Six Sigma Costs and Limitations

Institutionalizing Six Sigma into the fabric of a corporate culture can require significant investment in training and infrastructure. There are typically three different levels of expertise cited by companies: Green Belt, Black Belt Practitioner, Master Black Belt. Each level has increasingly greater mastery of the skill set. Roles and responsibilities also grow from each level to the next, with Black Belt Practitioners often in team/project leadership roles and Master Black Belts often in mentoring/teaching roles. The infrastructure needed to support the Six Sigma environment varies. Some companies organize their trained Green/Black Belts into a central support organization. Others deploy Green/Black Belts into organizations based on project needs and rely on communities of practice to maintain cohesion.