Questions and Answers on Our Training

Let’s face it, choosing a training provider is a very important decision and there’s a lot of money involved. It’s only natural that people have questions. This is a collection of questions asked by people interested in our training, along with our responses. We’ve copied and pasted the questions verbatim, so the grammar and spelling are what they are. We’ve also left off the full names of the people making the inquiry, and nothing has been included that might be confidential or proprietary. I hope that you find the information useful. Of course, I welcome the opportunity to answer your questions.

Thomas Pyzdek

From Jihan in Cairo

1) Regarding the project, as I said, I work in the services industry and almost all suggestions and case studies are manufacturing related. I have a project in mind and wanted to check with you first if that is something that I can do before engaging in the project. My project was about doing a process improvement related to the cycle time of our delivery project at my company (consulting firm) with special focus on project management issues. What do you think? BTW, my job is the project manager as well as a process improvement.

I’ve worked in virtually every industry including services, transactions, healthcare (clinical and non-clinical,) manufacturing, etc.. As far as I’m concerned your service project focus is fine. Of course, you’ll need to use our guidelines and forms and the approach you’ll learn in your training.

2) regarding the tool used, is it Minitab? I have Minitab and I hope this is what you use. I also want to ask about the clarity of doing exercises using Minitab and how we as students would learn how to use the tools through your online training?

Yes, we recommend Minitab and include a one-year license for it with the course. In our training you’ll see Minitab in the reading (I use Minitab output in The Six Sigma Handbook,) the lessons, the assignments, and we also have video tutorials showing how to do many of the techniques with Minitab. We also include a one year license for Minitab’s Engage.

3) How accredited is certificate given in the Six Sigma community? is it perceived as strong as the ASQ one in terms of popularity and accreditation?

As you probably know, there is no single accepted accreditation authority for Six Sigma. You must depend on the acceptance your credential has with the Six Sigma community, and there are many that are not well received. The Six Sigma Handbook, written by Thomas Pyzdek is the accepted standard textbook for Six Sigma. It is used by virtually every organization, consulting firm, and educational institution that uses or teaches Six Sigma. If you have a certificate signed by the author of this text, you’ll have no difficulty with recognition of your Pyzdek Institute Six Sigma certification. We also publicly record two significant milestones you achieve on your way to full certification: successful course completion and successfully passing the exam. In fact many employers prefer to do their own exams and require their own projects for internal certification and are therefor only interested that their employees learn the body of knowledge. Other students wish to take our training but go to third parties for certification testing; since our course is far more comprehensive than virtually any other, they do extremely well.

4) the idea of online training in Lean Six Sigma BB, what’s your take on that and how do you think your online training provided would help in overcoming any cons and delivery the intended value?

After teaching thousands in live training and hundreds using online training, I have to say my feelings are mixed. I can do things in live training that I can’t do online (e.g., respond to confusion I see on a face,) but I can also do things online that I can’t do live (e.g., use interactive slide and insert quizzes to keep students engaged.) As an old-timer (I taught my first class in 1975,) I think that live training is still the gold standard, but I must say that online training is a very close competitor. In fact, there is a link on our store’s front page to research that shows that online training produces results superior to live training.

5) would there be case studies from the service industry?

We don’t provide full-blown case studies of the Harvard Business School variety, but our homework assignments include a wide variety of examples, including services. Keep in mind that even manufacturing businesses are about 75% services. Such things as sales, marketing, fulfillment, billing and collections, purchasing, human resources, etc. are all included under the “manufacturing” umbrella term.

From Prem in Tasmania

I would like to know the difference in the two courses offered ie Six Sigma Black Belt vs Lean Six Sigma Black Belt.

The Lean Six Sigma Black Belt course contains 10 additional modules covering lean topics and integrating them with Six Sigma. You may compare the two curricula here:

Lean Six Sigma Black Belt topics
Six Sigma Black Belt topics

Some employers use Lean Six Sigma, some use Six Sigma without Lean, and still others use Lean without Six Sigma.

From Alicias in Florida

How many online exams to I have to take in order to get my Green Belt certification?

