Is Lean Six Sigma Certification Worth the Effort?

[wvuphys]

I currently work in semiconductors (research) and I am interested in earning my Lean Six Sigma certification, possibly through a university online class. Has anyone gone through the process? If so, what is the level of difficulty to obtain a green belt? I have a solid background in statistics.

Also, does Lean Six Sigma make the most sense for possible employment in semiconductor manufacturing or a job which requires a knowledge of statistical quality control? Would six sigma by itself suffice or would I better spend my time learning some statistical software such as JMP or Minitab?

Any advice will be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

 

[tygerdawg]

Six Sigma methodology is great, powerful stuff.
But do it for yourself. If your company pays for it, then even better. Maybe someone will notice. If someone notices, then the economy must be in the tank.

I am a 6S believer & advocate because I have used it and know it works.
I am a 6S cynic because of how it is perceived to useless bean-counter management in almost every industry.

And the advocates can become their own worst enemy. Motorola is a powerful case history.

I learned the rudiments of 6S wa-a-a-ay back in the early 80's before it was called 6S. Before anybody was swaggering around bragging about this color belt or that color belt. I was rigorously trained multiple times in the "Shainin" 6S methodology. My personal opinion is that the Shainin approach is a much more realistic & pragmatic approach to a very dynamic, chaotic manufacturing environment than the current "rigorous" approach to 6S.

What I have seen over the years is that when the economy is down, then all of the trolls in management jump on the 6S bandwagon as a way to deflect their poor management ability and pursue a vague "improvement" campaign using 6S. When the economy booms, 6S is treated like a leper because it hinders revenue expansion.

Regarding certification (again, IMHO) it is completely bogus. "Certification" means absolutely nothing when one can get "certified" for $100 over the internet. During my last 6S training (an utterly redundant "Green Belt Certification") I told the Arrogant Corporate Instructor this little tidbit. He was speechless and could not respond. I still got my "belt". Big Deal.

So, again: do it for yourself. It MAY help your career by having this on your resume. Don't be bitter if it does not. Use the training (if it is legitimate) to do better work, and your career will advance because of that.

The final part of your question: Minitab is an excellent tool for crunching numbers in the 6S methodology because of powerful statistics, graphics capabilities, and extensive industry support.