Skip to: Site menu | Main content

Theo W. Black, MBA


UHG Certified Lean Six Sigma
Master Black Belt

ASQ CSSBB

Wayzata, MN 55391
Contact Theo

Overview

I am a Certified Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt and Quality Leader with over twenty-five years of statistical quality and process improvement management experience. I provide expertise in manufacturing, information technology, and service environments, leading complex cross-organizational quality improvement projects. As a skilled facilitator and trainer, I lead enterprise-level improvement projects engaging key stakeholders and business leaders that resolve costly business problems and ensure sustainable quality improvements.


AREAS OF EXPERTISE:

  • Lean Six Sigma Quality Management
  • Business Process Improvement
  • Lean Manufacturing and Kaizen
  • Facilitation of Change
  • IT Service Management / ITIL
  • Agile Project Management
  • Problem Solving
  • Strategic Analysis and Planning
  • Servant Leadership
  • Keynote and Professional Speaking
  • Statistical Analysis and Process Control
  • Balanced Scorecards and Dashboards
  • Corporate Trainer - Lean Six Sigma for Black Belts

SOFTWARE SKILLS:

  • Microsoft Excel (Advanced)
  • Microsoft Access (Advanced)
  • Microsoft Project
  • Microsoft Visio
  • Minitab 17 Statistical Analysis (Advanced)
  • Crystal Reports and SQL
  • Macromedia Dreamweaver (HTML)
  • Windows 10 and Microsoft 365

WORK EXPERIENCE:

Optum, Eden Prairie, MN Certified Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt
2011 - 2019

Managed project plans, including scope, strategy, and communication plans for enterprise-wide healthcare projects that delivered process and system improvements. Utilized DMAIC, DMADV, LEAN, Design for Six Sigma (DFSS), Business Process Management (BPM), Kaizen, and other Six Sigma tools to significantly improve existing processes or to implement new business processes. Trained and mentored Lean Six Sigma Black Belts, Green Belts, and Project Champions to ensure project success. Identified and prioritized potential projects based on Net Promoter Score (NPS), customer impact, and corporate strategies.

Optum, Minnetonka, MN Certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt
2009 - 2011

Manage project plans, scope, strategies, and communications for medium to large healthcare and financial systems projects that deliver process and system improvements. Utilize DMAIC, DMADV, DFSS, BPMS, Kaizen, LEAN, and other Six Sigma tools to significantly improve existing processes and to create new business processes.

  • Trained Lean Six Sigma Black Belts and Green Belts
  • Business Owner for Agile Six Sigma Process Improvement
  • Managed large scale corporate projects

CH ROBINSON, Eden Prairie, MN Six Sigma Black Belt and IT Project Manager
2004 - 2009

Managed project plans, scope, strategies, and communications for medium to large-scale IT projects that delivered process and system improvements. Utilized DMAIC, DMADV, DFSS, BPMS, FMEA, LEAN, and other Six Sigma tools to significantly improve existing processes and to create new business processes.

  • Reduced cycle time. Redesigned a corporate portal, request forms, and business processes to reduce end user time spent requesting services by 75% while eliminating redundant callbacks by 80%.

  • Established customer-focused service levels and significantly improved service fulfillment from 50% to 90%. Created exception and escalation processes for managing unique or unusual requests.

  • Improved system availability for customer reporting. Reduced data latency defects in an IT system by 99% improving customer access up-to-the-minute data from 65% to 99.9% during core hours.

  • Benchmarked and established IT position descriptions with industry-relevant salary ranges.

  • Conducted cost-benefit analyses and obtained approval for system improvements. One bill tracking system had a $75,000 annual cost, yet analysis revealed a net cost savings of $1.3 M over four years.

  • Created measures and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) using readily available tools such as Excel.

  • Facilitated cross organizational discussions to map out high level business processes, established process Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), and incorporated Capability Maturity Models (CMMI).

  • Established 'use case' requirements based on voice of the customer analysis and solicited Requests for Proposal (RFPs) for purchased IT systems.

  • Mentored, trained, and designed instructional materials for Green Belts, Black Belts, project champions, and quality improvement teams using Six Sigma concepts and techniques.

  • Facilitated rational analysis sessions using Kepner-Tregoe techniques.

  • As a corporate trainer, developed content and delivered Six Sigma Black Belt, Green Belt, and Champion training sessions.