There are quizzes for each of the 42 modules in Green Belt training. You receive feedback on these immediately and you should use this feedback to help you determine which materials need to be reviewed. There is also an comprehensive exam. Finally, there is a project presentation. We record each of these three milestones on our public online database.

Approximately, how long does it take? Your total time commitment for Green Belt training, including online work and off line homework, will be approximately 80 hours. You are allowed 365 days to complete all training requirements. We have found that a person working full-time can comfortably complete about 3 lessons per week, so the 42 Green Belt lessons can be done in 14 weeks with a reasonable amount of effort. If you really apply yourself, 5 lessons per week is entirely possible. At this pace you could finish in a little over 8 weeks.

Are there any requirements that must be fulfilled before enrolling into this program?

You should have a background in high school algebra. All statistical techniques used in Six Sigma are covered in the training. There is also a link on our site to an online statistics program should you wish to get additional background.

More From Jihan in Cairo

1) the nature of project to apply i.e. can it be a hypothetical project?

It must be an actual, real world project. We find that employers view so-called “simulated projects” with skepticism. Many of our students came to us unemployed and did projects with their church, local charities, professional organizations, etc.. For example, one project involved increasing attendance and customer satisfaction at a church’s annual fund raising event. Unlike employers, we do not place emphasis on bottom-line results. Our certification project goal is to determine if you understand our approach to Six Sigma (or Lean Six Sigma) and can successfully apply it in a real world situation.

2) how is the lean part emphasized in the training?
If you choose Lean Six Sigma training you will see 10 modules in addition to the 60 Six Sigma Black Belt modules. The lean content is fully integrated with the Six Sigma content.

3) can i have a demo on an actual course module?
You may enroll in our demonstration module for 14 days. Go to http://www.6-sigma-training.com, click the Pyzdek Institute Demonstration Lesson link, and sign yourself up.

From Steve in Baton Rouge, LA

I am currently seeking a career change. I need to know of what value once this course is completed will be considered in the search of a position with a reputable company. I am looking at taking the LBB course if I can afford it. Thank You

Many of our students who are unemployed were advised by career counselors to obtain Six Sigma certification to enhance their resume. Research indicates that certified individuals are more employable and earn substantially more than their non-certified counterparts. The Pyzdek Institute’s training was developed by Thomas Pyzdek, author of the standard text in the field, The Six Sigma Handbook. Virtually everyone who works in the field is familiar with Mr. Pyzdek’s work and our students report that their training and certification are readily accepted by employers. We are the only company to offer payment plans for our training. Our prices are extremely competitive when compared to other reputable organizations.

From S.K. in Tokyo (Master Black Belt question)

I would like to learn  “MBB course” and get the full certificate, from mainly two following reasons, which are:

1. would like to know how I can introduce the program(GB, BB) to the [my company].
2. need to get “Master Black Belt” from outside of the [my company] Tokyo, and need to establish the program too. ([my company] Seoul has already “MBB course”, using [my company]’s internal 6sigma training system, but at Tokyo-site, where we are working, has no MBB program yet. And we are not able to get the training from [my company], because of the language barrier.)

Could you tell me how we could get MBB course from your institution? (MBB candidate status, expense, project work, and so on…)

Our MBB program sounds like it is ideally suited to your situation. The Pyzdek Institute MBB program is designed to create Master Black Belt Trainer/Coaches who are qualified to teach Green Belt and Black Belt students using The Pyzdek Institute’s online and supplemental training materials. Thomas Pyzdek will personally coach you through our online Lean Six Sigma Black Belt course, with an emphasis on how you will train and coach other students using our materials. You will take our L6S BB exam and present a project to Mr. Pyzdek in an online web meeting. This is required for two reasons:

1. To show that you understand the unique Pyzdek Institute approach to applying Lean Six Sigma.
2. To give you the total experience that your students will have.

