Welcome

What is a Change Management Professional?

• Certified Change Management Professional employ the general industry standards of evaluating the organization’s issue/problem, initiating action to make change, planning the change while encouraging stakeholder buy-in, executing the plans while being flexible to the changing landscape, and how to sustain the change and make it “stick” so that the organization truly gains benefits of the change. Change Management Professionals learn the process of change with Acuity through real world projects, classroom training and certification exams.

 

What is a Kaizen Leader?​

• The Kaizen leader builds upon prior learning in the Kaizen philosophy.

• Kaizen is a problem-solving approach that applies process improvement in a structured setting. Kaizen literally means “Continuous Improvement”.  A Kaizen Event is a concentrated team-oriented effort to rapidly improve the performance of a process. The goal of Kaizen is to eliminate activities in processes that add cost but do not add value. A Kaizen Event is an extremely efficient method to quickly improve poor-performing processes. In today’s fast-paced environment, business leaders want immediate results. If done correctly, a Kaizen Event is accomplished in 5 days or less.

 

What is the DMAIC methodology?

DMAIC is an acronym that represents a structured problem-solving and process improvement methodology used in the field of Six Sigma, a set of techniques and tools for process improvement and quality management. DMAIC stands for Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control, which are the five key phases involved in this approach:

 

• Define: In this initial phase, the project team defines the problem or opportunity for improvement. This includes identifying the process that needs improvement, specifying the goals and objectives, and clarifying the scope of the project. It's crucial to establish a clear project charter that outlines the project's purpose, stakeholders, and boundaries.

 

• Measure: Once the problem is defined, the next step is to collect relevant data to understand the current state of the process. This phase involves identifying key performance indicators (KPIs) and metrics, developing data collection plans, and gathering data. The goal is to establish a baseline and quantify the extent of the problem or inefficiency.

 

• Analyze: With data in hand, the project team analyzes it to identify the root causes of the problem. Various data analysis tools and techniques, such as statistical analysis and process mapping, are employed to determine which factors are contributing to the process issues. The analysis phase helps pinpoint the specific areas that need improvement and provides insights into potential solutions.

 

• Improve: In this phase, the team focuses on generating and implementing solutions to address the identified root causes. Brainstorming, experimentation, and simulation can be used to develop and test potential improvements. The goal is to find the most effective and sustainable solutions that will lead to process optimization and quality enhancement.

 

• Control: After implementing improvements, the project team establishes controls to ensure that the process remains stable and continues to perform at the desired level. This phase involves creating monitoring systems, setting up process controls, and developing standardized procedures. The aim is to prevent the recurrence of the identified problems and maintain the improved process over time.

 

The DMAIC methodology is iterative, meaning that it allows for revisiting previous phases if necessary, to refine solutions or address new issues that may arise during the implementation and control phases. It provides a systematic framework for continuous improvement and is a key component of the Six Sigma approach, which seeks to reduce defects and variability in processes to achieve high levels of quality and customer satisfaction.

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What is a Six-Sigma Black Belt?​​

• Acuity Institute’s Lean Six Sigma Black Belt Certification develops competencies needed to design and lead high-impact process improvement programs. Lean Six Sigma Black Belts employ DMAIC methodologies and fundamentals as full-time improvement team project leaders. 

• Depth and breadth of these competencies are staged similar to the belts in martial arts. Colors of “belts” represent the level of growth as clients develop from introductory: White Belt, to applying fundamentals: Yellow Belt, the development of trainers: Green Belt, the emergent leaders: Black Belt and the trainer/experts: Master Black Belts. 

• Acuity’s Black Belt Program goes beyond manufacturing, with applications in industries like healthcare, financial services and insurance to diversify the students' skill sets.  

  • Learners are trained and tested on their understanding and ability to apply the tools and techniques of all elements of the Lean Six Sigma DMAIC methodology. 

  • As part of the DMAIC methodology, students are taught how to integrate Lean Six Sigma into an overall approach to process improvement and project management.

    • A certified: Green Belt  builds upon the Yellow Belt training and develops an ability to apply and lead teams in all elements of Lean Six-Sigma and DMAIC methodologies within an organization.

    • A certified: Yellow Belt  is trained in the fundamentals of Lean Six-Sigma methodologies which equips employees to participate in project teams led by Green or Black Belts.

 

What is a Master Black Belt? 

• Is worth 27.3 Continuing Education Units (CEU) and 273 Professional Development Units (PDU) which is Master’s level education.

• Master Black Belts are expected to:

  • Drive continuous strategic business performance improvement

  • Interface as trusted advisor to top leadership and management

  • Learn how to coach and train Black Belts, Green Belts, and Lean practitioners

  • Apply advanced applied statistical tools for data analysis

  • Demonstrate the methodology and tools of Lean Professional

  • Demonstrate the DMADV methodology and tools of Design for Six Sigma

  • Successfully lead Kaizen workshops

  • Demonstrate the methodology and tools of Change Management Professional

  • Effectively facilitate the results of continuous improvement efforts within the organization

  • Effectively facilitate and train the tools and skills needed for continuous improvement within the organization.