Many organizations have
heard about Six Sigma certification and successfully
adopted it in their processes so as to eliminate any defects and bring about
total improvement in the quality of products and services. However, when it comes
to Lean Six Sigma
certification, the process becomes somewhat different due to the 'Lean'
process being introduced.
That's because the Lean
manufacturing process basically involves speedy operations. Therefore, once
this Lean process is combined with Six Sigma, it means that
elimination of the defects in order to bring about overall quality improvement
in the products and services will be faster than before, thereby allowing Six
Sigma analysts to see immediate results.
Therefore, in order to
implement Lean Six Sigma in
an organization, it is important that the employees are trained with respect to
understanding the entire concept.
Involving Upper and Lower Management in Training and
Implementation
Let us get clear about the
facts; your company cannot expect any cooperation from employees when you are
introducing something like the Lean Six Sigma strategy. The reason for this is
pretty simple. Employees don't feel comfortable with any change that the
company may consider, and they have to be educated in this respect.
It is not just line
employees; even upper management never gives its full cooperation in adopting
change. Therefore, the communication channels for imparting Lean Six Sigma training should be clearly
defined.
Getting Help from Department Heads
When we say that there
should be an active participation on the part of top management, it means that
they should only make their presence felt. This definitely does not mean that
senior management should be present during each and every training session.
The frequency of their
attendance being limited to two to three times a week could be just what the
employees need to boost their confidence level when it comes to coping with the
change that the implementation stage will bring about. Departmental heads can also spend some time
addressing employee issues concerning the change or any other aspect of Lean
implementation.
What Lies Ahead For Lean Six Sigma Training?
The success of the Lean
Six Sigma training depends entirely on how the employees will react to the
change and their awareness of the technical aspects of the training. Once the
training process is completed, employees should be tested on the knowledge that
they have attained so far with respect to the training process.
This test would include a
theoretical test, as well as a practical test to see how they respond to
changing situations. This helps the Lean Six Sigma trainers determine how much
the employees have understood the concept of the entire process. And once the
employees have acquired the knowledge through training, they're just one step
away from being known as Lean Six Sigma experts - and that is where experience
comes into play.