Lean Six Sigma Certification Checklists

To certify or not to certify … that is the question.

Certification has become a baseline qualification for Lean Six Sigma practitioners and for many Quality and Business Process Improvement professionals.

Certification is the recognition that you have not only learned the theory but have also successfully applied it to improve the performance of your organization. Many third-party training programs require very little for certification—fewer hours of study and no real-world project requirements. These programs are designed for speed rather than depth.

In an effort to reform the inconsistencies found in commercial Green Belt and Black Belt programs, a few institutions have recognized the need for a certification standard and worked with industry and academic partners to develop one.

Universities like The Ohio State University Center for Operational Excellence (OSU COE) and organizations like the American Society for Quality have established rigorous standards that rely on a combination of knowledge and experience. Each has published their Body of Knowledge (BOK) online for the general public.

These two standards represent the knowledge and skills that employers expect in their Green Belts and Black Belts. If you're seeking Green Belt or Black Belt Certification to become more marketable, consider that managers and hiring agents will prefer to see evidence of successful project experience and real-life tool application.

Certification that includes real project work separates you from the inexperienced.

We've designed these two white papers to help you to ask the right questions before you commit your wallet and time to a specific training provider.