Choosing a Lean Six Sigma Certification program online is not as easy as choosing the one that comes with the best rating or the cheapest pricing. Each course has its own level of belts, certification body, mode of learning, and exposure, among other factors. Some courses will prepare you for examinations, whereas others train professionals on solving process and quality issues. When you decide to spend both your money and time on getting certified, you should know how to compare them.
The breakdown of which is the right Lean Six Sigma Certification program for you.
1. Start With the Belt Level
The first step is choosing the right belt.
Six Sigma Green Belt Certification is usually good for professionals who wish to learn the methodology of improvement and take part in or even lead improvement projects while simultaneously doing their normal work. According to IASSC, a Green Belt can be considered as somebody able to lead improvement projects or participate in more complicated improvement projects led by a Black Belt.
Therefore, the Lean Six Sigma Green Belt Training Program can be considered appropriate for many working professionals, graduates, team leaders, quality professionals and operations executives.
In case you need deeper knowledge, Lean Six Sigma Black Belt certification can be chosen. According to IASSC, Black Belt professionals usually deal with complex improvement projects and use Lean Six Sigma at a high level.
If you are new to process improvement, taking up an advanced program right away could make things unnecessarily hard for you. If you are already experienced in project management and work frequently with process data, then a Black Belt program would suit you better.
There are some vendors who offer a Lean Six Sigma Combo, which covers Green and Black Belt training together. It will help you have a sequence of learning rather than registering yourself separately for two programs. It is essential that you decide your belt according to your role and responsibilities, and not because of any certification.
2. Look Beyond the Course Title at the Curriculum
Two training programs might both call themselves a “Lean Six Sigma Black Belt Certification” course but deliver vastly different experiences. Prior to signing up for the program, find out whether it covers the fundamentals of the DMAIC phases and tools.
The right training program would generally include such subjects as:
· Voice of the Customer
· Process mapping
· Project chartering
· Critical-To-Quality characteristics
· Pareto charting
· Root-cause analysis
· Cause-and-effect diagrams
· 5S / waste elimination
· Statistical process analysis
· Process capability analysis
· Control charts
· Measurement systems analysis
· Hypothesis testing
· Regression or equivalent methods
· Improvements
· Control plans
· Project results measurement
The topics included in the IASSC Black Belt Body of Knowledge, for instance, range from Project Selection and Process Metrics to Statistical Methods and Control Plans. What you need is a curriculum based on a Body of Knowledge and not a course website that makes empty promises. Also consider how much time is devoted to practice.
The learner who spent 20 hours watching lectures but did not analyse any processes for improvement will find it difficult to implement the methodology in practice.
3. Find Out Who Provides the Certificate
The term “certification” can have a variety of meanings depending on the issuer. Some companies provide certificates after course completion. Other organisations conduct certification exams independently. This difference becomes important when you compare certifications on your resume or LinkedIn.
Do not choose a course based on the use of phrases like “internationally recognised,” “the best certification,” or others in the description of the course on its website. Find out who provides the certificate and how competence is examined.
4. Focus on Practical Learning
Learning online becomes much more useful if it imitates workplace problem-solving. Seek learning courses including practical assignments, case studies, simulations, datasets, tests, projects, and instructor problem-solving sessions.
It would be better if, instead of just learning about Pareto charts, you worked with a dataset and decided which causes need attention. It would be better if, instead of just memorising the terms related to control charts, you knew what an unusual process looks like and what to do next.
A learner who can describe a process of structured thinking with the use of process data, root cause analysis, and validation will surely make a greater impression than one who only knows the definitions of Six Sigma. For candidates who are planning to pursue a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certification program, real-life and practical assignments can be very useful as well.
Here are some questions you can ask beforehand.
· Do they have real-life or practical case studies?
· Do they have a project?
· Do they have datasets?
· Can learners work with instructors?
· Are assignments graded?
· Do they provide practice exams?
· Do they show how statistical software works where needed?
5. Comparison of Online Learning Program Attributes and Facilities
Online learning need not equate to isolation. A good Six Sigma Certification Online India program would give you a structured learning experience according to your schedule without compromising on support facilities.
You need to evaluate whether the program has recordings of lectures, live classes, discussion forums, mentor support, study materials that can be downloaded, sample exams, and doubt-clarification classes. Course duration is another aspect that needs consideration.
A course that promises you complete knowledge about Black Belt in just a few hours would need careful thought. Lean Six Sigma has certain aspects that are easy to grasp with repeated effort. Expert instructors are an important criterion too. Seek instructors who can clarify applications in the workplace rather than reading slides of a presentation.
