Six Sigma Certification: Hoax or Benefit

In this paper, we address the issue of certification. We begin by giving a short introduction to certification, the history of the six sigma certification and some general thoughts about the current state of certification. The reason for this examination is that over the last several years there is a proliferation of discussions on what is certification and what is its value. The concern may sound like theoretical babble, but the reality of any certification, whether it is six sigma, accounting or something else, is the question of who is offering the certification and what the prestige or importance of that certification is or should be to the managers who might eventually employ the certified individual.