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Applying the Six Sigma Process when Creating a Modular Six Sigma Green Belt Program

Abstract

Business demand for Six Sigma educational programs has been on the rise the past several years and it appears that this trend will continue. In response to this demand from both industrial and academic customers, the Department of Technology Systems at East Carolina University (ECU) developed a modular Six Sigma Green Belt (SSGB) course to deliver the Six Sigma body of knowledge to customers. Since the Six Sigma process is also used in the development of final products in manufacturing, it is anticipated that other researchers and academicians will benefit from the lessons learned in creating this training product.

Overview

Once the need for the modular Six Sigma Green Belt (SSGB) course was determined, the DMAIC process most often used for Six Sigma projects was deployed. Tollgates to move from one phase of the process to another were utilized in managing the project. This process helped ensure that a need to backtrack did not occur. The body of this paper describes each phase of the DMAIC process along with an overview of how each phase was used to create the SSGB course product. Special notes for each phase and various tools that can be utilized during each phase have also been included.

A primary design goal for the project was to create a reusable set of curriculum materials that could be used in industrial short course environments or within collegiate academic programs of the Technology Systems department at ECU. The idea was to be able to use the modules as parts of another course, or as stand-alone offerings. An example of this would be using the Theory of Constraints (TOC) and the Lean Manufacturing module as part of an operations management course, or utilizing the statistical quality control modules as stand-alone modules to teach how statistics can be used for quality control. To keep the material manageable and interesting, it was also decided to design the modules so each one would last between 10 to 15 minutes.

The initial phase of the program included the development of a core set of presentation materials by experts in Six Sigma training. PowerPoint© was the primary software tool used to generate a script for these instructional materials. The notes section of each slide was utilized to create a monologue that would be used throughout the development process to support both professional narration and closed-captioning in order to broaden the prospective audience for the course. Student workers and graduate assistants were employed to assist in mastering the course modules using audio voice-over recordings and final product rendering using Camtasia©.

The completed modules and scripts were then reviewed by one or more subject matter experts to insure error-free materials were provided to the next team member in a consistent style and format. The script for each slide was recorded by one of two communications students who were interviewed and selected from a group of five individuals recommended for the task by a senior professor from the Department of Communication. The selected students brought a professional style and quality to the process, while enhancing their portfolio for future employment opportunities.

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Jackson, A., & Jackson, S., & Mehta, M. (2009, June), Applying The Six Sigma Process When Creating A Modular Six Sigma Green Belt Program Paper presented at 2009 Annual Conference & Exposition, Austin, Texas. 10.18260/1-2--5298