A manufacturer can provide a quality which is highly dependent on -

the suppliers and the suppliers of suppliers (reaching some times upto mining or extraction of a natural product)

clients and clients of clients. (Going through value addition by clients, and moving through distributors, stockists and retailers finally reaching the end user)

somebody who is managing the supply chain has to manage the issues of quality and delivery across supply chain. This means he has opportunities if doing dmaic and dfss projects involving suppliers and intermediaries.

Some industries impose certain certification programs on suppliers - for example an automotive component supplier needs to have ts 16949 certification and his suppliers need to be iso 9001 certified.

Some other industries are keen to know about labor practices, ethics, environmantal and safety consciousness of their suppliers (example -  pharmaceutical industry)

all such programs can be complemented by six sigma because continual improvement is a requirement in all such programs. Six sigma has now become synonymous with continual improvement.

Big improvements happen when we convert improvement opportunties into well defined projects, assign the right team members, have the right management support and approval and use a structured methodology (like dmaic)

after tasting success with six sigma and setting their own house in order, many companies induce/ recommend/ suggest six sigma implementation in upstream and/or downstream companies.

Companies like ge induced many suppliers to use six sigma. Similarly automotive companies are training and developing their suppliers on usage  of six sigma techniques, banks are forcing their service providers to use six sigma in their bpo environments.

Common projects taken up are -

reduce cost without increasing delivery time.

Reduce delivery time without increasing cost.

Improve quality without increasing delivery time.

Reduce delivery time without reducing quality.

For more information visit this link:

http://www.articlesbase.com/business-articles/six-sigma-in-supply-chain-972164.html

White belts are at the bottom ladder of six sigma, which means that they go through a high level overview on six sigma with the primary objective of familiarizing them with terminology related to six sigma (mean, standard deviation etc.).Mostly all the employees in the company are trained at the white belt level. White belts may help green belts and black belts in data collection.

Next level is green belts who are trained in six sigma at a much more detailed level. Their training may range from a few days up to few weeks. They are trained in process improvement techniques including the six sigma dmaic road map for improving results. Green belts usually lead smaller projects within their business unit or support portions of larger projects led by a more experienced black belt. Green belts usually undertake process improvements in their specific functional areas. Green belts are usually not exposed to advanced six sigma concepts, so they are not equipped to solve really tough problems.

The third level of six sigma is black belts. Their training includes application of yet advanced statistical tools and techniques for process improvements. Black belts work on projects which are cross functional in nature and are of a more strategic importance to the company. Their training varies to a week to four weeks. It is advisable to undergo the black belt training after the green belt, as the black belt builds on top of the green belt course.

The final level on the six sigma ladder is that of master black belts. These individuals are champions of six sigma and devote their 100% time to implementation of six sigma in projects. They generally spearhead projects which are organization wide in their scope. They are also responsible for training and mentoring of green belts and black belts.

Link detail:

http://www.articlesbase.com/training-articles/what-is-the-difference-between-six-sigma-green-belt-and-six-sigma-black-belt--949846.html