Black Belt

paflyer

paflyer

Final Approach
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PAFlyer
I need something fresh to stick on the resume.

Anyone sat for the LSS Black Belt exam? Easy? Brutal?

Looks like I can do some online 'study', take the test, and then "hi ya!!" break virtual cement blocks with my bare mind.
 
Generally worthless without a portfolio to back it up. Also, many companies will require you to go through their own internal program anyways.
 
I wouldn't say worthless. Having prior knowledge of Lean concepts over someone that doesn't could be benificial. But, yes, the employer is probably going to have their own program and certification.
 
GlennAB1 said:
I wouldn't say worthless. Having prior knowledge of Lean concepts over someone that doesn't could be benificial. But, yes, the employer is probably going to have their own program and certification.
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The concepts are pretty basic, and IMO just enumerated common sense for someone skill in the art. Nothing magic. But many job reqs require the certification, along with, of course, some level of actual real world experience (not generally stated specifically as 'Lean experience'.)
 
paflyer said:
The concepts are pretty basic, and IMO just enumerated common sense for someone skill in the art. Nothing magic. But many job reqs require the certification, along with, of course, some level of actual real world experience (not generally stated specifically as 'Lean experience'.)
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Anyway, I was asking for experience re the exam, not whether or not it's "worth" anything. You could say the same for most industry certifications that are outside law, accounting, or medicine.
 
I'm amazed the Six Sigma fad hasn't died yet for some "new" thing in CEO magazines and trade rags.

I'm still waiting for a company I work for to win that Malcolm Baldrige award that was popular in the 80s. :) LOL.
 
My company required me to go through Green Belt and do a project alongside it. I thought it was good experience, but it is definitely one of those things that is more useful in certain job areas than others.
 
mrmiyagibelt.jpg


Sorry couldn't resist...it can be useful depending on your chosen career field or if you were going into a job market that places a heavy emphasis on the cert then might be worth it.
 
denverpilot said:
I'm amazed the Six Sigma fad hasn't died yet for some "new" thing in CEO magazines and trade rags.

I'm still waiting for a company I work for to win that Malcolm Baldrige award that was popular in the 80s. :) LOL.
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Yea I thought it was a bit of a fad too but I can see where it can be beneficial. Certainly very much so in the manufacturing areas. But yea they definitely hype it up a bit. My company was huge about it when I first started working here but it seems like it has died down a bit lately. They aren't requiring all engineering disciplines to go through the training anymore.
 
CC268 said:
Yea I thought it was a bit of a fad too but I can see where it can be beneficial. Certainly very much so in the manufacturing areas. But yea they definitely hype it up a bit. My company was huge about it when I first started working here but it seems like it has died down a bit lately. They aren't requiring all engineering disciplines to go through the training anymore.
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So did you attend classes or just self-study and sit for the exam?
 
paflyer said:
So did you attend classes or just self-study and sit for the exam?
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We hadn't the option to go to in person classes or online classes. I did online. Keep in mind this was green belt not black belt so I wasn't required to take an exam. Just do a project that demonstrated use of the six sigma and lean tools followed by a presentation on it all.
 
CC268 said:
We hadn't the option to go to in person classes or online classes. I did online. Keep in mind this was green belt not black belt so I wasn't required to take an exam. Just do a project that demonstrated use of the six sigma and lean tools followed by a presentation on it all.
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Gotcha.
 
@paflyer. So, let me expand on my comment that an LSS BB is generally worthless.

I haven't seen your resume; don't know what you do, don't know about your other certs.

Here's what I know. The LSS BB tells me you have process improvement knowledge and experience at a level beyond the GB. Generally speaking, this will be several years of process improvement experience and very big money savings.

If your resume doesn't back that BB up with quantitative info, then I'm not going to even consider your BB. Our BBs coach GBs or work/lead PI projects with $1M or more cost savings.

Now, let's say your trying to get into a process improvement role and I have a junior to mid level process improvement role available. I look at the top and see LSS GB. I like everything else I see. The interview might sound like this: tell me about your Green Belt project and we'll go from there.
 
For kicks and grins, here's a current position description for a BB opening in my company right now:

Job Requirements
  • Lead Process Improvement projects that deliver measureable business results.
  • Build commitment to business process management and improvement through a focus on effective process development, integrated project/change management and implementation.
  • Analyze and identify process improvement opportunities and partner with key stakeholders to scope and ensure alignment with strategic priorities.
  • Serve as a technical leader in the deployment of Process Improvement through the application of process improvement methodologies (Six Sigma, LEAN, and basic problem solving). Trains, coaches, and mentors all employees, to include Green Belts.
  • Work with CFO team, Risk/Compliance, process improvement experts and other stakeholders to ensure projects achieve intended results, where risks are proactively identified and mitigated and benefits are validated.
  • Provide expertise and share best practices regarding Process Improvement tools, methodologies, and team leadership.
Minimum Requirements
  • Bachelor's Degree OR at least 4 additional years of directly related work experience beyond the required years of experience may be substituted in lieu of degree.
  • 8+ years professional business experience with 4+ years process improvement work experience.
  • Strong, proven experience with leadership, business acumen, problem solving, critical thinking, and analytical skills in financial services or other highly regulated industry.
  • Proven ability to influence and affect change at all levels of the organization.
  • Solid track record in leading and managing teams, to deliver results.
  • Green Belt or higher certification which required successful implementation of a process related project that solved a business problem/improved business performance.
  • Must complete Black Belt training and certification requirements within 12 months of assuming the role to include successful implementation of a process related project that solved a business problem/improved business performance.
Preferred

Certified Black Belt or Master Black Belt, certification which required successful implementation of a process related project that solved a business problem/improved business performance.
  • Expert knowledge of Lean within the financial services industry.
  • Expert knowledge of business process management and proficient knowledge of change management theory and practices.
  • Banking or financial services experience.
 
