🔍 Join Amanda Zimmerman in unlocking the power of Lean Six Sigma and process improvement. Our mission: make process improvement accessible globally.
🎓 What to Expect: Explore Lean Six Sigma methodologies, tools, real-world cases, and expert insights. Valuable content tailored for professionals at any level.
🌟 Why Subscribe:
Actionable strategies for project efficiency. Stay updated on process improvement trends. Connect with a supportive community. 📚 Topics Include:
Lean Six Sigma Principles Process Mapping and Analysis Project Management Insights Collaborative Problem-Solving and more! 🔔 Don't miss out - subscribe and ring the bell!
@@BeautifulOpportunities You are an amazing woman and finding your videos has been a huge blessing to me. I’m almost done with my lean six sigma green belt, but my teacher was not even close to as amazing as you are in explaining things. I work in the CI department at a local manufacturer, and I am a bit overwhelmed with the amount of tools and methods there are available and confused as to which ones I should use 80% of the time to keep it simple. I appreciate you sharing your knowledge and your amazing teaching ability. Thank you!
Hi how are you? i am confused between choosing lean six sigma path or ASQ CQE/CMQ path, i am working as a QA/QC engineer in a steel fabrication/manufacturing factory. please guide me on which path to follow and why?
What I recommend is to look at the job boards in your country. In the US Indeed.com and in NZ seek.co.nz. Look at 3-5 dream jobs youd want in the next five years. Check out what certifications they require. If you need additional support I offer a free 30-minute intro call and you can register for that here: calendly.com/azim-10/calendar
@@BeautifulOpportunities hey, thanks for the advise i will definitely follow and will get back to you in case i need further guidance. Have a good day ma'am.
Introducing Lean tools will be the best place to start. Then adding in a structured problem solving tool, like Six Sigma's DMAIC will ensure targeted improvement continues. Feel free to message me if you'd like to chat in more detail azim@beopportunity.com
Hello Amanda. I am looking at getting my green belt certification in six-sigma. I was contacted by a college that would help me get the blackbelt master in 6 months. But watching your video I see that would be rushing things. But would you recommend getting a green belt in six months time and if so would you have any recommendations on where I should go to get it?
Hi MD! For something traditional I usually recommend sixsigma.us. Ideally programs will have you execute a project, which can often take six months. For Black Belt you should gave completed at least two. But what really matters is what you want to get out of it! If you want to chat further feel free to add some time to my calendar: calendly.com/azim-10/calendar
I never found the original source I looked through quite a few blog sites, but didn't find it. Although over the years I have continued to adjust it to make it work best for my clients. It stands as an easy and quick way to get down to a common understanding of the problem.
So you don’t wreck the fabric, just put them in tumble to get it hot enough to remove wrinkles( about 5 min) after a good shake, put them on hangers. The heat makes the moisture dissipate faster. Seems more time consuming but no folding ( or kids knocking over piles of clothes looking for items) then, it’s just needing hung up, no ironing.🤔
Anyone who wants to build skills in Problem Solving and Root Cause Analysis. It also teaches you what makes processes efficient and effective. All of those skills are wonderful for people in business.
I’m doing my green belt I find lean six very interesting but with now previous experience it will be a challenge getting into the business. These videos are highly informative, thank you
I have a Yellow Belt, and I am in the process of a Black Belt. I haven’t lead any teams, but was apart of an improvement team from a previous employer. I feel in love with lean, but can’t seem to be able to get my foot in the door, to start my lean career. I am not looking for a leaders role, but I want to be apart of it, as my career. How do I go about doing this? Thank you
Great question. Happy to chat in more detail if you'd like to schedule some time with me. Each person's journey is unique so it is based on industry, location, etc. My first recommendation is networking, attend an event or reach out to three people a week. Second is your CV and interviewing, prep and tell your story strongly. I offer prep sessions and its amazing how many people undersell themselves in Lean. Today im hosting a Conference on Lean for Social Good, feel free to join us. You can find my calendar and the conference linked on this page: www.beopportunity.com/
While this certification can help boost your career, I wouldn't use the word need. In marketing you'll find similar tools and talk about value in the eyes of your customer. It can compliment your learning but isn't a requirement. There was a study in the early 2000s that showed a GB cert increased earnings more than an MBA.
We recently brought in a black belt continuous improvement coach at our company and identified a constraint in the retail sector. We implemented the coaching kata and a new rotational system where the manager takes on the role of a coach rather than a boss. I have been enjoying the process and learning about the theories of Dr. Gallina, Deming, and Goldratt, as well as delving into value stream mapping and the theory of constraints through the classes with the coach. Despite the coach who is now a hired employee, I am considering pursuing my black belt certification as I believe she will mentor me through my career. Even though I do not have a BA in business, my experience as a corporate trainer and manager in a large retail company makes me confident that I can master it. However, I am unsure if pursuing the certification under these circumstances would be considered a shortcut. What do you think?
That sounds like you have a great opportunity to get coaching and feedback as you apply these tools. While Six Sigma is quite stats heavy what is most important to learn is around structured problem solving, which it sounds like you'll have good support for at your company. If you can take a program that allows you time to digest and apply the material that would be best.
