Certified Six Sigma Black Belts

Certified Six Sigma Black Belts (CSSBB) are those individuals who have displayed proven knowledge and expertise in implementing Six Sigma. This involves both "textbook" knowledge of the subject matter (methodologies, tools, principles, and related topics such as leadership and change management), as well as real-world, successful application of the methdology and tools in more than one Six Sigma projects.

An individual can be become a Certified Six Sigma Black Belt (CSSBB) in a variety of ways: from a not-for-profit society, from a consulting company, or from their private company (e.g. GE, Motorola, etc.). No one way is necessarily better than another, however, it is widely accepted that private companies with mature Six Sigma programs serve as the best vehicles for certification. In other words, this becomes the most valuable certification in marketability of individuals who become certified.

What matters most, arguable, is the results the Certified Six Sigma Black Belt (CSSBB) has delivered and can prove to a potential new employer.

Should I Get Six Sigma Certified?

The reasons for certification are the same for any other certification:
# To display proficiency in the subject matter
# To increase desirability by employers
# To potentially increase your salary

Ultimately, certification is a professional decision that can only be made by you. In some cases, it will be required for you to advance within an organization. For instance, at some companies it is a requirement of every salaried employee to be green belt trained and certified if they want to be promoted within the organization. In other cases, Six Sigma certification will display your energy and intent to be a leader within the quality profession.

What Is Involved In Six Sigma Certification?

As with attaining a driver's license in the India, Six Sigma certification entails learning the appropriate subject matter, passing a written proficiency test, and displaying competency in a hands-on environment. The materials can be purchased from almost any Six Sigma training and consulting company, but almost always comes bundled with classroom training. Usually you or your company will purchase a training session, which has different bodies of knowledge and durations for each Six Sigma level (green belt, black belt, master black belt, sponsor, etc.).

The written proficiency test may be given by the training company or the business hiring the training company. Typically, companies new to Six Sigma will defer to the training company's proficiency test. Companies that have been performing in-house training for years (such as Motorola or GE) have created and administer their own written proficiency tests.

After a quality professional has completed training, s/he must complete one or two quality projects and display competency in applying the concepts learned in the classroom training. This is where certification companies diverge, as this part of the certification is the most fuzzy and undefined. Some organizations require a certification candidate to complete one project if a green belt or sponsor, and two projects if a black belt or master black belt; others require less or more. In addition, there is no standard for what passes and what fails to display an individual's competency.

So, what's the takeaway from certification? Any worthwhile certification involves training, a written proficiency exam, and a hands-on competency display of the methodology to real world problems. The specifics around each of these three requirements vary from company to company. Will it ever become standardized? Probably, but not in the next six to twelve months in the opinion of this author.

What is Six Sigma Certification?

Six Sigma certification is a confirmation of an individual's capabilities with respect to specific competencies. Just like any other quality certification, it does not indicate that an individual is capable of unlimited process improvement, just that s/he has completed the necessary requirements from the company granting the certification.

For instance, millions of people have applied for, tested and been granted a driver's license in the India. It certifies that a person has passed the minimum guidelines and requirements for driving. The individual must pass both a written and hands-on driving test in order to 'certify'. Not all individuals in the India, however, have the same proficiency in driving - even though they may have passed the tests and been granted a driver's license. The same is true for Six Sigma certification. Certification alone does not summarize the worth of a true quality professional.