Lean six sigma training is now being utilized by companies worldwide to increase sales, reduce costs, cut cycle times, improve profitability, and eliminate waste.

First six sigma training was used by just a few major corporations in the early 90′s. Then by the early 2000′s many companies were implementing lean manufacturing.

By 2005, six sigma had gained in popularity with mid size corporations, as lean manufacturing training continued to gain traction.

Within the last couple years, many companies are now combining both methods into a program called lean six sigma. As the name implies, it is the combination of lean and six sigma into one improvement initiative.

With companies all over the world now trying to implement two large disciplines in one program, it is critical to find the right training to provide employees. There are many types, from one or two day programs to online courses lasting several months.

The one or two day live programs are generally an overview which is necessary for top executives and department heads prior to diving into the full scale programs. Week long programs are often delivered because of the cost of live training. While this may be enough for the department heads, the employees doing the implementation need a much deeper understanding of the concepts in order to utilize and integrate both lean and six sigma into the initiative to maximize improvement.

Lean manufacturing concepts often take several weeks to learn and should be learned while beginning an implementation. As the saying goes, you learn by doing.

Six sigma, on the other hand, takes several months for most people to grasp the concepts unless they have considerable experience with statistics such as hypothesis testing, regression analysis, design of experiments, and design for six sigma.

The beauty of online courses is the cost to learn a large subject. Once developed, it doesn’t cost any more to deliver a large training course than a few hour course. The benefit is a thorough understanding of the concepts. The downside is the self motivation necessary to sit down and take a course on your own.

The benefit of a live course is the instruction method is common to trainees. Everyone learns the same material and questions can be asked. The downside is the information is rather shallow in depth.

Online courses are the way to go, but make sure you’re ready to study on your own without being nudged by an instructor.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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