OREANDA-NEWS. Two members of Ford South Africa’s manufacturing team have been certified Six Sigma Master Black Belts (MBB). Steve Plaxton (Silverton, Pretoria) and Renaldo Meyers (Stuandale, Port Elizabeth) successfully completed the prerequisites and training required for MBB status following two weeks of training at the Six Sigma training centre in Cologne, Germany together with 11 MBB candidates from around the world.

In order to attain MBB status, candidates were required to have had completed five Six Sigma projects, sit for a four hour exam, present three recommendation letters from management, and create an evidence book of the Six Sigma tools they have used.

As Master Black Belts, Plaxton and Meyers will serve as in-house coaches on Six Sigma tools and techniques for quality management and processes. During the training, Plaxton and Meyers were required to demonstrate leadership, technical statistical skills, and their ability to teach project execution, special-task leadership, and other Black Belt concepts.

In September, Ford hosted Six Sigma Black Belt training at the Silverton plant in Pretoria teaching local staff how to solve data-driven problems using Six Sigma statistical quality tools and methodologies.

The training course was initiated by Fiona Smith, Quality Director - Ford MEA. “The more employees learn and apply the Six Sigma methodologies, the greater the positive influence on our business objectives.”

“We plan to implement training courses and mentor black belts internally to ensure that Six Sigma becomes firmly established at each manufacturing location. Plaxton and Meyers will be our key resources in supporting the trainings and implementation,” said Smith.

In 2016, Plaxton and Meyers will teach Black Belt candidates from across the Middle East and Africa with assistance from Pieter Pienaar, the region’s long-term MBB. Pienaar, Plaxton and Meyers will be the regional point of contact/SMEs for Green Belts and Black Belts.