Lean Six Sigma Green Belt Across Industries
About This Series
Choosing a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt program can feel overwhelming. This series brings clarity by sharing real insights from three UNC Charlotte Green Belt graduates who’ve used their Green Belt skills across very different industries: Jacob Denenberg (procurement and supply chain), Melanie Witherspoon (finance and operations), and Brenda Hornsby (public service and policy). Their experiences appear throughout this series as guides to help you understand what Green Belt is really like, and whether it’s the right next step for your career.
Three Real Projects (and Who This Certification Fits Best)
Picture the kind of work problem that makes you sigh before your second cup of coffee. The same issue keeps popping up, everyone has a different opinion on the fix, and somehow the process has ten steps when it should have five. If that sounds familiar, you’re already in Lean Six Sigma territory whether you’ve called it that or not.
That’s why Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certification resonates with working professionals across industries. It’s practical. It’s structured. And it’s built for the kind of “real work” that doesn’t come with perfect data or perfectly cooperative calendars.
To make Green Belt feel less abstract, here are three real examples: one from procurement and supply chain, one from finance and operations, and one from public service.
Procurement & Supply Chain: Fixing the handoffs that slow everything down
In a Procure-to-Pay environment, problems often hide in the transitions between teams, systems, vendors, or timelines. Jacob Denenberg, Manager II – P2P Center of Excellence (CoE), The Vendor Management Organization at Ahold Delhaize USA, shared a project that tackled exactly that: creating a better process for internal teams to review discrepancies as vendor payments were finalized.
Jacob described the scope like this:
“This initiative applied nearly every aspect of Six Sigma – from identifying the problem, to stakeholder engagement, benchmarking and solution testing.”
That one sentence captures why Green Belt fits process-heavy roles so well. It gives you a way to move from “we should fix this” to a tested solution people can actually use.
Finance & Operations: Making accuracy and accountability easier
In operational finance, small inconsistencies don’t stay small. They turn into rework, delays, and confusion about who owns what. Melanie Witherspoon, Senior Director of Facilities Finance, Quality, and Business Operations, applied Lean Six Sigma to improve a contract billing and renewal workflow.
Her results were immediately practical:
“We eliminated redundant steps. We also standardized documentation and communication points, improving both accuracy and accountability.”
That’s the quiet power of Green Belt: no dramatic overhaul required. Just clearer steps, cleaner handoffs, and fewer “how did this happen again?” moments.
Public Service & Policy: Improving systems with real consequences
In government and policy, process issues often carry higher stakes in compliance, risk, public accountability, and services impacting real people. Brenda Hornsby, Legislative and Policy Manager at the Virginia Department of Social Services, was tasked with analyzing contract administration activities over a three-year period for two major high-dollar, high-risk contracts.
Her recommendations focused on core operational improvements:
“I was able to successfully offer actionable recommendations involving improvements needed in (1) contract administration documentation, (2) timely planning of Kick-Off Meetings and initiation of contract modifications, (3) establishing clarity regarding staff roles and responsibilities, (4) supervisory monitoring, oversight, and accountability of contract administration functions… and (6) most importantly staff training.”
That’s not theory. That’s process improvement that holds up under scrutiny.
So… who is Green Belt right for?
If you’re trying to decide whether Green Belt fits, the pattern here is pretty clear. Green Belt tends to be a strong match when:
- You want a repeatable way to tackle recurring problems. The kind that keep resurfacing no matter how many quick fixes you try.
- Your role touches cross-functional workflows. If your work involves multiple teams, approvals, handoffs, vendors, or stakeholders, Green Belt gives you structure and shared language.
- Accuracy and accountability matter. Finance, operations, billing, compliance, procurement or any place where mistakes create churn.
- You want practical tools, not just a credential. Green Belt is designed to be used while you work, not saved for “someday.”
- You’re ready to do real work, not just watch videos.
In short: Green Belt is for professionals who want to improve how work gets done, with methods that travel well across industries, and results people can actually see.