As a project manager, you may have to face these challenges while working on a project. The responsibilities of carrying out a project lie solely on the shoulders of the project manager. Therefore, without a proper management system in place, the project is more likely to fail in achieving its goal.
Over the years, there has been a drastic change in people’s mindsets. In other words, customer demands are evolving. Companies need managers who are well versed with the latest trends and have good decision-making skills.
It is here the widely-recognized certifications play their role. It enhances the skills of a project manager and gives them the right direction to carry out a project. In a PMI report, Pulse of Profession:2018, 72% of Project Management Office (PMO) leaders emphasized that having a certification is imperative for mid-level project managers.
There are numerous certifications across verticals that can take your career to the next level. These certifications are designed to develop your skills to attain various goals.
Here, we will discuss two of the popular certifications, which you can opt for: Six Sigma and PRojects IN Controlled Environment 2 (PRINCE2).
Growth of Six Sigma and PRINCE2 Over the Years
If we look into the history of Six Sigma, it dates back to the late 1980s. Even after its successful implementation at Motorola, it failed to garner attention among the masses. It was only in 1995 when Jack Welch used this methodology in General Electric and made Six Sigma popular.
Since then, various reforms have been introduced in the Six Sigma methodologies. Even today, with so many new project management certifications available, Six Sigma holds considerable relevance in the context of holistic quality management processes.
Today, Some of the Six Sigma Companies are 3M, Amazon, and Atos.
PRINCE2 is one of the most popular management tools in the UK. The IT industry, R&D, Production, and Education sectors have found PRINCE2 helpful in improving their project management systems. It helps to manage the high-level management and the control processes.
The origin of this de facto project management standard started when the UK government demanded solutions to improve the common issues projects faced. PRINCE2 has undergone a lot of revisions over the years, the latest being in 2017.
Six Sigma: Data-Driven Methodology
For most of us, Six Sigma is known as a quality management technique. What most people don’t understand is that it can be a great tool for efficient project management as well.
The core principle of Six Sigma is pretty simple: Reduce the defects in the process or product to a minimum of 3 in a million. That is, it aims at 99.99% of quality in processes and products. This is exactly why it proves to be a viable project management tool.
It follows a five-step approach to improve an existing process, to attain the goals of the project faster and with high precision. This approach is known as DMAIC, an acronym for Define-Measure-Analyse-Improve-Control.
Six Sigma can also be used for new projects. A five-stage method is used here as well. Here, the last two stages are different from DMAIC. The methodology used here is DMADV short for Define-Measure-Analyse-Design-Verify.
Here the main concern of the project manager is to rightly identify the root cause of the reason behind the failure of a project. The team then works on the solutions and implements them judicially, to attain a high success rate in running the projects,
Pros:
- Clearly defines the objectives and goals of the project
- Involves teamwork
- Is based purely on real-time and reliable data
Cons:
- An iterative process may take time to come to a conclusion
- Holistic Quality Management approach
PRINCE2: Process-Driven Methodology
Projects IN Controlled Environment or PRINCE2, is a process-driven project management tool and is extremely popular among the Public Sector companies in the UK.
It focuses on understanding the project as a whole and then looking out for the possible ways to effectively manage them. Each of its processes is well-defined by the objectives and the key inputs and outputs.
PRINCE2 can be applied in highly techno-driven management organizations. PRINCE2 helps enterprises to devise a consistent approach where one can organize and control the start, middle, and end stages of projects.
This way, you can carry on with organized project plans and monitor all the phases. It proves to be an effective way to complete a project, by making you and your team clear about the expected outcomes, budget, and other challenges. As a project manager, using PRINCE2 helps you to make rational decisions based on facts and build a better team. You will also be trained to form a process that is ultimately focused on customer satisfaction and the company objectives.
Pros:
- Helps you understand the project in a holistic manner
- Helps you to organize the process throughout the lifecycle of the project
- Easy tracking of performances and overall progression of the project
Cons:
- You will need to go through excessive documentation.
- It requires the involvement of higher management. It may slow down the process.
How are Six Sigma and PRINCE2 different?
Six Sigma and PRINCE2 both aim at improving the process of an organization to increase the project success ratio. However, their approach is different.
Six Sigma focuses on reducing the defects and loopholes in the project management process based on data and statistics. PRINCE2, on the other hand, proposes a mechanism to run the project in an efficient method.
Six Sigma may not help projects to complete within a time frame or budget, since it is designed to understand the root cause and work accordingly to deliver a customer satisfactory product. PRINCE2 is fully dedicated to managing the project in terms of deadlines, cost, and project deliverables.
Six Sigma uses specific methodologies like DMADV or DMAIC. PRINCE2 lays out a framework that the project manager uses to build a better project execution plan.
Six Sigma v/s PRINCE2: Methodologies
Six Sigma methodologies are DMAIC and DMADV.
For existing projects, you can use the DMAIC. Here the problem is identified, and the goal is set to remove the problem. Next, the required data is colled and measured against the problem, and used for the analysis of the same. Various tools like the Five WHYs, Pareto Chart, the Fishbone Diagram, etc. are used to identify the root cause of the problem. In the next step, there is the implementation of improvement and control methods so that the issues do not repeat.
PRINCE2 Methododly is more focused on organizing and controlling the project at its every stage.
Here the projects are planned out, and objectives are clearly defined during the whole lifecycle of the project. It works on seven principles:
- The business motive of the project must be clear.
- The project team should analyze their performance and learn from each stage.
- Each member knows their roles and responsibilities.
- Team members are assigned their work for all the phases or stages of the project.
- The project manager makes decisions. Only in some crucial cases, higher management is involved.
- The process should focus on quality.
- Process changes with each project according to the change in requirements
Six Sigma Belts v/s PRINCE2 qualifying exam
A professional with Six Sigma certification is an invaluable asset to the company as they have the potential to improve the overall quality of the processes. Identify the level of Six Sigma expertise certification comes in different rankings:
- White belt: For beginners/ No formal training
- Six Sigma Yellow Belt: Those who understand more than a white belt holder and have undergone a few days of training are capable of leading small projects and assisting the black belts in big ones.
- Six Sigma Green Belt: If you have attended a full training session and have years of experience handling Six Sigma projects, you are eligible for a Green belt. A green belt holder can take charge of a project singlehandedly.
- Six Sigma Black Belt: If you exceed the Green belt requirements and gained more exposure to managing projects and applying Six Sigma principles, you can earn either a black belt, master belt, or champion certification depending on the level of expertise.
For becoming a PRINCE2 professional, there are two levels of qualification in Prince2 Certificate Training Courses:
- PRINCE2 Foundation level: Here you will be introduced to PRINCE2 principles and processes so that you understand how to add consistency to your projects. This exam also helps you to complete projects within time and budget.
- PRINCE2 Practitioner level: It is a level higher than the foundation level and teaches you to customize PRINCE2 according to the requirements of a project.
Conclusion
Both Six Sigma and PRINCE2 work towards improving the organizational structure to deliver the projects on time and overcome the challenges.
Six Sigma is more of a sequential and iterative method and PRINCE2 is aligned more like a waterfall management system.
You need to choose between the two taking into consideration your goals for the project. For both the tools, you need to define your goals well in advance to make the rightful decisions.
