Six Sigma Goals, Projects, and Hierarchy of Belts

A Six Sigma Black Belt is the title associated with the professional employees or consultants who are actively carrying out steps of a project. These projects are normally called Six Sigma projects. This process is a business management strategy developed by Motorola, which works by eliminating errors and reducing variability in both manufacture and other aspects of business.

The goal of Six Sigma Implementation within any company is that nearly one hundred percent (99.9997%) of products or services produced by that company are defect free.

To accomplish this goal, smooth cooperation between management and employee performance can significantly influence project results. The way to achieving this smooth cooperation differs between the opinions of many companies. For some companies the 6 Sigma project method is the strategy for them.

Normally, one of these projects will have a specific order of steps and a set of financial goals in mind. This could involve an increase in profits or perhaps a reduction of overall costs. The purpose of these projects is often to improve the efficiency and overall health of the company. Efficiency can be measured in many ways. Quality of the manufacturing method can be measured by its Sigma rating. This rating indicates the percentage of effectiveness.

The results of these goals very much depends on the quality of management involved. There is a set of quality standards for management. The standards for management involve a lot of professionalizing of management methods. This professionalization is partly achieved by the levels of management that are responsible for higher levels of management authority. This creates a hierarchy of skill and authority inside an organization.

There is some variation between companies when it comes to basic levels of hierarchy. Usually, executive leadership is the highest level of management in these projects. This consists of the CEO and other similar positions in the company. Their responsibility is to set goals for projects for their company to pursue. The next highest level of management includes the Six Sigma Champions.

Champions are mentors for the black belts and assistance for the executive leadership. Master Black belts offer assistance to the champions as well as guidance to the lower belts. Black belts are in charge of the actual projects themselves. The green belts are the employees of the company who do most of the data collection and analysis. Some companies include a lower level below the green belts called the yellow belts.  Yellow Belts are auxiliary employees in a Six Sigma Company.

The ranking terms are similar to some martial arts ranking, but these titles are not earned through martial arts technique. These people are experts according to their titles. They are tested and certified in order to earn their belt ranking.  Six Sigma certification is also available both online and onsite by many different training providers and consultants.

Whether the employees of a company belong to the highest level of hierarchy in the Sigma management system, or to the lowest they are all part of a very important team that was designed to work together to reach goals. Without teamwork, none of the goals of this brilliant business strategy would be possible. Every member of the team is necessary from the Six Sigma Black Belt to the executive leadership to the Yellow Belt with quality and teamwork in everyone's top priority.

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Basic Overview of the Tools Used for IDOV

IDOV, which stands for Identify, Design, Optimize, and Verify, is a methodology commonly used for Design for Six Sigma (DFSS). DFSS is a variation on the traditional Six Sigma tools with a focus on the development of a new process, product, or service rather than an improvement upon a previous version.

The logic behind DFSS is that costs will be significantly lowered if Six Sigma is built into the initial design methods of a particular product or process. This means that DFSS results in a much longer planning period before products and services are actually offered. IDOV assists those in this process by offering a methodology that can reduce development time as much as possible.

The Voice of the Customer is used during the Identify phase. It’s important for team members to think in terms of the customer’s needs and act accordingly. Targets are set, and CTOs are developed for the design of the eventual product or service. The actual project launch is planned during this initial phase of IDOV.  Tools needed for completion are the project charter, risk management and multi-generation plans, market research, benchmarking, and Voice of the Customer tools (such as surveys, interviews, and record of complaints).

Design is key in the second phase of IDOV. During this phase, concepts are posed and evaluated for viability. A high-level design of the new product or service is created and tested. Many tools are used, with a FMEA being among the most crucial. QFD, TRIZ, AHP, as well as additional benchmarking and research is performed. A gap analysis should be done here before the project proceeds further.

During the Optimize phase, the parameters of the design are developed and optimized. A prototype is created based on these specifications. Several of the tools first developed during the Design phase will be called upon during optimization. The FMEA should continue to be referenced as well as the gap analysis. A hypothesis test should be done and a design structure matrix is used.

The final phase of IDOV is the Verify phase and the design is tested and perfected during this time. A final prototype should be developed and readied for production. Tools utilized during this final stage in the process include the FMEA and process mapping.  Performance flow-up and capability analysis should be done, as well as piloting and dashboard. Several of the Six Sigma-based tools used in this final phase are intended to ensure problem-free delivery.

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