Earning a Lean Six Sigma certification shows employers and colleagues that you understand how to use the Six Sigma tools relevant to your position within the Lean Six Sigma leadership hierarchy.
There are 4 levels of Six Sigma certification within the APMG International Lean Six Sigma training scheme.
You don’t need to earn every available Lean Six Sigma certification belt. Each belt addresses a different role and the required Lean Six Sigma proficiency level. Pick the belt that’s most relevant to your role within your organization.
Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt certification
Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt training is suited for anyone who wants to learn the basics of Lean Six Sigma without diving too deep into the applicable techniques and tools used for effective process improvement.
This level of Lean Six Sigma qualification is suited to developers and staff wo want to work within a Lean Six Sigma project environment but don’t occupy a leadership or management role.
The Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt course covers the following topics:
- Why process improvement is important
- How to work effectively as part of an improvement project team
- How to operate within a Kaizen team
- What it means to work in a culture of continuous improvement
- A general understanding of the tools and techniques used to create stable and efficient processes.
Lean Six Sigma Orange Belt certification
Lean Six Sigma Orange Belt qualifications how that your able to implement, monitor and control Lean Six Sigma processes in a process improvement project.
This level of training teaches some practical Lean Six Sigma tools and process improvement methods used to reduce process variation and improve production processes.
This level of Lean Six Sigma qualification is best suited to those who work as team leaders, and those responsible, overseeing the work of colleagues and reporting to Lean Six Sigma project managers.
The Lean Six Sigma Orange Belt course covers the following topics:
- How improvement projects should be executed
- How to create a Lean Six Sigma work environment and standardized the tasks with a project.
- Problem-solving and brainstorming techniques
- How to apply Lean Six Sigma statistical tools.
Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certification
Lean Six Sigma Green Belt training is aimed at those who occasionally manage projects within an organisation in addition to their regular duties.
Lean Six Sigma Green Belts are part-time project managers, mentors to Orange and Yellow Belts, work within complex projects and often report to Lean Six Sigma programme managers and executives.
Lean Six Sigma Green Belt training covers the following topics:
- The role of Six Sigma leadership
- How to identify requirements, create project management roadmaps, put together effective Lean Six Sigma teams, and Lean Six Sigma project management tools
- How to visualize, analyse and improve processes
- The application of Six Sigma and statistical tools
- The application of Six Sigma tools in the product development process.
Lean Six Sigma Black Belt certification
Lean Six Sigma Black Belts are generally top-level managers and leaders within an organization. They primarily focus on Six Sigma project execution and special leadership.
Black belts can work as programme managers with a Lean Six Sigma organisation, they often also act as change managers, ensuring Lean Six Sigma is applied consistently and correctly throughout an organisation.
Lean Six Sigma Black Belt training covers the following aspects of Lean Six Sigma management:
- The responsibilities of Six Sigma leadership roles
- Identifying customers’ requirements, project management roadmaps, team formation, the project charter, and Lean Six Sigma project management tools
- Requirements for organized work environments, reliable equipment, and standardized work
- The application of Six Sigma tools in the product development process.
