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All third-party Lean-6^TM QMS Certification Body (CB) must utilize Lean-6 QMS Auditors certified by SQSA as a condition of holding Lean-6^TM QMS Certification Body accreditation. Two categories of auditors will be established: Lead Auditors & Support Auditors.

A database of all SQSA Lean-6^TM QMS certified auditors will be maintained online allowing for verification.

The Lean-6^TM QMS Auditor Requirements

The following requirements must be satisfied in order to achieve SQSA Lean-6^TM Auditor Certification:

• Lead Auditors must provide evidence of having successfully completed either a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt or Master Black Belt course;
• Support Auditors must provide evidence of having successfully completed a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt course;
• ALL Auditors must have at least two (2) years of full-time industry-specific (i.e., working in the same industry) work experience.
• ALL Auditors must successfully complete:
• a series of SQSA online courses and tests of their knowledge relating specifically to the Lean-6 QMS standard, and
• online training and testing of their knowledge in the use of approved SQSA Lean-6^TM audit forms

Approved Lean Six Sigma Training & Certification Providers

SQSA will provide a list of approved Lean Six Sigma training providers. If the applicant has successfully completed Lean Six Sigma training and certification from an entity not listed, then the applicant must also provide detailed information about which topics the course covered. SQSA will make a determination as to whether that course is acceptable.

Applicants holding a "Six Sigma" Green Belt, Black Belt, or Master Black Belt certification are only accepted if the applicant provides objective evidence of having also completed training in "Lean" methodologies.

Subject Matter Experts (SMEs)

In order to maintain the integrity of the SQSA Lean-6^TM third-party certification process, a "Subject Matter Expert" (SME) with knowledge, skill and experience (KSA) must be included on the audit team where ever the following activities are taking place (e.g., in-house) and covered under the scope of certification for the site visited (unless that activity is accredited by a separate recognized 3rd party accreditation body):

• Design / Engineering
• Metrology (aka Calibration)
• Special Processes (e.g., welding, soldering, brazing)
• Testing

The SME may be a SQSA Lean-6^TM certified auditor, or act in an advisory capacity supporting of the audit team. Where a SME must be contracted, the certification body (CB) must verify that there are no conflicts of interest (since SMEs often come from the same industrial sector as the auditee, and may have associations with the auditee's competitors).