Who was the key player in Six Sigma programs responsible for implementing process improvement projects?

Six Sigma professionals exist at every level – each with a different role to play. While Six Sigma implementations and roles may vary, here is a basic guide to who does what.

Six Sigma Roles

At the project level, there are master black belts, black belts, green belts, yellow belts, and white belts. These people conduct projects and implement improvements.

• Master Black Belt: Trains and coaches Black Belts and Green Belts. Functions more at the Six Sigma program level by developing key metrics and the strategic direction. Acts as an organization’s Six Sigma technologist and internal consultant.
• Black Belt: Leads problem-solving projects. Trains and coaches project teams.
• Green Belt: Assists with data collection and analysis for Black Belt projects. Leads Green Belt projects or teams.
• Yellow Belt: Participates as a project team member. Reviews process improvements that support the project.
• White Belt: Can work on local problem-solving teams that support overall projects, but may not be part of a Six Sigma project team. Understands basic Six Sigma concepts from an awareness perspective.
• Brown Belt: Brown Belt is not traditionally used in Six Sigma and is not recognized by most organizations or accrediting agencies. However, some organizations may classify a Brown Belt as a person who has their Green Belt and has passed the Black Belt certification exam, but hasn't completed a second Six Sigma project.

In addition, each project needs organizational support. Six Sigma executives and champions set the direction for selecting and deploying projects. They ensure, at a high level, that projects succeed, add value, and fit within the organizational plan.

• Champions: Translate the company’s vision, mission, goals and metrics to create an organizational deployment plan and identify individual projects. Identify resources and remove roadblocks.
• Executives: Provide overall alignment by establishing the strategic focus of the Six Sigma program within the context of the organization’s culture and vision.

Common Six Sigma Belt Career Pathways

Six Sigma Certifications

ASQ certification is a formal recognition that an individual has demonstrated a proficiency within, and comprehension of, a specific body of knowledge.

In 2016, ASQ certification exams moved from paper and pencil to computer-based testing delivered at 8,000 different Prometric testing facilities, which allows for additional annual exam administrations, availability of exam days, faster retesting, and faster test results. Learn more about computer-based testing here.

the Difference Certification Makes

Obtaining your Six Sigma certification is proven to increase your earning potential. Results from the 2020 Quality Progress Salary Survey showed that U.S. respondents who completed any level of Six Sigma training earned $16,411 more on average than those without any Six Sigma training.

Salaries were shown to increase in alignment with the more advanced the Six Sigma belt. Compared with persons with no Six Sigma certifications, on average:

• Master Black Belts (MBB) earned $26,123 more
• Certified Six Sigma Black Belts (CSSBB) earned $15,761 more
• Certified Six Sigma Green Belts (CSSGB) earned $10,736 more
• Certified Six Sigma Yellow Belts (CSSYB) earned $880 more

For full details, view the results of Quality Progress' annual Salary Survey.

Certification Resources

You can also search articles, case studies, and publications for more examples of how ASQ certifications have helped organizations and individuals.

Books

The Certified Six Sigma Master Black Belt Handbook

The Certified Six Sigma Black Belt Handbook

The Certified Six Sigma Green Belt Handbook

The Certified Six Sigma Yellow Belt Handbook

Case Studies

ASQ Certification: My Competitive Advantage in a Tough Economy (PDF) Tyler Wallace obtained CQIA and CSSBB certifications to jumpstart his career in healthcare. Within a time period of two years, he received two promotions and tripled his salary.

Webcasts

2020 QP Salary Survey: Striking The Right Balance To Reach Your Career Goals Lead researcher and author of the article introducing the Salary Survey, Max Christian Hansen, provides insights on the 2020 survey results and reveals what combinations of education, certifications, and roles can mean substantial increases in salary. He also shares special findings related to COVID-19, and discusses ongoing research on the impact of COVID-19.

Certification Tips, Tricks, And Traps In this still popular webcast, James Rooney, an ASQ Fellow, professional trainer, and holder of nine ASQ certifications, shares his tips, tricks, and traps he’s learned throughout his years of working with ASQ certification exams.

Preparing For A Certification Exam Doug Wood, a CQM/OE certification preparation instructor and holder of three ASQ certifications, provides insights into successfully preparing for and passing ASQ certification exams.

One of the benefits of doing Six Sigma projects for problem-solving is that there are clearly defined roles and responsibilities for the various parties involved. If you are thinking of enrolling in online free six sigma training or lean six sigma green belt course to learn more about how to execute Six Sigma projects you will learn about all the roles and responsibilities of 6 sigma in detail. Roles and responsibilities form a critical part of the Six Sigma Principles.