Happy to support, I do offer mentoring especially through project completion. Both for individuals and groups. You can check out more at beopportunity.com or email me at azim@beopportunity.com.
Hello Amanda, I’m currently working in Supply Chain Consultancy and my boss recommended me to get LSS Certifications (which they pay for me). I just graduated from university and I’ve been working there for only 8 months, and none of the projects that I’ve been in have been DMAIC. So I haven’t got any direct experience with LSS projects. But my boss insists that I should go for Green and Black belts. I have access to the courses, but since I haven’t got experience with LSS projects, I think it’s pointless for me to go for such an advance belt. What do would you recommend me to do/tell him?
Hi Gaspar. If you've previously had Quality or similar experience (ex: A3, PDCA, etc) then skipping White Belt makes sense. If you haven't, make sure you choose a Green Belt program that is pretty comprehensive (more than 4 days/30 hrs and/or project required). If possible, see if you can put time between the Green Belt and Black Belt. Maybe also connecting to why they want you to get certified. If you'd like to chat feel free to book time with me at beopportunity.com
Some courses call it Lean Six Sigma and some that are more traditional are just called Six Sigma. Yellow Belt is between White Belt and Green Belt, it is usually 2 days and gives an Intro to Stats. Whether it is right for you is really dependent on your goals.
LSSYB will blend in more Lean tools. A program that lists itself as SSYB is more likely to be heavy in Statistics (through Six Sigma tools). If you are in aerospace or nuclear or manufacturing the SSYB might be better. If you are in the service industry or an organization new to Process Improvement I'd lean towards LSSYB.
Totally agree, there is no such thing as "Shortcut". I have obtained yellow belt from CSSC. Now, saving up for green belt. I have noticed there is green belt level 2 which requires project experience. Can I ask is there any recommendations on project training cources to help on achieving green belt level 2?
I offer one-on-one weekly mentoring for Green Belt project completion. If you don't have an MBB to support you it can be really difficult to finish a project. If you'd like to chat about your journey and learn more feel free to email me at azim@beopportunity.com and we can have a quick chat.
I just finished my white belt. In another video you mentioned its better to do further certification (green belt) after a year. So that is what I will do.
Congrats on your White Belt. You can do the Green Belt right away but practicing with the tools is better. I recommend over the next 6 months or year you try to do as many small improvements as possible. Then you'll get the most out of the Green Belt course.
@@BeautifulOpportunities thank you for your reply. I did my white belt certification via council of six sigma. Do you think I should prepare myself and do certification again with this organisation or another one? What would you recommend me?
Well that depends. If you need training or just want to do the exam, and if you want the skills or just the certification on your CV. Happy to chat more about the options and I have other videos that cover this. You can connect with me at azim@beopportunity.com if you'd like to discuss further.
Definitely, you'll get a bit of it in your MBA but I've worked for many Operational leaders that have Lean Six Sigma training. Happy to chat more, you can email me at azim@beopportunity.com if you'd like more info.
That's a great call out. Certainly both step 2 and 3 at different points are the slowest steps and definitely where I've called out waste building up in the video would indicate step 2 being the bottleneck (at 1:36). If we improve step 3 we still must fix step 2 or no benefit will be seen.
As a Manufacturing Engineer, the best solution I can bring to the Define and Measure meetings is a viable problem statement, measurement plan, and available past data :)
“Not everything that can be counted counts and not everything that counts can be counted” The Japanese culture understands this ideology it’s very very difficult for a western culture to get here…Hopefully age and time will will improve the situation in the West, a cultural change(very difficult)
I'll be honest, I'm one of the short-cutters. I have free access to the classes for certs via military benefits AF udemy (boss literally sent email and said "you can do this if you want" and so I did white and yellow belt in a day, and did the green in about 5 days. I will not, however, go past green belt. I was looking to see if, maybe, I could muster the mental strength for 5 days but nah. Green belt has me whipped. I am a union worker, I work with my hands. I already hit the top of the payscale for my job, and managerial/operational type work is not my cup of tea. Thanks for the video. I mainly did it to kill some time during my deployment. Out of respect for other professionals, I will not shortcut further. I will now pursue a technical cert in my field of work. Hopefully the military will pay for my test. Okay, I am done now. Bye ;)
That's sounds like it was a great opportunity and fantastic you took advantage of it. While it might not have been the most comprehensive the important thing is applying what you've learned. Hope it hlgave you some insight that helps you grow and improve wherever you are.
Hi Amanda thanks for this useful knowledge. I've been dipping in and out of lean six sigma for the last 10 years now. And I've dabbled with getting certified. Many of he clients in work with in technology see six sigma as an outdated concept and are reluctant to listen to any suggestions on the topic. Is it worth me becoming certified in 2023 or has the business world moved beyond these concepts in favor of things like scrum and agile? I think if I do get the certification I would have to entirely rebrand myself as a Six Sigma consultant. which is fine but I'm wondering if theres still enough of a dedicated market for this kind of knowledge? Any insights you could shed on this would greatly help my decision.
