Six Sigma Green Belt Certification vs Black Belt Certification

Which Level is Right for You?

If you are thinking about obtaining a Six Sigma Certification, the best method is online. There are many reasons for this which includes cost, time factors, and convenience. You and your employer will both benefit from enrolling in a Six Sigma Certification from the web, rather than an onsite or classroom setting, because employees can attend class right from their desk at work or at home.

The first major decision, after you choose the best provider for you, is which level of Certification would best match your goals. One major difference between a Six Sigma Black Belt, Green Belt, and Yellow Belt is the amount of knowledge provided. Because the Black Belt Certification is longer and more involved, students are given more knowledge about the Six Sigma Method.

Both the Green Belt and the Black Belt positions are very challenging and lots of information is exchanged. The Yellow Belt is less intense but it is the perfect starting point towards higher levels. It can get confusing, but once students gain actual experience in the real world, all of the pieces of the puzzle come together.

Black Belt

A Black Belt Certification is the highest level of training you can achieve in the world of industry and production. Not only can you personally use these invaluable skills, but you are capable of teaching those same attributes to others. This is a process referred to as DMAIC which stands for: define, measure, analyze, improve, and control, the steps of a Six Sigma Project. These five
key elements are what the Black Belt uses when they need to overcome any problem facing industry.

If you prefer leadership roles, Black Belt programs are the way to go. This particular training will teach you to focus on business costs, and most importantly, how those business costs can be reduced. How your company performs in delivering what the customer demands will often rest solely in your hands. A person of this distinction can work alone or as the leader of a team. They act as advisers and mentors to those that are under their direction. It is their job to present project details and work with their team to find ways of producing the highest quality product or service at the most cost-effective price.

When choosing a Six Sigma Black Belt Certification provider, it is best that they require a full project to be completed. This way, you will gain some “real world” experience even during your training so that all the pieces will fall into place more quickly.

Black Belts are the people are who can handle a lot of pressure without it interfering with the job he or she is doing. Some companies will require a person of this caliber to save them up to a quarter million dollars in order to prove their worth. It involves much more than stepping up to the plate; it involves hitting a home run.

Green Belt

Six Sigma training can become expensive if you are a company employee working your way up 
to the ranks in your company or even if you are a business owner who is having employees trained.  An affordable alternative to Six Sigma Black Belt Certification is the Six Sigma Green Belt Certification.

Six Sigma training programs of all levels have been extremely successful in the past and often business owners and employees interested in their own education may think that they need at least Black Belt certification to make their companies or their careers more streamlined.

However, companies are sometimes forced to cut back on the money invested in employee training, and many companies have begun to provide Green Belt training to their existing employees with amazing results. The reality is, many business owners can benefit from the Six Sigma Green Belt certification and it will be at a much more affordable cost…usually a savings of around 50%.

Six Sigma Green Belt training is not only more cost efficient for the companies that are utilizing this tactic, it is also more cost efficient for any person who is wanting to become Six Sigma
Certified so that they can become a part of the Six Sigma team. Green Belts obviously play an important role in the implementation and carrying out of projects within a company – they are the “worker bees” of Six Sigma. Certified Six Sigma Green Belts are now more highly sought
after, so you can expect to have steady work with this Certification. Six Sigma Green Belts are taught the basics of Six Sigma. Green Belt course material includes: project definitions, project selections, process mapping, measuring systems, capability analysis, process control plan and project reviews.

The Six Sigma Green Belt students will take in a lot of information but it is in a condensed form when compared to the Black Belt students. They work under the Black Belts, who oversee the projects. The Green Belt is a level of training that will put you into an active role within a Six Sigma team, but you will not be required to assume leadership positions, nor will you have the training to be able to.

The body of knowledge starts with an overview of Six Sigma and the reasons that different companies use it. It then goes into breaking down the DMAIC process, explaining each step so that all Green Belts are familiar with the various processes and Six Sigma Methodology. Within all of these categories, there is specific and detailed information available that needs to be known, including the actual steps and details involved in a complete Six Sigma Process.  It might occur to you that you should seek Black Belt or even Master Black Belt certification, which are the highest levels of Six Sigma Training. However, if you’re not a leadership-type person, this might not be right for you. Take the time to consider why you are seeking the training, what you intend to use it for, and how your skills will be utilized by your company or any company that you work with. If you are part of a team or want to be, Six Sigma Green Belt certification can be the perfect level of training for your needs.

Yellow Belt

To many people, the Six Sigma Yellow Belt is the first achievement that is obtained when working towards a certain level of certification. This particular methodology is one of the most renowned business strategies known in the professional world. For many years now, it has been implemented in those companies that want to improve their processes and increase their profitability.

In many cases, Six Sigma Implementation is done on a large-scale basis but at the end of the day, the input that every individual contributes is very important. Yellow Belts are the individuals who are considered to be problem solvers and the strategies they use can work in many different environments. This level of certification is  mainly for beginners and will be your first step in the corporate world at a participating organization. When enrolling employees in a Six Sigma Yellow Belt program, the organization mainly focuses on reducing defects and generally improving all the processes. Once all the things have been achieved, there is usually a dramatic change and it is easy to see all of the improvements that have been made.

Six Sigma Certification is a worthwhile investment that benefits both employees and employers at any level.  After you have graduated from Six Sigma Yellow Belt Training, you can then go on to the other levels where you will continue to learn the strategy in a deeper way.