Standards for Lean Six Sigma certification

Purpose – This paper aims to provide an overview of current Lean Six Sigma certification practices among different industries and organisations and puts forward a public standard. Design/methodology/approach – Survey results, unstructured interviews and secondary information are used to illustrate the existing variation in certification standards across industries and organisations. Findings – The high variation in Lean Six Sigma certification standards makes it very difficult to judge the actual competence of a certified Belt and to evaluate a Lean Six Sigma program in organisations. As such, the need for a globally accepted certification standard is identified, similar to what is already in place for other professions. Originality/value – This paper has a highly practical content for industry practitioners, with the intent of suggesting Lean Six Sigma certification standards be used in organisations, drawing on the best practices from major companies.