If feasible, try to verify the instructor’s profile, work experience, learner feedback and course results. Do note that reviews are just supportive evidence and should not be the sole basis of your decision. Curricula, certification authority, assessment system and effective learning all require due consideration.
Choose a Program That Matches Your Career Objective
Your career objective will decide the choice of your program.
If you have an existing background in areas like operations, manufacturing, quality, supply chain, logistics, or process improvement, then you may opt for the Green or Black Belt level. For example, if you reside in metropolitan cities, then you can find certifications like Six Sigma Certification in Mumbai or Six Sigma Black Belt Certification in Bangalore that are relevant to the needs of training in the respective areas. But a professional should not blindly choose an offline institute simply because it is nearby. It might suit him better to choose a good online course.
Similarly, while choosing Six Sigma Black Belt certification in India, one should compare the certification criteria, course content, project requirements, method of evaluation, and experience of the instructor rather than following the ranking alone.
What should be included in the best online program?
The following are the criteria that a quality online Lean Six Sigma program must meet when you ask the following five questions:
1. What will I learn?
The program curriculum must specify what you are expected to learn.
2. Who recognises the certification?
It is important to know who issues and examines the program.
3. How will I practice?
You need to consider whether there are any projects, case studies, databases, assignments, and/or simulations.
4. Who will help me?
It is important to know whether you have access to an instructor and the possibility of resolving any doubts.
5. How does it help my career?
Certification must promote professional development and not just your CV.
If the above questions are answered positively by the training provider, you have more grounds for comparison.
Conclusion
Lean Six Sigma Certification will be beneficial for people who wish to pursue a career in process improvement, quality, operations, and operational excellence. The candidates get training on DMAIC, Lean, statistics, root cause analysis, and project management, and then they sit for an exam to test their proficiency in all these disciplines. When making a choice between the different Lean Six Sigma certification courses available, one should go beyond the certificate. Syllabus, instructor, projects involved, examination process, certification body, and relevance of the course in the industry should all be considered.
FAQs and their simple answers:
1. How will getting Lean Six Sigma certification benefit my career development?
In combination with practical experience, it can be useful. Lean Six Sigma skills are relevant to quality, operations, manufacturing, supply chain, healthcare, financial services and consulting industries. The value of certification depends on the organisation providing it, course content, exam type and, of course, the candidate’s ability to apply the methodology in practice
2. Am I better suited for a green belt or a black belt?
It truly only depends on the certification body. Some training programs enable candidates to join a Black Belt program directly, whereas other certification bodies recommend that the Green Belt course be taken first or even require it. The choice between a Green Belt and black belt truly only depends on how much experience a person has and what kind of role they want to play in their professional setting.
3. Can Lean Six Sigma certification be done online?
Yes. There are many ways to obtain certification, including online learning and online test formats. One example is that the IASSC offers an online proctored exam format for its certification programs. There are other aspects besides accessibility to the course that you should take into consideration.
4. What do the Lean Six Sigma Green Belt training contents comprise?
You get trained on topics like DMAIC, process mapping, Lean concepts, waste elimination, root cause analysis, process measurements, statistics, control charts, and improvement methodologies. Real-life Case studies and practical assignments can prove to be very useful. You may also find a Body of Knowledge helpful in comparing whether the training covers key competencies and not just basic theories.
5. Six Sigma versus Lean Six Sigma
Variability, problems, and defects in a process are what Six Sigma aims to address via the use of data analysis. While Lean focuses on flow and waste elimination, Lean Six Sigma is a combination of both, allowing for waste and variability to be eliminated simultaneously.
6. What is the correct order for earning Lean Six Sigma belts?
Major testing groups such as ASQ and IASSC may let you jump straight to the black belt exam, but under the condition that you have three years of full-time work experience and proof that you have had experience on real-life projects. But if you do not have work experience, then you have to go about the usual way of acquiring belts.
7. Factors to keep in mind while selecting a Lean Six Sigma training program vendor.
This can be done by assessing the certification program provider’s reputation, curriculum, alignment with the Body of Knowledge, testing process, instructors, projects, learning aids, and independent reviews. One should not pick a provider simply because it comes first in Google search results or offers the lowest prices
8. What is a Master Black Belt?
Master Black Belt refers to the advanced level of Lean Six Sigma practitioners. Master Black Belts can be responsible for mentoring Black Belts and Green Belts, formulating improvement plans, reviewing projects, assisting leaders, and building the capacity for internal improvement within organisations. The prerequisites differ across organisations, but the experience of Black Belts as well as their project success stories may matter.
