What Is A Six Sigma Master Black Belt?

Six Sigma is a process in which individuals are trained and certified in a methodology that will help companies organize, analyze, and improve their overall business operation.  This will help to make them more efficient and more profitable. In the hierarchal structure of Six Sigma, there are different levels of certification that pertain to the degree of proficiency and level of expertise and understanding of the theories of this business management strategy. These levels are referred to as belts. The highest level is the Six Sigma Master Black Belt.

The Six Sigma Master Black Belt, or MBB, is a person who has achieved the highest degree of training and certification in the entire 6 Sigma process. They will be able to go into any company, regardless of the area of manufacture or service, and be able to help improve the overall flow of business. By doing this, the company will not only save a lot of money, in many cases, millions of dollars per year, but also create an environment of efficiency that lasts.

Consumers will also benefit from a Master Black Belt working within a corporation. As a result of the implementation of the methodologies, continuous improvements, reduced cycle times, lowered costs per unit, and increased quality, the consumer will often receive higher quality goods and services for a reduced cost.

Because of their high degree of expertise and training, Master Black Belts are highly sought after in the business world. They can be the life breath that saves a company from going bankrupt. These individuals have typically studied for years to attain this high level of education and understanding. This not only makes them highly valuable employees, but also rare in the world of business.

It will not matter if the company hiring the MBB currently uses the Six Sigma process or not. The MBB will be able to educate the necessary individuals within the company, explain the process in easy to understand language, and help train the right people to take charge of the processes that he or she will lay out for the company.  They will then lead teams of individuals on 6 Sigma Projects, that will work to increase the company’s quality while decreasing their bottom line.

Once everyone is on board and understands the reasons for implementing the process, the real work can begin. The biggest part of the process will involve the gathering of data or metrics to help the Master Black Belt and other leadership-level individuals to come up with the proper conclusions about the business practices and how to improve them.

A properly trained individual will be able to look at any business type, even something with which he or she is not familiar, and be able to gather information to make the process more efficient and profitable. The ability to look at complex processes and find the areas that need improvement even without being an expert in that particular field is what sets the 6 Sigma Master Black Belt apart from the lower levels of Six Sigma Training.

Most people will need to know more about the process in order to be able to suggest areas of weakness in need of improvement. While a cursory knowledge is important, if the data sets are gathered correctly, a proper analysis can be made. The MBB  is just the right person for such a task.

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Use of DMADV (Define, Measure, Analyze, Design, Verify) in Six Sigma

DMADV (Define, Measure, Analyze, Design, Verify) is often known as DFSS or Design for Six Sigma.  Since Six Sigma uses many of the quality management implements well within the many different phases of DMADV, it is only natural that these same phases would work anywhere.

In order to understand DMADV (Define, Measure, Analyze, Design, Verify) one must look at and understand each of the five phases that it must go through.  The first, of course, is design. 

When worked within the confines of a DMADV project, the term define only means that goals are going to be made distinct.  Depending on what consumers are demanding and needing, and what the business is willing to consider, the distinctions will vary.  However, there will be some that will work for both and these need to be found for an idea and basic plan to be created.

When looking at the next term, measure, this is when things start to get a bit more technical.  Not only are they going to measure the capabilities of a business to be able to produce the product, they are also going to measure the risks associated with taking the project on.  They will identify what are commonly known as CTQ’s or which features are Critical to Quality.

When the Six Sigma team turns to the third phase, the analyze phase, they will then work on the design and several alternatives to that particular design and then evaluate each specific one to see if it is the best of all the designs they have created.  These will all be of high level and only the best design that can create the specified product will continue to be considered.

From there, they go into the details.  This is the stage where the chosen design is optimized for peak performance.  They also create a verification process that will determine whether or not the product or service is feasible.  Simulations can often be found in use during this stage.

Finally, they verify the design.  This is far beyond simulations, as it is now time to actually do practice runs of the equipment and see if production is going to go as planned.  Should all go well during this final stage, it is finally given to the owner to utilize.

Since DMADV is so often used by a Six Sigma team, it is considered a process that is necessary for them and even thought of as exclusively used by the methodology, although it can easily be used outside of a Six Sigma environment.

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Implementing Six Sigma Certification in Healthcare Environments

The healthcare industry is one where defects and mistakes are not and cannot be tolerated.  A mistake could cost a patient their life.  This means processes need to be in place and followed exactly how they are set forth to eliminate mistakes.  A Six Sigma certification is the best requirement in a healthcare environment for employees dealing with critical patient information.

Although the Six Sigma Methodology may have been developed for a manufacturing organization, the good news is, it can be used in a healthcare organization in order to give the same added benefits.  The healthcare industry is a service organization facing challenges everyday.  Quality improvement methods are more difficult to implement in a healthcare industry.  The comprehensive approach offered by a Six Sigma certification allows for the methodologies to be successfully implemented with positive results.

A Six Sigma certification provides the tools and resources required for a healthcare organization to manage effectively the interaction of information and the interaction of people in this critical environment.  Processes can be easily transformed for total quality results and better productivity without the worry of critical mistakes.  Many people in a healthcare environment are stuck in their ways because they are used to running the same processes on every shift.  A change can be dramatic, if not cause anxiety to staff members.  The Six Sigma certification shows management how to implement effective changes in a critical environment, such as healthcare, by creating motivated employees who are ready and willing for the changes.

Healthcare organizations are behind the times in managing people, documentation, systems, and other resources.  This is because changes are so difficult to make in such a critical atmosphere.  A Six Sigma certification program shows management how to create a long term vision and slowly work toward positive changes that can help reduce costs, increase productivity, and create an atmosphere employees are happy working in.

The Six Sigma certification program is designed to reduce waste and save money.  Healthcare organizations can find different approaches to systems that save time and reduce the probability of making critical mistakes.  This type of program is ideal for management in any type of industry including retail, manufacturing, industrial, service, and even healthcare. 

The best thing a healthcare organization can do today is require management to undergo Six Sigma certification training with their staff.  This will help management make positive changes to reduce waste such as unnecessary steps in processes, physical assets, and labor.  New systems can be put in place to better a healthcare operations to ensure mistakes are almost impossible to make.  This will help create a safer environment for patients and improve employee morale.

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