The role of Six Sigma Green Belts is to support Black Belts in the completion of projects. This might involve helping the Black Belt to collect and analyze data or to help in the running of designed experiments. Reaching Six Sigma performance requires the completion of many projects. Green Belts help to leverage Black Belts by allowing Black Belts to complete more projects. By working with Black Belts, Green Belts gain experience in the practical application of the Six Sigma tools that will help them to support line management capture, sustain, and build-on the improvements of the projects.
In general, Six Sigma Green Belts work part-time. But there are different ways this could work: an Green Belt might work full-time on a project with a Black Belt in order to thoroughly learn the tools and then work on projects on a part-time basis thereafter (e.g. work 2 or 3 days per week). Other Six Sigma Green Belts might learn how to collect and analyze certain types of data to help speed-up the Measure phase. At GE, all salaried employees receive an equivalent of Six Sigma Green Belt training (in addition to the people who are designated as "green belts," which is what they call Green Belts).
If we look at who must take leadership in each of the Six Sigma phases, we see that the focus of Black Belts is on the four phases related to the completion of individual projects: Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control (also called "MAIC"). Black Belts are also involved in the Define phase to the extent that they must understand the focus of the project and help to ensure that the focus of the project is well-defined and appropriate for a Six Sigma project.
Management must take the lead in establishing the explicit recognition of the need for improvement (the "Recognize" phase) and in Defining the overall structure of the Six Sigma effort. This involves not only deployment issues such the definition of roles, but also the high level product benchmarking and process baselining that helps to identify and coordinate Six Sigma projects.
Master Black Belts, in addition to providing the intensive training and coaching, support management in the Define phase, especially in the development of the detailed deployment plan as well as the high-level product and process benchmarking.
Over time, as many hundreds of Six Sigma projects are completed, management coordinates Standardization. For example, as Six Sigma projects characterize and optimize processes, the organization develops a set of best practice processes. Over time, the organization standardizes on these processes. For example, we would identify the best process for handling capital requests or the best way to perform a certain type of riveting.
As we identify and establish these standards, we Integrate them into how we run the day-to-day business. For example, we would ensure that we design products with the capability of the standard processes in mind.
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Jacquelyn Donner, Master Six Sigma Black Belt
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Date Published :
Nov 19 2008