Some years back I, along with Drs. Doug Montgomery, Bryan Dodson, John Ramberg and others in the quality community, became concerned that there was no standardized criteria for becoming a Six Sigma Black Belt—or any other Six Sigma belt for that matter. The leading quality organization at that time had formed an alliance with a Six Sigma consulting company, which we believed compromised its objectivity. It also appeared that this organization was becoming increasingly commercial and less interested in their membership or in the broader interests of the quality and business process improvement community. In response to these concerns, we formed a new organization, the International Quality Federation (IQF). The IQF is an all volunteer organization dedicated to helping people and organizations interested in process improvement. Its chief contribution to date is the creation of a rigorous set of criteria for becoming certified as a Six Sigma Green Belt, Black Belt or Master Black Belt.

Since its inception, the IQF has certified hundreds of Six Sigma belts. The IQF certification process is also used internally by leading companies and organizations around the world and its popularity is growing rapidly.

Although I’m no longer in a leadership position in the IQF, I still believe in its mission. I recently interviewed Bryan Dodson, who’s been the driving force behind the IQF certification exam. The conversation went like this:

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