Roles for Six Sigma

Business Executive Leadership

or Program Champions
 The Executive Leadership role will
evolve.
 Initially, that role will be to learn Six Sigma
and set the expectations for Six Sigma in
the organization.
 Creates the vision of success for the
strategy.
 Provides the corporate approval for the Six
Sigma Projects to assure viable financial
impact.
 Energizes the team to achieve the
envisioned success.
 Places “A-players” in Black Belt jobs
 Retains appropriate resources for training
and mentoring
 Establishes appropriate financial
management measures
 Creates the environment for Six Sigma
Copyright Route Six Sigma, LLC 2003
Success 2
 Project Champions or Sponsors
 These are not the super bowl variety, but rather the
leaders of a winning business.
 This role is often combined with the Business Executive
Leadership role during the early stages of Six Sigma
implementation.
 Selects Projects, controls execution oversees the
implementation of solutions to ensure gains are realized.
 The champion defines the path to be used to achieve
success.
 The champion coaches and aids the team in breaking down
barriers to success.
 The champion is the leading cheerleader of the gains made.
 The champion is the key defender of the changed business.
A champion is fully engaged
in the process
he or she is sponsoring
Copyright Route Six Sigma, LLC 2003 3
 Champion Tasks – First Month
 Initially
 Meet and get to know Black Belt candidates in the Organization.
 Strengths and expertise related to critical business needs
 Review project hopper opportunities with potential project Black
Belts
 Articulate expectations for success to Black Belt candidates
 Contract with Black Belt candidates for support and check for
barriers or issues.
 Define Phase
 Review project Critical to Quality elements linkage to customer
(Project Y) and SIPOC map
 Confirm Project Team understanding of project business case
 Review and Approve project charter
 Demand initial Project Timeline – Subject to change
 Conduct Define Phase Status Review
 Invite reporting organizational stakeholder for projects being reviewed.

Copyright Route Six Sigma, LLC 2003 4

 Champion Tasks - Measure
 Review project data collection plan and measurement
systems capabilities
 Refine business metrics or provide additional metrics
if required.
 Reaffirm measurement of baseline output (Zbaseline)
 Conduct Measure Phase Status Review
 Invite reporting organizational stakeholder for projects being
reviewed.
 Ask for project timeline update
 Ask for Project Developments
 Accomplishments
 Barriers
 Milestones

Copyright Route Six Sigma, LLC 2003 5

 Champion Tasks - Analyze
 Review Project Team development with Black Belt
 Review Status of Potential Critical Factor definition
and Root Cause Analysis.
 Review and confirm project benefits based on
discoveries made in the project analysis to date.
 Conduct Analyze Phase Status Review
 Invite reporting organizational stakeholder for projects being
reviewed
 Ask for project timeline update
 Ask for Project Developments
 Accomplishments
 Barriers
 Milestones

Copyright Route Six Sigma, LLC 2003 6

 Champion Tasks - Improve
 Review and confirm teams approach for process
improvement
 Demand data supporting any proposed changes.
 Ask for appropriate analysis of data used to support change.
 Review initial implementation plans and provide input for those
plans
 Review project risk analysis and participate as required in any
pilot phase activities.
 Conduct Improve Phase Status Review
 Invite reporting organizational stakeholder for projects being
reviewed and business Finance Manager
 Ask for initial closure plans and updated financials
 Ask for Project Developments
 Accomplishments
 Barriers
 Milestones
Copyright Route Six Sigma, LLC 2003 7
 Champion Tasks - Control
 Demand confirmation run results prior to closure
 Demand control plan documentation
 Confirm realistic and acceptable control methodologies be
used
 Verify readiness of process owners for project hand-
off
 Identify and cross business project translation
opportunities that may not be known to the Black
Belt
 Participate in project closure meetings and approve
final closure

Copyright Route Six Sigma, LLC 2003 8

 Other Six Sigma Growth Needs
of Champions
 Provide support for Black Belt focus on six sigma
projects
 Eliminate non-project related work distractions
 Expect portfolio growth after the third month of basic
training.
 Third month – 2nd project selection
 Fourth month – 2nd project charter and 3rd project selection
 Fifth month – 2nd project Measure, 3rd project Charter and 4th
project selection
 The Black Belt Candidate should grow the individual project
portfolio to 6 – 7 projects by the ninth month after
commencement of training.

