Six Sigma Black Belts: What Do They Need to Know?

Abstract

The Six Sigma improvement methodology has received considerable attention recently, not only in the statistical and quality literature, but also within general business literature. In published discussions, terms such as “Black Belt”(BB), “Master Black Belt,” and “Green Belt” have frequently been used indiscriminately, without any operational definitions provided. It may not be clear to readers exactly what a “Black Belt” is, what training he/she should have, and what skills he/she should possess. Those hiring “Black Belts” may also be confused. The discussants and I have a significant opportunity to clarify how statisticians, quality professionals, and business leaders think about Six Sigma, and quality improvement in general. The specific purpose of this article is to provide a context and forum for discussion of the technical skills required by Six Sigma BBs, with the hope of reaching a general consensus. I focus on BBs since they are typically the backbone of Six Sigma initiatives. Some previously published examples of BB curricula will be referenced, while additional input will come from my experience in various areas of GE, as well as recent general trends in applied statistics. I then present a recommended BB curriculum, and compare it to the Certified Quality Engineer (CQE) criteria. Other relevant issues in developing BBs are also discussed.