
administration or financial management, giving them an understanding of performance
metrics and tools like control charts and Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA). After
certification, professionals are ready to take charge of projects, making the connections
between LSS concepts and the goals of their organization. They can put leadership tools
into action, find chances to eliminate waste and glean useful insights from data.

Black Belt
After completing their Green Belt courses, leaders may take their skills to next level by
pursuing Black Belt certification. This advanced training requires previous knowledge of
LSS strategies as professionals master the skills they need to plan, lead and explain more
complex and expansive projects or organizational changes. Students in a Black Belt-level
course acquire a rigorous understanding of how to drive organization-wide changes,
analyze statistics, deploy Lean principles and supervise projects for a team of Green Belts.

During a Black Belt-level course, professionals demonstrate what they’ve learned and gain
hands-on experience by conducting a project for their employer or a nonprofit
organization. By setting down a project charter, collecting data and employing Six Sigma
tools in a real-world context, students develop the abilities they need to make their
businesses more productive and increase customer satisfaction.

Black Belts go on to execute LSS projects, monitor results and manage team dynamics.
They run quality improvement and Lean efforts with the potential to make a significant
impact on company-wide productivity.

Master Black Belt

A seasoned Black Belt with strong leadership and problem-solving skills can go on to
become a Master Black Belt in LSS. This designation indicates that an expert takes a broad
view of strategy throughout a business, coordinating teams across

Champion
A Champion is an upper-level manager who leads LSS strategy and deployment. Based on
the objectives set by executive leadership, Champions ensure that all initiatives to lower
waste and remove defects come together in alignment with a company’s needs for
growth. Aided by Master Black Belts, these managers mentor the leaders involved in LSS
implementation and track their progress.
• DMAIC
Define the system, the voice of the customer and their requirements, and the project
goals, specifically

Measure key aspects of the current process and collect relevant data.

Analyze the data to investigate and verify cause-and effect relationships. Determine what
the relationships are, and attempt to ensure that all factors have been considered. Seek
out root cause of the defect under investigation.

Improve or optimize the current process based upon data analysis using techniques such
as design of experiments, poka yoke or mistake proofing, and standard work to create a
new, future state process. Set up pilot runs to establish process capability.

Control the future state process to ensure that any deviations from target are corrected
before they result in defects. Implement control systems such as statistical process
control, production boards, visual workplaces, and continuously monitor the process.