Lean Six Sigma is a staple of business process and operational excellence. The continuous improvement approach uses collaborative methods to improve performance by systematically removing operational waste and reducing process variation.
Its predecessor, Six Sigma, originated at Motorola in the US in the 1980s. It was developed to compete with the Gemba Kaizen and Lean business models in Japan. In a 2001 book titled Leaning into Six Sigma: The Path to Integration of Lean Enterprise and Six Sigma, authors Chuck Mills, Barbara Wheat and Mike Carnell explored Lean Six Sigma as a method that combines Six Sigma and Lean principles to improve quality and cycle time in manufacturing plants.
Since then, Lean Six Sigma has expanded into many other sectors including healthcare, finance, retail and office-based businesses. There are different certification levels within the Lean Six Sigma methodology, known as Belts.
Here are seven free training courses for anyone seeking to expand their Lean Six Sigma knowledge, understanding and skills.
1. White Belt course – The Lean Six Sigma Company
This course introduces Lean Six Sigma to help participants make informed choices about their continuous improvement journeys. Conducted by Master Black Belt Michel Doppert, it consists of three lessons explaining what Lean Six Sigma is, how to use it as a structure for continuous improvement and the different roles in Lean Six Sigma. Each lesson ends with an interactive quiz with a final exam at the end of the course for gaining certification upon completion.
2. Basics of Lean Six Sigma: Green Belt – Alison/Stone River eLearning
Provided by Stone River eLearning, this course outlines the basics of the Lean Six Sigma Green Belt and how to use its principles and tools to reduce waste and speed up processes. It also explores Lean Six Sigma design processes like the Define, Measure, Analyze, Design and verify (DMADV) approach and the Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve and Control (DMAIC) methodology as well as statistical concepts/tools for data collection and the ‘Five Ss’ of organizing a workplace. Lastly, participants learn how to lead and control Lean Six Sigma projects, apply it to services and retain customers.
3. Free Lean Six Sigma primer – Udemy/Nilakantasrinivasan Janakiraman
This course shares actionable knowledge on Lean Six Sigma principles and concepts, helping learners to relate them to workplace scenarios. It aims to provide participants with an understanding of Lean Six Sigma’s relevance to their profession and industry, as well as what level of certification is needed. Course content includes:
- Definition of Lean Six Sigma.
- Relevance to analytics and data science.
- Overview of Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belts, Green Belts and Black Belts.
- Certification tips.
4. Toolkit for Lean Six Sigma – Alison/Robert Chapman
Taking participants on a journey to applying Lean Six Siga in their organization, this course outlines why Lean Six Sigma is a great tool in the hands of an operations manager. Relevant to most business and technology-based organizations, it begins with an overview of Lean Six Sigma’s benefits and provides simple explanations of important aspects such as Ishikawa diagrams, Pareto charts and the C&E Matrix. It also covers several important aspects of process mapping such as swim-lane, suppliers, inputs, process, outputs and customers (SIPOC) spaghetti diagrams and more.
5. Learn why Lean Six Sigma certification is important – Udemy/Sprintzeal Americas Inc.
By taking this course, learners gain an understanding of Lean Six Sigma concepts, why certification is important for individuals/organizations and the worth of implementing Lean methods. Topics featured include:
- What process improvement is.
- Why to implement Lean Six Sigma.
- What Lean Six Sigma is and isn’t.
- What you will learn with Lean Six Sigma.
- How to become Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certified.
6. Application of Lean Six Sigma Black Belt in human resources – Alison/S.M. Al-Amin
This course defines the core principles of Lean Six Sigma and their application within the context of human resources (HR). Participants learn about identifying root causes of HR process issues using advanced problem-solving techniques and analyzing data to pinpoint areas of inefficiency and waste within HR functions. The course also covers how to apply appropriate statistical tools to measure and assess the performance of processes, plan/lead Lean Six Sigma improvement projects and translate improvement and control strategies into measurable/actionable plans for sustainable achievements.
7. Learning Lean Six Sigma: Yellow Belt – Alison/Robert Chapman
Covering the fundamental building blocks for implementing Lean Six Sigma techniques, this course explores the quality requirements for Six Sigma processes and walks through the phases of the DMAIC model. It also outlines the importance of waste reduction in management and how to build competency in this area, as well as dissecting aspects such as developing project charters, business cases and goals. Participants learn how to create project and communication plans, manage stakeholder analysis and develop a SIPOC map.
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