Brigham Young University will offer a Six Sigma Black Belt Certification program to improve business organizations starting Nov. 10.
The Six Sigma Black Belt Certification is an industry-recognized professional certification based on improving manufacturing and business processes to reduce costs.
“Some may first think of karate when they hear of the Black Belt certification program,” said Greg Pomazal of BYU Conferences and Workshops. “This quality-management framework comes from the same origin since it was developed in factories in Japan. Professionals who know about it understand exactly what it is.”
The certification course includes four weeks of instruction spread over a four-month span, Nov. 10-14, Dec. 8-12, Jan. 12-16 and Feb. 2-6. Between instruction periods, participants will implement their quality-improvement projects within their organizations.
The program is available for BYU alumni, local professionals and BYU faculty and students. Regular registration is $8,000, and BYU faculty and student will receive a discount. To register, visit http://ce.byu.edu/cw/manage/sixsigma/index.cfm.
“We want to produce more Black Belts and the key to the certification is the project that each participant will implement in his organization,” said Rob Holcombe, program administrator. “Through this project, they will receive a return on their investment, helping their organization’s bottom-line.”
The course, facilitated by BYU Conference and Workshops, will be taught by Alan Openshaw, a Master Six Sigma Black Belt. He will be joined by John Leahey and Tony LaTurner, who are both experts in the management program, as well as Marriott School faculty members Tom Foster and Scott Sampson.
The Six Sigma Black Belt originated after World War II. American statistician W. Edwards Deming took his organizational ideas to Japan when Americans weren’t receptive. In Asia, this program found success among top car manufacturing companies and was later developed in American business.
The certification program will improve local businesses and university programs as it offers tools to implement quality-improvement projects.
For more information, call BYU Conferences and Workshops at (801) 422-4219.
Writer: Angela Fischer
