Batch of 44: Six Sigma black belts in the Navy

First the army, now the navy. The armed forces certainly seem to have caught on to the benefits of Lean Six Sigma in a big way. It almost seems like a policy move to inculcate Six Sigma practices in the men in uniform.

Lean Six Sigma black belts were presented to 44 Naval service personnel at the Pentagon in the presence of Ronald D. Atkinson, president-elect of the American Society for Quality (ASQ), and Secretary of the Navy Donald C. Winter. The certifications are part of the collaboration between the Department of Navy and ASQ to develop a testing standards program in the Navy. Reliable Plant reports:

The Navy and Marine Corps Acquisition Enterprise that designs, develops, builds, and supports the U.S. fleet of ships, aircraft, and combat systems, recognizes the importance of providing certification through an authoritative third-party source such as ASQ. Multiple Navy commands were involved with development of this process.

The black belts will certainly have the added edge in interacting with other personnel in the Navy, and will hopefully pass on their learning experience. That apart, there are about 750-800 budding black belt experts in the Navy.