Once you are certified you are given MBB status on our site. This provides several privileges:

• You can set up private groups on our training site. All posts and other communications made by your group members are visible only to other group members. You can create separate calendars for each group, for example to conduct separate classes. We can create several such groups for you, should you wish.
• Group discounts. Train your BBs, GBs, and WBs for a fraction of our retail prices and for thousands less than others. Add value for your clients by providing coaching.
• View and comment on your student’s quizzes, change grades, add comments, etc.
• Be notified when your students submit assignments. Grade assignments, view attachments, comment on submissions, etc.
• Online records of all your student’s activities and results are maintained for your review.
• Participate, along with Thomas Pyzdek, in project reviews for certification purposes.
• Have access to Pyzdek Institute live training materials, upon which the online courses are based.

In short, you will have a complete set of resources for your resources for the cost of your training. The training is self-paced. Since you are already an experienced Black Belt you can move through it quickly, probably in 8 weeks or less.

I have a question; to get full certification, how you review the project work. the project work itself is quite confidential. I would like our employee to get full certificate, but I am wondering how you proceed the program.

We ask that certification projects not include confidential or proprietary information. What we want to see is that you were able to apply the approach we teach in the training successfully on a real project. You may disguise the data, change the names, etc.. Or you may select a project that does not contain private information.

From Roy in the Netherlands

What conditions are there for starting one of the SS courses?
There are no prerequisites for any of our courses. For example, you do not need to complete Green Belt training to take Black Belt training.

Which edition of the SS handbook is essential?
You may use either the 2nd Edition (blue cover) or 3rd Edition (White Cover.) A text is provided as part of the training. If you already have a book type the coupon code ‘nobook’ when you order and save $60!

Is it necessary to have a project at hand on which to apply the SS principles? What are the condition for such a project and my role in it?
Full certification (Gold) requires that you complete and present a project that applies the Six Sigma approach you learn in the training. Your role will be as a Green Belt or Black Belt. Of course, details are provided in the course.

From Tamil in Chennai, India

Do you conduct Classes for Six Sigma in India and what is the Course fee and how to apply for that? Can some one help me out?

We do not offer live training in India. However, you may sign up for online training and begin any time you wish.

From Andrew in Brisbane, Australia

Where can I take the online exam – I live in Brisbane Australia?
It is an online exam and it can be taken anywhere.

Is the silver certification a recognized certification or a certification just from your organisation?
This is Pyzdek Institute recognition. It has been accepted by employers world-wide. There is no single accepted accreditation in the Six Sigma field.

Does the project have to be a live project. Or will a theoretical project be OK?
It must be a real, live project.

From Frank in Oshkosh, WI

How long does the Lean Six Sigma Black Belt course take?
If you spend 10 hours per week on the course you should finish in approximately 20 weeks. Your enrollment is for 365 days.

What are Bronze and Silver Certifications?
Bronze recognition is given upon course completion. Silver recognition is given when the exam is passed. There is no extra charge for these certifications.

What does it take to go for the Master Black Belt?
MBB requirements include completing all Black Belt training and working as a Black Belt for at least 1 year.

I am interested in the online Lean six sigma black belt program. beside the certificate, do we get continuing education credits for the online course? Thanks

The Pyzdek Institute awards Continuing Education Units for successful course completion as follows:

• Six Sigma Green Belt: 8.0 CEUs
• Six Sigma Black Belt: 16.0 CEUs
• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt: 10.0 CEUs
• Lean Six Sigma Black Belt: 18.0 CEUs
• Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt 4.0 CEUs
• Lean Six Sigma White Belt 0.4 CEUs
• Lean 2.0 CEUs
• Lean Overview 0.3 CEUs

From Dale in Wadsworth, OH

Upon review of many on-line Six Sigma options, I am seriously considering pursuing my Lean Six Sigma Belt Black training and certification through the Pyzdek Institute. Can you please provide additional information on payment options (credit cards, P.O.’s, etc.) as well as the project requirements…thank you.

We accept payment in all of the formats you mention. These options are shown during checkout.

From Andrew, location unknown

I am interested in enrolling in the Six Sigma Black Belt Certificate program. If I opt not to take the exam, am I technically still allowed to list “Six Sigma Black Belt” on my resume?