OK, got your point, thanks for the detailed explanation.
 
paflyer said:
The concepts are pretty basic, and IMO just enumerated common sense for someone skill in the art. Nothing magic. But many job reqs require the certification, along with, of course, some level of actual real world experience (not generally stated specifically as 'Lean experience'.)
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Ok, so your initial question didn't reflect that you're already an expert on the subject... I fail to see any value added from this Kaizen.
 
Sac Arrow said:
I'm thoroughly confused. What kind of job requires both an academic degree and a martial arts certification?
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The kids are getting a bit combative these days so any software development team lead needs multiple skill sets. I think scrum master is also required. The PPE requirement is impressive since it requires torso protection along with cranial and genital.
 
GlennAB1 said:
Ok, so your initial question didn't reflect that you're already an expert on the subject... I fail to see any value added from this Kaizen.
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In the world of ACS you "need" certain buzzwords to pass the filters.
 
CC268 said:
My company required me to go through Green Belt and do a project alongside it. I thought it was good experience, but it is definitely one of those things that is more useful in certain job areas than others.
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Same here. GB along with a project along-side with a presentation at the end. We used an external company to do the GB training, but projects were composed by sponsors and presentation was just to show moderate understanding of lean process and analytical tools. I would list it on my resume, but it's one of those "tipping point" items that might sway a potential employer to select me for an interview/job over another candidate. Certainly nothing that means too much in and of itself.
 
SoonerAviator said:
Same here. GB along with a project along-side with a presentation at the end. We used an external company to do the GB training, but projects were composed by sponsors and presentation was just to show moderate understanding of lean process and analytical tools. I would list it on my resume, but it's one of those "tipping point" items that might sway a potential employer to select me for an interview/job over another candidate. Certainly nothing that means too much in and of itself.
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Yep couldn't have explained it any better. My process was EXACTLY the same and we used an outside company as well (MoreSteam)
 
If you added up all the money that was saved by all the black belts and green belts where I used to work then the cost of manufacturing product would be less than zero.
 
@paflyer What's your general line of work, what's valuable in it, why do you want to add a certification, other than to freshen up the resume?
 
TCABM said:
@paflyer What's your general line of work, what's valuable in it, why do you want to add a certification, other than to freshen up the resume?
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Currently a senior consulting engineer (EE) in new product development; came across an interesting req for high-level QA mgr in mfg and it included LSS BB as a requirement. I have a lot of "informal" experience in process improvement, both in manufacturing and business processes.
 
I had a co-worker who referred to the fad-management process (Six Sigma, Lean, Lean+, TQM, TQL, BPR, MBWA, and all the other shiny buzzwords) as "Management by Airport Bookstore"

Nauga,
who calls it "all thrust, no vector"
 
paflyer said:
Currently a senior consulting engineer (EE) in new product development; came across an interesting req for high-level QA mgr in mfg and it included LSS BB as a requirement. I have a lot of "informal" experience in process improvement, both in manufacturing and business processes.
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Well of course, Quality has to be onboard in order to increase production.
 
nauga said:
I had a co-worker who referred to the fad-management process (Six Sigma, Lean, Lean+, TQM, TQL, BPR, MBWA, and all the other shiny buzzwords) as "Management by Airport Bookstore"
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My 'Lean project' was a writeup of how many hundreds of thousands we were wasting every year by putting people without any product responsibility through a lean class during orientation. Someone told me I was a troublemaker.
 
weilke said:
My 'Lean project' was a writeup of how many hundreds of thousands we were wasting every year by putting people without any product responsibility through a lean class during orientation. Someone told me I was a troublemaker.
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I am glad that I am not the only one. Sometimes it is nice being a lowly chemist with no aspirations of promotion.

'They pretend to lead, we pretend to follow'
 
weilke said:
My 'Lean project' was a writeup of how many hundreds of thousands we were wasting every year by putting people without any product responsibility through a lean class during orientation. Someone told me I was a troublemaker.
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Well, I'm an Asst. Controller that got put through it as a Accounting Supervisor, so I don't have any specific product responsibility. However, most of our VP's/Directors were GB/BB-certified, so it was seen as a stepping-stone to management consideration later on. However, on a dollars-n-cents basis, I think only about 20% of those who go through the training end up completing the green belt. Projects fall apart, people leave/get too busy, etc. So, in terms of return on investment I don't know how well that stacks up. Most of the non-production staff are pretty involved with plant improvement though, even if it's just questioning why we do an operation the way we do.
 
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