CARLSON COMPANIES, Minnetonka, MN Six Sigma Black Belt and IT Project Manager
1998 - 2004

Managed medium to large scale IT projects that delivered significant process and technology improvements. Utilized Six Sigma tools to significantly improve existing processes and to create new business processes. Managed a project to deploy a large scale Help Desk ticketing system for managing system configurations, IT changes, incidents, problems, and IT monitoring tools.

  • Established a corporate umbrella project management process to prioritize a portfolio of IT projects.

  • Led two black belt projects to eliminate website and network outages, resulting in annual cost savings of over $250,000.

  • Managed a project to deploy, configure, and administer a call center computer telephony system that reduced call abandonment by 12% and increased call handling capacity by 25%.

  • Used sophisticated statistical measurements to determine process capability with respect to customer specifications. Identified process gaps and chartered projects to improve key customer facing processes.

  • Facilitated strategic planning, Balanced Scorecard, and dashboard design sessions.

  • Authored and gained approval for Authorizations for Expenditure (AFEs) for $1M+ enterprise projects.

  • Automated support processes with systems integrations between monitoring tools and core systems.

  • Integrated help desk software system with automatic notifications, reducing resolution time by 35%.

  • Managed the implementation of repeatable and reliable improvement strategies for Information Technology: configuration, change, incident, problem, and request management processes.

  • Identified data sources and established key metrics using software reporting and database tools.

  • As a corporate trainer, developed content and delivered Six Sigma Green Belt and Champion training sessions.

CARLSON COMPANIES, Minnetonka, MN Service Desk Advanced Support Manager
1996 - 1998

Managed 18 service desk employees covering incident, problem, request, and escalation management services.

  • Deployed a skills-based call distribution system to improve first call resolution from 25% to 80%.

  • Designed queuing models to effectively allocate resources and to reengineer call handling processes. Improved first call resolution by 30% while reducing call abandonment from 12% to 4%.

  • Constructed statistical analyses from production data to identify problem root causes and effect solutions.

  • Reconfigured incoming call Voice Response Unit (VRU) menus to significantly improve customer satisfaction by reducing menu selections, minimizing wait time, and improving first call resolution.

CWC, Mankato, MN Technical Customer Service/Quality Improvement
1994 - 1996

Provided computer technical support for automotive software customers. Provided statistical analytical support of problems, trained new employees, and documented department processes.

  • Simplified call center metrics and implemented Pareto analyses to improve problem resolution and to focus initiatives around customer and strategic issues.

  • Designed and implemented statistical methods to provide call center metrics and to improve call center processes

  • Documented processes in an ISO 9000 initiative.

  • Initiated a new-employee mentoring system to improve customer service, to facilitate knowledge transfer, and to enhance skill development.

CARGILL, Mankato, MN Quality Assurance and Technical Services Manager
1989 - 1994

Managed two flour quality laboratories and provided technical service for bakery and flour customers. Served as the focal point for key customer contact. Led quality improvement projects. Designed and conducted quality seminars for customers and suppliers.

  • Resolved customer and product performance issues at customer sites.

  • Revised nutritional labels and established a new product launch process to assure regulatory compliance.

  • Supervised analytical test methods across divisional laboratories. Researched and implemented TLC (thin layer chromatography) method for the analysis of Vomitoxin in fusarium damaged wheat.

  • Chaired facility safety committee and trained staff in materials handling and MSDS.

  • Established a HACCP program and conducted product purity audits.

TRAINING & CERTIFICATIONS:

UnitedHealth Group Certified Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt

2012

Certified Six Sigma Black Belt - ASQ Certificate #8907

2009

Presenting Data and Information - Edward Tufte

2008

Distinguished Toastmaster Award

2003

Six Sigma Black Belt Certification - Carlson Companies

2003

Six Sigma Green Belt Certification - Carlson Companies

2002

IT Service Management Foundation - Loyalist College of Applied Arts & Technology (Exin)

2001

Business Process Analysis, Innovation, and Design - PMI/George Washington University

2000

Managing Information Technology Projects - PMI/George Washington University

1999

Cargill Inc. Corporate Statistical Process Control Instructor

1992

Kepner-Tregoe Rational Analysis - Cargill

1991

Follow Theo Black on LinkedIn

Follow me on LinkedIn!


Copyright 2024 Theo W. Black
Sitemap

Tuesday April 04, 2017