Copyright Route Six Sigma, LLC 2003 9

 Black Belts
 The Black Belt is the Six Sigma process
professional. Six Sigma process improvement is
their contribution to the business.
 They do Six Sigma projects full time.
 They manage a portfolio of 6 – 8 projects
simultaneously.
 They are change agents. The will lead the change
in the business.
 The understand and speak the language of
management as well as the language of the
Individual Contributor.
 They can be teachers if needed
 They will regularly be assigned the more
technically challenging projects

Black Belts have the potential to be future leaders

Copyright Route Six Sigma, LLC 2003 10
 The Black Belt Skill Set
 Analytical
 Interest in problem analysis and research
 Ability to identify best methods and tools for analysis
 Process knowledge
 Leadership Qualities and Skills
 Self Starter and Learner
 Energetic and able to energize others
 Able to balance business priorities and the priorities of the
Six Sigma role
 Project Management Skills
 Able to plan the project schedule and implement effectively
 Able to manage a portfolio of diverse critical to business
success projects simultaneaously

Copyright Route Six Sigma, LLC 2003 11

 Black Belt Work
 Drive projects to completion
 Mentor to help project leaders and team members develop
individual skills and project work
 Coach new project leaders to embrace the Six Sigma way
 Conduct formal and informal training on the tools and
methodologies of Six Sigma
 Lead project team meetings
 Spread the word about new tools for improvement.
 Uses Six Sigma Tools with hands-on analytical work

In a mature program, the Black Belt’s work is

approximately balanced among these tasks
Copyright Route Six Sigma, LLC 2003 12
 Green Belts
 The Green Belt is where Six Sigma meets
the everyday business of the company
 Green Belts use Six Sigma in doing their
daily work.
 The number of Six Sigma applications will
vary by the workload of the Green Belt.
 Six Sigma tool application knowledge may
be limited by opportunity to use some
tools.
 Green Belts generally have an active link
to a Black Belt in the business.

Copyright Route Six Sigma, LLC 2003 13

 Managers and the Green Belt
Role
 Managers, even Project Champions can and should
become Green Belts
 Engagement helps you learn the tools of Six Sigma and gain
a better understanding of the process and questions to be
answered at various steps in the process.
 Enables you to better understand the measures of process
management for the processes in your area of responsibility
 Enables you to identify more meaningful Six Sigma projects
for the ongoing work of the full time Black Belts
 Sends the message, “I Believe…”

Copyright Route Six Sigma, LLC 2003 14

 Master Black Belt
 Mentor
 Understands the roles of all the Six Sigma Roles and coaches them to
maximize success
 Understands the tools of Six Sigma and how they support
investigation and coaches proper selection and use of tools in
projects.
 Trainer
 Writes training material for Six Sigma skill development and conducts
training classes for all Six Sigma roles
 Change Manager
 Understands how the organization is trying to change and defines
means for achievement of the desired result.
 Strategic Planner
 Understands business metrics and the relation of Six Sigma projects to
achieving these objectives and identifies Black Belt changes needed to
achieve the desired results.

Copyright Route Six Sigma, LLC 2003 15

 Training
 Champions
 Receive Overview training plus ongoing mentoring on Six Sigma
expectations and communications
 Black Belts
 Receive Six Sigma Basic Training
 22 days divided over five months
 Approximately 21 days application period between each training
session.
 Application status report to business prior to class in the 2nd – 5th
months
 Certification as Black Belt by Route Six Sigma or ASQ based on
project completion and achievement test.
 Green Belts
 Greenbelt training will be provided based on business needs to
operational managers and contributors who can use the tools to
improve business results.

Copyright Route Six Sigma, LLC 2003 16

 A Role for the Workforce
 How does this technical process involve the
workforce?
 As process experts

 As operational support and internal customers

 As initial screen of operational problems using basic problem

solving before elevation to more sophisticated 6 sigma
methodology tools.

 They are the operational team which must sustain the

changes made through process optimization.

Copyright Route Six Sigma, LLC 2003 17