• Employees that are expected to recommend improvement opportunities

• To ensure that individuals have the tools they need to be more creative

• The Creativity Toolkit

The best solution is when all employees receive the same basic training to improve their creativity and analysis capabilities. This establishes a common approach to problem-solving and analysis that allows all members of the team to be in harmony with each other.

The tools that are taught during the Bronze level are basic activity tools and basic problem-solving tools.

This allows the individual to apply what they have learned to their personal activities and problems as well as work effectively on teams that address the organization’s problems and opportunities.

• Employees that manage an innovation project or a product or service development effort

• Ensure that individuals have the tools they need to manage a project, product or service through the Innovation Systems Cycle

• The Innovation Systems Cycle
• The Innovation Tools Handbook, Volume 2
• The Innovation Tools Handbook, Volume 3

This indicates that the individual has been trained to pilot his or her original ideas all the way through the Innovation System Cycle.

It also indicates that the individual has been trained to use the appropriate parts of the Supporting Books

• Employees that lead an innovation project or a product or service development effort
• Certified instructors

• Ensure that individuals have the tools they need to lead a project, product or service through the Innovation Systems Cycle

• Total Innovation Management for Excellence (TIME)
• The Innovation Tools Handbook, Volume 1
• The Innovation Tools Handbook, Volume 3

The prerequisite for a Gold Medal is a Silver Medal and a minimum of one major innovative project completed successfully.

The Gold Medal requirements are designed for individuals who will be involved in implementing an organization-wide innovative improvement initiative.

Gold Medal individuals must have very good project management and portfolio management abilities. People awarded a Gold Medal often are the organization’s innovative specialists. In addition to our test, to receive the Gold Medal an individual needs to develop a set of values for him or herself related to personal excellence that includes innovation. They also are required to develop a set of values, visions, objectives, and strategies related to the type of recommendations they make to their organization. It is recommended that these documents be prepared before they take the test.

For those individuals who need assistance in preparing for the test, a five-day training program is available.

• Board of Directors
• Executive Committee

• Learn how the partcipant's behavior patterns need to function to encourage increased innovation from the organization
• Prepare individuals for developing a strategic plan to improve the organization’s innovation
• Establish and fund a project to improve the organization’s innovation level

• Total Innovation Management for Excellence (TIME)
• The Framework for Innovation
• Making the Case for Change: Using Effective Business Cases to Minimize Project and Innovation Failures

The Platinum Innovation Medal is given as a result of the individual convincing the governing board that they are a true leader in innovative systems related to their products and profitability. Successful innovative projects result in adding value to both the external customer and the organization.

These individuals will be instrumental in assuring innovation is properly integrated into the strategic plan and budgets.

• Everyone in the organization

• Learn the simple Six Sigma tools & techniques
• Minimize waste and resources while increasing customer satisfaction
• Work as a team member to solve problems

• The Six Sigma Yellow Belt Handbook

Yellow Belts are the team members that Green Belts and Black Belts rely on in the workplace.

The Yellow Belt is needed to gather data, participate in problem-solving, and add his/her expertise to the exploration process.

The participant will have little or no knowledge of the Six Sigma Methodology. They should have basic high school level math and reading skills.

• Quality professionals
• Managers
• Six Sigma professionals
• Process Improvement leaders
• Project Managers
• Service and Support professionals
• Supervisors
• These individuals will be the Chairperson for Six Sigma improvement project or be a member of a Six Sigma performance improvement team lead by a Black Belt or Master Black Belt

• Learn the Six Sigma Green Belt tools & techniques
• Develop a project management plan that includes estimates of value added and negative conditions generated as a result of a Six Sigma performance improvement
• Learn the new Six Sigma life cycle
• Develop the skills necessary to manage the group made up of different nationalities and skill levels

• The Six Sigma Green Belt Handbook

The Green Belt class prepares the individual for managing a team that addresses simple to medium range problems and opportunities. It also prepares them for working on the part of the team that addresses complex, and difficult problems, situations, and new product performance.

Participants become very familiar with Six Sigma, and the DMAIC approach to problem-solving.

The Green Belt is expected to successfully complete an exam to be certified.

• Anyone who is already a Six Sigma Green Belt
• Individuals who would be managing performance improvement teams that are working on complex problems

• To become efficient at using most of the Six Sigma tools
• The participant should be able to train Green Belts that are working on the project on how to use the tools that are relevant to the project or program at hand
• In small organizations Black Belts are often called on to be the champion for the Six Sigma program.; the participant is trained in how to serve as the champion
• The participant will master not only the concept of Six Sigma but they also will be trained in how to meet an objective related to the money saved by the projects they work on

• The Six Sigma Green Belt Handbook
• Maximizing Value Proposition to Increase Project Success Rate
• Lean Six Sigma Black Belt Handbook

Six Sigma Black Belts are the heart and soul of the Six Sigma quality initiative. Typically, these individuals are the "best of the best." A Black Belt’s main purpose is to lead projects and work full time on them until they have been completed. Black Belts work on chronic issues that are negatively impacting the company's performance.

Black Belts are individuals who apply intensive and diversified process improvement techniques to achieve greater efficiency and effectiveness.

A Black Belt also provides training, facilitation, direction, analysis and advice on product and process improvement to other members of the organization, particularly to the Green Belts in the company.

• Individuals who will be managing a group of Six Sigma Green Belt project managers.

• To master how to train in all levels of certification
• To become a competent statistician able to help with very complex opportunities and problems
• To learn how to keep the Executive team and Board of Directors interested and supportive of the Six Sigma improvement initiative

• The Six Sigma Green Belt Handbook
• Total Innovation Management for Excellence (TIME)
• Making Teams Hum

Upon successfully completing the course, the Master Black Belt should be able to meet with the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee to explain the advantages of implementing a Six Sigma Program.

The Master Black Belt should be capable of training the Green and Yellow Belts and solving the extremely difficult problems that face the organization.

He/She should save the organization a minimum of a million dollars per year.

• Anyone involved in the movement of product from supplier to customer

• The student learns how to manage the flow of goods and services including the management of all processes that transform raw materials into final products.
• Supply Chain Management involves the streamlining of a business’ supply-side activities to maximize customer value and gain a competitive advantage in the marketplace. The student learns how to achieve this.

• Total Innovation Management for Excellence (TIME)

Supply Chain Management keeps chaos at bay – synchronizing the activities of the network.

All Supply Chain Management or central planning processes created to manage an organization’s demand/supply network consist of three primary activities, as well as two secondary activities.

It creates a smooth flow of parts, assembly, product, and services from all suppliers to acceptance of the output by the end-user while minimizing inventory and storage costs.