Six Sigma implementation can help businesses run more effectively and improve their bottom line. It’s all about improving the quality of a business, from basic problem solving to streamlining detailed and complex practices. Six Sigma uses data to make sense of the cause of a problem before taking measures to correct it. Understanding the root of a problem allows for a better, long-lasting solution.
Improving efficiency allows Six Sigma professionals to cut major costs throughout a company. The methodology can work for any type of business and any sized company. The increase in revenue after implementing Six Sigma easily makes it a worthy investment for savvy executives and business owners.
Deciding to invest in Six Sigma is easy. The more difficult issue is deciding who should pay for the Six Sigma training. Should companies pay for their employees to become Six Sigma certified?
Implementing Six Sigma in an Existing Business
Knowing what it will take to carry out a Six Sigma implementation can help determine who should incur the cost of certification and training. It is important to know what the end goals are. Six Sigma is an ongoing, long-term strategy, so figure out what the company is working toward before beginning.
Arranging the team is the first step in Six Sigma implementation. All employees must fully understand the new processes. To make this easier, examine each department and make sure that all employees are on the best teams for their individual skill sets.
READ: How Six Sigma Certification Can Benefit Companies and Employees
To assure that every team member stays on task, it must be clear who is in charge. The company needs to decide how many Six Sigma Champions to train, how many team members will be needed and at which level of Six Sigma (White Belt, Yellow Belt, Green Belt, Black Belt, Master Black Belt) each team member should be.
Every detail should be taken into consideration when deploying a new Six Sigma plan. How many projects will each Black Belt work on at a time? Will the Black Belts work part-time or full-time? How often will executives critique the progress? There are a lot of questions to work through before the Six Sigma process even begins.
Paying for Six Sigma Implementation
Since Six Sigma implementation requires a full commitment from employees and executives, be certain everyone is on board before moving forward. Because it will ultimately lead to increased profits for the business, it makes sense for the company to pay for the training and certification.
Providing and organizing Six Sigma implementation will be up to the executives, so it is logical for the company to finance the project as well. Offering company-wide online training can help keep everyone informed and allow executives to keep a close eye on the process.
Paying for Six Sigma training helps a company assure that all team members are fully-invested. Following the progress of each step is easy when it is done in-house. Moreover, Six Sigma certification is a major benefit to employees. Knowing a company will pay for Six Sigma training can help attract new talent and retain existing employees. The cost of Six Sigma implementation is offset by the long-term value it provides. When revenue increases, all employees are well-trained and organizational problems are solved efficiently each time, the company will be pleased they chose to fund Six Sigma certification for their staff.
What do you think? Should a company pay for employee certification? Let us know in the comments below.
