Contact: Phil Hearn
3M representatives (l-r) Brian Schoebel and Larry Thomason present a check to Bagley College of Engineering dean A. Wayne Bennett and industrial engineering department head Larry Brown as the first installment of more than $500,000 the St. Paul, Minn.-based company will provide over two years to establish a Six Sigma Certificate program at MSU. The program is designed to provide engineering students with the latest methods of ensuriing customer satisfaction through quality control.
Mississippi State's James Worth Bagley College of Engineering is receiving more than $500,000 from 3M to establish a Six Sigma Certificate Program, designed to provide students with industry's latest customer satisfaction training through quality control.
3M representatives Larry Thomason and Brian Schoeberl made the announcement during a recent ceremony at the university's Swalm School of Chemical Engineering.
The 3M Foundation will provide $426,250 to establish the Six Sigma curriculum. Additionally, 3M's Specialty Film and Media Products and Automotive divisions will make volunteers available to assist with the development of the certification process and $78,000 to support student projects.
3M introduced Six Sigma, a business process methodology, more than three years ago to help the company achieve excellence in all of its business processes. By providing a means for continuous improvement, it has helped to reduce variation and deliver consistent results.
"The Six Sigma initiative has brought a systematic, root-cause analysis to problem-solving, with a common language our people use on a global basis," said Thomason.
MSU engineering dean A. Wayne Bennett said the program will be utilized by all engineering majors, but will be based in the industrial engineering department.
"The grant will fund start-up costs associated with launching the Six Sigma Certificate program, including hiring a program coordinator, program support, equipment, and faculty training," he said.
Others on hand for the check presentation included Larry Brown, professor and head of industrial engineering; Buddy Faulkner, a university supporter and 1966 MSU industrial engineering graduate; John Rush, the college's development director; and several members of the industrial engineering faculty. Bennett noted each of these individuals were instrumental in bringing Six Sigma to the engineering college.
Six Sigma Certificate was developed in the 1980s and has been adopted by many leading manufacturing companies since that time as an effective way to enhance quality control. Program methods pinpoint and remove inconsistencies in the manufacture and delivery of a product or service, resulting in fewer defects.
"Six Sigma is known throughout business and industry as a process for executing and sustaining ideal business performance and effectiveness," said Brown. "This process improvement methodology requires a deep understanding of the consumer's needs, and the use of data and statistical analysis."
Headquartered in St. Paul, Minn., 3M is an $18 billion diversified technology company that serves customers in approximately 200 countries and has operations in more than 60 countries. Familiar brands developed by the company include Scotch, Post-it, Scotchgard, Thinsulate, Scotch-Brite, Filtrete, Command, and Dyneon.
Each company or organization that incorporates Six Sigma tailors the program's structure to meet their organization's needs. Levels of accomplishment associated with the program are divided into three categories--Green Belts, Black Belts and Master Belts.
"I think the students at Mississippi State will realize a number of advantages as they transition from the academic world to the work environment by achieving a Six Sigma Green Belt certification," said Thomason.
"The students will learn to scope projects to an appropriate size and determine the appropriate timeline to complete each project," he added. "That will assist them in quickly establishing credibility in their workplace, as well as enhance their ability to work in a team environment."
The certificate program implemented by the 3M grant will consist of 15 credit hours and include coursework in engineering statistics, quality control and process improvement. Students will be introduced to the Six Sigma philosophy and complete a project under the guidance of professors and Black Belts from industrial partners.
For more information, contact Larry Brown, industrial engineering department head, or (662) 325-3865.