Six Sigma is a set of techniques and tools for process improvement.

It was developed by Motorola in

1986. Jack Welch made it central to his business strategy at General Electric in 1995.[3] Today, it is used
in many industrial sectors.[4]

Six Sigma seeks to improve the quality of process outputs by identifying and removing the causes of
defects (errors) and minimizing variability in manufacturing and business processes. It uses a set of
quality management methods, including statistical methods, and creates a special infrastructure of
people within the organization ("Champions", "Black Belts", "Green Belts", "Yellow Belts", etc.) who are
experts in these methods. Each Six Sigma project carried out within an organization follows a defined
sequence of steps and has quantified value targets, for example: reduce process cycle time, reduce
pollution, reduce costs, increase customer satisfaction, and increase profits. These are also core to
principles of Total Quality Management (TQM) as described by Peter Drucker and Tom Peters
(particularly in his book "In Search of Excellence" in which he refers to the Motorola six sigma
principles).

The essential goal of Six Sigma is to eliminate defects and waste, thereby improving quality and
efficiency, by streamlining and improving all business processes. While it was first designed for use in
manufacturing, practitioners quickly discovered that Six Sigma could be useful and applicable
throughout all aspects of a business - from customer support to management to service delivery.

Today, Six Sigma plays a key role in the leadership of an organization, and its wide-scale implementation
can help a company to achieve real and measurable results.

The Lean Approach
Like Six Sigma, Lean is a tool used by businesses to streamline manufacturing and production processes.
The main emphasis of Lean is on cutting out unnecessary and wasteful steps in the creation of a product
so that only steps that directly add value to the product are taken.

As far as Lean methodology is concerned, the only way to determine if something has value or not is to
consider whether a customer would be willing to pay for it. Any part of the production that does not add
value is simply removed from the equation, leaving a highly streamlined and profitable process in place
that will flow smoothly and efficiently.

Comparing Six Sigma and Lean
Essentially, Six Sigma and Lean systems have the same goal. They both seek to eliminate waste and
create the most efficient system possible, but they take different approaches toward how achieving this
goal. In simplest terms, the main difference between Lean and Six Sigma is that they identify the root
cause of waste differently.

Lean practitioners believe that waste comes from unnecessary steps in the production process that do
not add value to the finished product, while Six Sigma proponents assert that waste results from
variation within the process.

Of course, there is truth in both of these assessments, which is why both Lean and Six Sigma
methodologies have been so successful in improving overall business performance in a variety of fields.
In fact, these two disciplines have proven to be especially successful when working in tandem - hence
the creation of Lean Six Sigma.

Optimize Your Business With Lean Six Sigma Training
The reality is that the broader your toolkit, the better prepared you are to tackle the complex problems
that businesses face in today's competitive marketplace.

The good news is that you can obtain comprehensive training in both Lean and Six Sigma from a single
source with the certificate courses and master certificate program offered by Villanova University. And
because Villanova's training is offered 100% online, you can complete the coursework no matter where
you are or what the constraints of your schedule might be.

Villanova has consistently been ranked #1 by U.S. News & World Report in the Master's category/North
region for nearly two decades, and its intensive, non-degree certificate programs are highly respected
throughout the business world.

Furthermore, it also offers the industry's only university-backed, 100% online Six Sigma and Lean Six
Sigma certification exams. Each of Villanova's certificate courses prepares students for the
corresponding certification exam. Students can enroll in Six Sigma Green Belt, Lean Six Sigma or Lean Six
Sigma Black Belt courses, or complete all three to earn a Master Certificate in Six Sigma. In addition,
Villanova also offers a Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt certificate course and certification.