Evaluating Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt Course Options

Many appreciate the advantages of Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt certification (MBB certification). There are many sources for Master Black Belt training; however, not all training is created equal. In addition to certification, attendees need to consider their reason for taking the training and what long-lasting skill sets do they expect from the MBB certification training. This whitepaper discusses the following five reasons for Master Black Belt certification, which can help individuals and organizations determine what approach is best for them: (1) Achieve Master Black Belt certification quickly for resume building; e.g., job-security attempt or loss of job. (2) Learn how to use Six Sigma statistical tools better for project execution. (3) Learn how to use Lean tools better for reduction of waste through kaizen events. (4) Apply a roadmap for project execution of the integration of Lean and Six Sigma tools so that the right tool is used at the right time. (5) Apply Lean, Six Sigma, Theory of Constraints (TOC), and beyond the balanced scorecard tools for not only the execution of improvement projects but also application of the tools at the business level as well.

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Enhanced Key Performance Indicators In Business Reports

Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s) are being used as financial and non-financial measures or metrics that are to help organizations define and evaluate their progress towards long-term goals. However, metrics that focus on performance to goals are subject to being changed over time as objectives/leaders change and are also dependent upon management opinions or intuition at some point in time. A system that resolves this issue applies at the enterprise level such statistical analytical and non-statistical tools as Lean, Six Sigma, and Theory of Constraints (TOC) with a blending of innovation. This system centers on first creating an effective long-lasting, value-chain, non-siloed measurement system that has predictive metrics. This system, when integrated with strategic planning and business improvement efforts, can help organizations move toward achievement of the 3 Rs of business; i.e., everyone doing the Right things, and doing them Right, at the Right time.

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Design of Experiments (DOE) Data Analysis: A Development Example

Design of Experiments (DOE) can be used within a Design for Six Sigma (DFSS) Define-Measure-Analyze-Design-Verify (DMADV) roadmap in both the Design (for optimization) and Verify (for design testing) phases. In this example, which is taken from a book, the application of a DOE is illustrated for verification test of the product design robustness to customer environmental conditions and future product configurations. The described technique is useful for capturing no trouble found issues before products are shipped.

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Design of Experiments Approach Example

In Design for Six Sigma (DFSS) and elsewhere, Design of Experiments (DOE) can be used in product design validation tests. In this example, Design of Experiment (DOE) techniques are used to validate a product design change in conjunction with an assessment of currently planned manufacturing tolerances. In this book excerpt, the reader is taken through a very robust sequence for the analysis of any DOE that provides a rapid and repeatable conclusion. This example includes a unique method to use probability plots to assess design limits.

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Enhancement of Performance Measurement Tools

Many organizations struggle to get their efforts completed on time because of routine “Firefights” keep coming up and taking all the free time away if not delaying currently planned work. No matter how it is addressed, the problems continue to return. In this book excerpt, there is a discussion of the reasons they come back that is related to the methods used to monitor performance to specification. This is an excerpt from his first book in the Integrated Enterprise Excellence four book series.

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Enhancing Balanced Scorecard Key Performance Indicators

The Balanced scorecard, was presented in a 1992 Harvard Business Review article by Kaplan and Norton. Many organizations has adopted this idea into their business practices with a wide range of success levels. In the Integrated Enterprise Excellence (IEE) system book, Forrest Breyfogle examines the benefits and true problems with the Balanced Scorecard as currently documented and provides ideas how to use the concept without any of the clear issues. This is an excerpt from his first book in the Integrated Enterprise Excellence four book series.

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Corporate Performance Management Framework System and Software

Elephant-in-the-room business policies are not often openly discussed but can result in very unhealthy behaviors, as illustrated in our current economic crisis. This paper elaborates on these issues and describes an Integrated Enterprise Excellence (IEE) business governance system resolution. IEE integrates best practice management components and goes beyond traditional business techniques; e.g., the Balanced Scorecard and project-based process improvement techniques such as Lean Six Sigma. A Chief Performance Officer can use the IEE methodology for their Corporate Performance Management (CPM) system. The current management system that companies are using can lead to very unhealthy, destructive behaviors and are a large part of the economic crisis that we are now experiencing. Common-place business management systems are broken and need reinvention. IEE is a 21st century business management governance system that addresses these needs and more by overcoming shortcomings in the following areas: organizational scorecard and dashboard metrics; strategic planning practices and their metrics; traditional table of numbers, pie charts, stacked bar charts and other forms of non-predictive scorecard reporting; variance to metric goals, red-yellow-green scorecards, and the balanced scorecard. The predictive scorecard and other attributes of the Integrated Enterprise Excellence (IEE) system resolves these issues and gets organizations out of the firefighting mode, where common-cause issues are often reacted to as though they were special cause. IEE provides the guiding light for organizations to move toward achievement of the 3 Rs of business; i.e., everyone doing the Right things, and doing them Right, at the Right time.

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Enhanced Corporate Performance Management Systems Framework

Lean Six Sigma, Total Quality Management (TQM), and other process improvement efforts have helped organizations improve; however, these efforts often occur in organizational silos, where the benefits are not felt at the big picture executive level. Lean conference presentations often describe how all company associates in a spirit of organizational improvement need to continually identify and resolve waste-reduction problems; i.e., overproduction, waiting, transportation, inventory, over-processing, motion, and defects. Even though there can be significant benefits from these efforts, Lean practitioner conversations at those same conferences can be describing how their organization eliminated much operational waste only to find that executive management decided to close their facility. There are some elephant in the room business management governance policies that nobody seems to openly discuss. These topics and discussions can include red-yellow-green goal setting scorecards, variance to metric goal tracking, strategic planning sessions often lead to statements that are to have measurements and activities aligned to them, silo improvement efforts that don’t impact the big picture, control systems that are not effective (e.g., Sarbanes Oxley – SOX – did not prevent our current financial crisis from occurring. A business system to address the above issues and accomplish these objectives is the Integrated Enterprise Excellence (IEE) system. In the IEE system, strategy is not step one but set five in a nine-step process. A Chief Performance Officer can use the IEE methodology for their Corporate Performance Management system.

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Unemployed Excellence – Why Lean, Six Sigma Have Left Some People Out in the Cold

This week we welcome award winning author Forrest Breyfogle III to discuss the surprising job loss trend amongst Six Sigma Black Belt and Master Black Belt professionals that is linked, at least in part, to the current economic crisis. He will also share with us why his 4 book series on Integrated Enterprise Excellence coupled with the introduction of the Smarter Solutions 1-Day CEO Executive Session can lay the groundwork for reversing this trend while delivering tangible value to an organization’s bottom line

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