Attend our 100% Online & Self-Paced Free Six Sigma Training.

This article aims to provide insight into the importance of stipulating a strict set of roles and responsibilities in Six Sigma Projects as well as outline the various roles in Six Sigma projects and their responsibilities.

In Six Sigma projects, members of an organization are assigned specific roles to play. This highly structured format is necessary in order to implement Six Sigma projects throughout the organization. Six Sigma projects will NOT necessarily bring improvement to a Business. Six Sigma projects should be aligned with the goals of a Business System or Organizational goals. Six Sigma projects must align to the organizational goals, short term, and long term. Based on the organization’s goals, Six Sigma projects selection is done.

Six Sigma Projects Selection

The Project selection group for Six Sigma projects consists of Master Black Belts, Black Belts, Champions, and Key Executives establish a set of criteria for Six Sigma projects selection and team assignments. Team selection for Six Sigma projects may be done based on the nature of the project. If the project has extensive data analysis, it may be given to a Six Sigma team. Whereas, if the project is about establishing a necessary quality standard, it may be given to a quality assurance team. The design of new products/process should follow the DFSS roadmap also known as Design for Six Sigma projects.

Check our Six Sigma Training Video

The importance of financial metrics in Six Sigma projects selection

It helps to assign financial metrics to the outcome of the project during its selection phase. Examples of financial metrics would include return on investment (ROI), an increase in profit, cost reduction and so on. Calculating the profit expected out of Six Sigma projects helps in further selection of the project. Expected profit equals the sum of profit times the probability of success.

The Six Sigma Projects for selection should also conform to the whole system. The effect of proposed changes on other processes within the system should be considered in Six Sigma Projects. Improvement in any of one process of a Business System should not reduce optimization of the other processes in the system.

Responsibilities in Six Sigma Projects.

There are seven responsibilities, we will be going over each one-by- one.

 Leadership

A leadership team or council defines the goals and objectives in the Six Sigma process. Just as a corporate leader sets a tone and course to achieve an objective, the Six Sigma Council sets out the goals to be met by the team. Here is the list of leadership

Council Responsibilities:

• Define the purpose the Six Sigma Program
• Explain how the result is going to benefit the customer
• Set a schedule for work and interim deadlines
• Develop a means for review and oversight
• Support team members and defend established positions.

Sponsor

The Six Sigma sponsor are high-level individuals who understand Six Sigma and are committed to its success. The individual in the sponsor role acts as a problem solver for the ongoing Six Sigma project. Six Sigma will be led by a full-time, high-level champion, such as an Executive Vice President. Sponsors are owners of processes and systems who help initiate and coordinate Six Sigma improvement activities in their areas of responsibilities.

Implementation Leader

The person responsible for supervising the Six Sigma team effort, who supports the leadership council by ensuring that the work of the team is completed in the desired manner. The implementation leader ensures the success of the implementation plan and solves problems as they arise, organizes training as needed, and assists sponsors motivating the team.

Coach

The Six Sigma expert or consultant who sets a schedule defines results of a project, and who mediates conflicts or deals with resistance to the program. Duties include working as the go-between for sponsor and leadership, scheduling the work of the team, identifying and defining desired results of the project, mediating disagreements, conflicts, and resistance to the program and identifying success as it occurs.

Team Leader

The individual responsible for overseeing the work of the team and for acting as the go-between with the sponsor and the team members. Responsibilities include communication with the sponsor in defining project goals and rationale, picking and assisting team members and other resources, keeping the project on schedule, and keeping track of step in the process as they are completed.

Team Member

An employee who works on a Six Sigma project, given specific duties within a project, and deadlines to meet in reaching specific project goals. The team members execute specific Six Sigma assignments and work with other members of the team within a defined project schedule, to reach specifically identified goals.

Process Owner

The individual who takes on responsibility for a process after a Six Sigma team has completed its work. When the Six Sigma project has been completed, the process owner is responsible for monitoring the performance of the project metrics post implementation. If the changes to the process that was part of the Six Sigma project does not perform optimally, the process owner must bring it to the attention of the project team as this means that more improvements will need to be done.

It is very important that each member of the team knows exactly which tasks they are responsible for in Six Sigma projects. If there is an overlap in roles and responsibilities, it may cause confusion in the team and it may result in some tasks not being done. However, if the roles and responsibilities are clearly defined, each task will have an owner that is responsible for completing that task and the project will run smoothly.