That's great James, your experience using the tools is so valuable! Certification is great to get an interview but so many people lack the ability to apply the tools.
@@BeautifulOpportunities I guess my main question was less about whether or not to get the certification and more so if it's worth doing 6 sigma at all these days. Have people moved beyond it in favor of other things? A lot of my clients consider it an outdated methodology. Is this an opinion you share? Is there still a market for it?
Ah I see. Definitely SAFe / Agile certifications are highly in demand now. Also more organizations are adopting versions of Lean like Kata. It's worth it to have a search in your industry to see what types of certifications or experience they prefer.
I found that ASQ is the most recongnized for six sigma...but as far as lean six sigma I am having difficulties getting a answer for that. There are a few mentioned, that also goes for training providers. Do you have any recommendations?
Hi Chris. While Lean and Six Sigma had separate histories of development the toolsets are widely viewed together, especially in the case of Six Sigma. So the majority of Six Sigma programs will include Lean foundations. ASQ is certainly the gold standard, but is only the test. You can buy the book or go with one of their recommended trainings. Also, you could consider programs like Villanova or Sixsigma.us. I teach for Portland State University's Process Improvement certification which mainly focuses on Lean concepts.
What belt level do you recommend someone with a BBA in Management/minor in Operation Management, a Master's in Supply Chain Management, and 5 years of relevant work experience to start with first?
If you think you'll be more of a people manager I'd recommend a Lean for Leaders or similar program that covers the high level basics and the role of the Champion and Sponsor. If you expect to lead projects then Green Belt. A great and inexpensive place to start is White Belt, it will cover everything a Lean for Leaders course does and more.
Hello, Amanda. Ive worked as a operation supervisor for about 5 years. I have created and developed process within the operation. They have been very successful, then I was asked to travel to help other facilities. Ive done more than I can count “continuous improvement projects”. We had a process development manager, he routinely gave me projects to work on. To the point where I was developing new processes on my own. Analyzing, tracking data, strategic solution options and implementing the process on shifts. When looking at videos I have been using most of the processes my career but only under the supervisor title, it might be time to move up 😂. Do you think I could qualify for black belt?..i believe I have a hand full of projects I could use for the black belt requirement..or would i need to start from white belt?
Hi Christopher. It is amazing how many of us use these tools in our work and never realize the connection. In your situation I'd recommend you start with Green Belt. If that's easy for you then you can move onto Black Belt. The harder question is to determine what type of certification to get, ASQ is generally the gold standard and if you think you could pass the exam you can sign up at their site. You can also purchase their book to determine if you qualify. There are many Green and Black belt programs online at different price points and levels of commitment feel free to reach out to me at azim@beopportunity.com for any additional support. Thanks.
@@BeautifulOpportunities thanks so much for the response..i was thinking green or black. I still need to know the deeper understanding of content, the words and what not. I will def check it out! I am waiting to hear back from my employer To see if they have a program or reimbursement for it. I absolutely love this kind of work! I am hoping to get a position where I soley focus on continuous improvement and process development, it can be a challenge while having other job duties. I am learning more and more most companies cut this position out and put this on the operation team to figure out. Thats why I never really knew about it or position specifically crafted to do this work.
@@christopherwood3643 it definitely depends on the industry. The tools you learn in Green Belt are universal across industry and are parts of many other methodologies (ex: Agile). So they are dynamic and if you stay savvy you can definitely leverage your knowledge of them into some great positions. Whether the business calls them Operations, Scrummaster, or Process improvement engineer. Good luck on your journey and I hope your employer can help fund your journey. If so, you might want to consider a program like Villanova that is pricey but covers a broad range of the tools and helps you master them.
Fun fact I found our recently - contrary to popular reports that Shinto took the tools from Japan to the west - apparently Japan actually took its ideas from an American Training in Industry Program that was developed during the war to effectively train woman in manufacturing. There is a funny story where some Americans were saying “ well it’s all very well in Japan where they have a different culture but it just wouldn’t work in the USA” - an old Japanese worker apparently dusted off an old TWI guide and said “what do you mean we learned everything from you!”
Hello. I do not currently have a Green Belt Course on offer but hope to next year. I do offer project coaching, so if you complete the training and start a project the cost for weekly group coaching sessions is $50 USD per month.
Hi Amanda, greetings. Nice meeting you. I need guidance and coaching but how will I get you. I'm an undergrad student reading industrial engineering and I want to be a six sigma practitioner but don't know anyone in my country to coach or guide me and that's why I want to reach you
Hello Isaac, I do offer 1:1 and group coaching. To schedule 1:1 here is my calendar: calendly.com/azim-10/mentoring-and-coaching . If you'd like to chat about options you can also message me at azim@beopportunity.com
Hello , I am doing business right now and unaware of six Sigma . Can you pls suggest where to start and from which belt to start my knowledge from. Which is the best institute to do as udemy , sinplylearn and others are offering the course at a very affordable prices. Is there any way I can connect with you .
