If you prefer to learn-by –doing and to receive some learning at a pace that works for you and then have a chance to implement it – this can be your best option.  It will involve some classroom training combined with delivering Lean Six Sigma projects that deliver business improvement.  As part of the training attendees will be required to run their first Lean Six Sigma improvement projects so that your business gets some benefits, and also so that they can embed and grow their new knowledge.  To maximise the positive impact of Lean Six Sigma. D9 can also run some Lean Six Sigma projects for you – this will demonstrate to trainees what is possible.  It also allows a faster return-on-investment for your business.  The projects that D9 will lead for you can be traditional 4-6 month projects (or a smaller and faster scope) or they can be executed as a rapid Kaizen Blitz.

Training can be one-day training for a large group of your employees – this will lead to high levels of awareness and will motivate to make small-scale improvements in many parts of your business.  The training is called White Belt, and will allow attendees to tackle process improvements that will save approx. $1000-$5000 per year.

Another option is one week training for a select few of your employees.  This will give them a better set of skills and better confidence to take on bigger and more impactful business projects.  .  The training is called Green Belt, and will allow attendees to tackle larger process improvements that will save approx. $25,000-$50,000 per year.  To ensure you get the biggest impact from training it is best if attendees bring a new project with them to the training – this allows the learning to be applied directly to your business challenges, and also speeds up the completion time of the first projects.

Is this option best for you?

If you have the ability to free up your people for classroom training, and your business challenges can wait until your people are trained, then this is an excellent approach to both develop your people and improve your business.  Often a newly-trained Green Belt will complete their first project in 4-6 months of training, after which you will see tangible business improvement.  What is worth considering, what amount of support will your newly-trained Green Belts need as they are implementing their projects?  While they will receive the knowledge in the classroom, applying something new for the first time can require coaching/mentoring support and encouragement.