"I am not a GB Certified, but i have taken part in many GB projects of my organization. Now i feel, that i can directly go for BB. Is it possible through your organization? "

Dear Radhika, By attending GB training, you learn the basic statistical tools used in Six Sigma, and this is very essential, for understanding the statistical tools taught in BB. Thus undergoing a GB before BB, helps you to understand the tools in BB more easily.

Now for your question, this organization allows a GB certified only, to take up BB.

Hi Radhika,

 

Thanks for asking this question as this might be on mind of many six sigma aspirants. I've seen many companies nominating high potential young managers for direct BB training. Moreover for MBAs the world of statistics is not new and hence can adapt with tools used in six sigma. At the end of the day one has to handle live projects which involve a lot of business process improvement initiatives...hence what matters is an individual having good business acumen...while GB or BB hand-over will depend on complexity of the project.

 

Regards,

Punit  

Six Sigma's main strength  is about Project Management & Statistics and they should allow one like MBA or QA Professional or a Statistician who has done credited courses or accomplishments in both front to go for Black Belt . When even a basic degree is not demanded for Six Sigma in many places, it is time they relax the rigid rules. Unfortunately it is not possible and accepted in most institutions.

Some good points here. I agree that MBA or QA professionals or statisticians may have an edge over others.

However, MBA or QA training course do not cover green belt content appropriately.Let us have a look at the following questions.

• Define phase - What are the methods to identify and select improvement projects with the right scope. Which method would you prefer over others?
  

• Measure phase - How and why does one use MSA (measurement system analysis) in a practical situation. When do you use Cp and Cpk and why? Explain with examples.
  

• Analyze - How can we put hypothesis testing to use in an improvement project in real life? How do you use a chi square test or ANOVA or a t test for identifying the critical input factor? How to use software for calculations?
  

• Improve - Why and where is DOE (design of experiments) appropriate? Where is it inappropriate to use DOE?
  

• Control - Why should you select Xbar R and not Xbar S for monitoring of continuous data when the subgroup size is small?
  

I am highlighting few facts to substantiate my point -

• We have had IIT and IIM grads attending Green Belt training and they appreciated the learning through the program.
  

• Several Management and Engineering Institutes have tied up with Benchmark Six Sigma for their students being trained before they pass out. Can you make a guess which program these students are pursuing? All of them have gone for GREEN BELT.
  

• People who have worked for years in a QA profile can utilize Green Belt to their highest advantage as they clear their concepts (They can apply them straight away)
  

• Do you know which program did Azim Premji attend and which was the one former CEO of CEAT tyres attended? It was the GREEN BELT.
  

• GE at one time made it mandatory that all Champions (HOD's) must be atleast Green Belts.
  

I wish to highlight here Six Sigma is not about plain statistics and management knowledge. It is about knowing and handling complexities in an improvement project that utilizes world best management techniques. It is also about working through exercises and case studies to know the answers to questions which have existed in our minds for years. Have a look at the following questions for an example

• How do you calculate appropriate sample size for data collection in different situations?
  

• Would the sample size be differently calculated if the data was discrete and not continuous? (simpler question is - what is the difference between discrete and continuous data)
  

Most people agreed after the training that there was a lot more in it than what they imagined.

Now, many of you reading this post would be thinking Green Belt is going to be tough. It is not that tough actually. Most of the questions above can be answered with appropriate use of statistical software (in fact most can be done with good old microsoft excel).

We need to learn all of these and more through case studies and exercises in Green Belt as we gear up for Black Belt.

Well said, VK. I am glad to see this response of yours. Just to bring to everyone's knowledge, I wish to paste the forwarded email (sent by an MBA from Rutgers University USA who had 19 plus years experience before his Green Belt) that helped me in joining training from Benchmark.

 

Hi Girish,

 

Regarding Benchmark Six Sigma, I think they're fantastic. I too had gone to Mumbai from Florida to see the family and finding a bit of time on hand impulsively, but very hesitantly, decided to sign up for their Green Belt course.

 

Was most pleasantly surprised -- their planning and quality of service were terrific -- no delays or problems in the city of permanent queues and waiting. From the hotel food to class arrangements to even the room temperature, they made sure that the class participants were comfortable and made every effort to provide a learning environment conducive to interesting interaction and participation. The intellect quotient of the "students" representing a myriad of Fortune, and big and small companies, and even a few IIT graduates, would have put any group or gathering here to shame (I felt so proud to see them -- it's a changed world that side).

 

And until I heard Mr. Vishwadeep Khatri personally, I would not have believed that a person could know so much about management... and in my 19+ years of going through 7 jobs and 4 businesses, I've seen a lot of them. His patience answering questions, providing funny/anecdotal examples to make highly complex concepts a breeze, and teaching style was good enough to better any of my Rutgers University MBA professors. For the first time in my life, I really understood the meaning and power of standard deviation and "Sigma".

 

I could go on, but then it would seem like I was a paid advertisement -- but I'm not

So I'll end it here. Was glad to have taken the classes under Mr. Khatri, and am in-fact considering an investment in sending a bunch of my employees there to go through the week with him. Guess you must have gotten my point by now... if you are seriously thinking of doing Six Sigma -- go with Benchmark -- you won't regret it.

Do feel free to contact me in case of any more questions.

 

Sincerely,

Miheer Shah, Pres.

ServMD, Inc.

I have a Question,

"One of my Friend, who is at a level of Regional Manager - Services in an MNC, has taken up many Green Belt projects within the organization. He is a GB Trained with GE, but not Certified. He is having a qualitative experience of more than 12 years in the industry. He wants to go for BB directly. Can he go ahead?"

Yes, Ramesh. He can. If he is trained on GB, he can go ahead and attend our BB training.

Regards,

VK