ISO 18404-2015 PDF

Full title and description

Quantitative methods in process improvement — Six Sigma — Competencies for key personnel and their organizations in relation to Six Sigma and Lean implementation. This International Standard defines competency requirements for individuals (e.g. Black Belt, Green Belt and Lean practitioners) and for organisations deploying Six Sigma, Lean or combined Lean & Six Sigma approaches.

Abstract

ISO 18404:2015 establishes a competency framework (education, training, skills and experience) for the attainment of specified competency levels for Six Sigma, Lean and “Lean & Six Sigma” practitioners and for organisational adequacy in deployment. The standard explicitly excludes Yellow Belt and Design for Six Sigma and is intended to support individual certification and organisational certificates.

General information

• Status: Published (International Standard, confirmed).
• Publication date: Edition 1 — 2015 (published Dec 2015; review/confirmation recorded in 2025).
• Publisher: International Organization for Standardization (ISO).
• ICS / categories: 03.120.30 - Application of statistical methods.
• Edition / version: Edition 1 (2015).
• Number of pages: 35 (ISO edition information).

Key bibliographic and status details above are drawn from the ISO catalogue and edition metadata.

Scope

ISO 18404:2015 defines the competencies required for individuals and organisations to implement Six Sigma, Lean, and combined Lean & Six Sigma programmes. It specifies education, training, skills, experience and evidence for roles (for example Green Belt, Black Belt, Master Black Belt and Lean practitioners) and sets out requirements for organisational adequacy, resource management and continual improvement of deployment. The standard excludes Yellow Belt and Design for Six Sigma. Normative references include the ISO 13053 series (DMAIC methodology and tools).

Key topics and requirements

• Competency framework for individuals: education, training, skills, demonstrable experience and evidence (project portfolios, assessments).
• Role-specific competence descriptions for common Six Sigma/Lean roles (Green Belt, Black Belt, Master Black Belt, Lean practitioner/leader).
• Organisational adequacy: governance, strategy, deployment architecture, resource allocation and structures (sponsors, steering committees).
• Resource management and maintenance of competence: monitoring, continuing training and competence retention for personnel and organisation.
• Deployment metrics and continual improvement of the Lean/Six Sigma programme.
• Normative linkage to ISO 13053 (DMAIC methodology and tools) as supporting methodology references.

Typical use and users

Used by organisations planning or running Lean, Six Sigma or combined programmes, training and certification bodies, HR and competence managers, management system implementers, consultants and auditors across manufacturing, services, healthcare, finance and public sectors. It is applied when defining role profiles, designing training/certification schemes, assessing candidate competence and assuring organisational deployment capability.

Related standards

Direct normative references: ISO 13053-1 (DMAIC methodology) and ISO 13053-2 (tools and techniques). ISO 18404 is commonly used alongside management and personnel-related standards (for example ISO 9001 for quality management and standards/guidance relevant to training and personnel certification).

Keywords

Six Sigma, Lean, Lean & Six Sigma, competencies, Black Belt, Green Belt, DMAIC, process improvement, statistical methods, competency framework, organisational deployment.

FAQ

Q: What is this standard?

A: ISO 18404:2015 is an international standard that specifies competency requirements for people and organisations implementing Six Sigma, Lean or combined Lean & Six Sigma programmes.

Q: What does it cover?

A: It covers required education, training, skills, experience and evidence for specified competency levels (for example Green Belt, Black Belt and Lean practitioners), plus organisational adequacy, resource management and deployment metrics. Yellow Belt and Design for Six Sigma are excluded.

Q: Who typically uses it?

A: Organisations running improvement programmes, training and certification providers, HR and competency managers, consultants and auditors in industry, services, healthcare and other sectors where Lean/Six Sigma methods are applied.

Q: Is it current or superseded?

A: The edition published in 2015 remains the published International Standard; the ISO catalogue shows the 2015 edition as current and confirmed in a 5‑year review (confirmation recorded in 2025). Users should check the ISO catalogue for any future revisions or withdrawals.

Q: Is it part of a series?

A: Yes—ISO 18404 is part of the Lean & Six Sigma-related documents and has normative links to the ISO 13053 series (Part 1: DMAIC methodology; Part 2: Tools and techniques). It complements broader management and personnel standards used alongside Lean/Six Sigma deployment.

Q: What are the key keywords?

A: Six Sigma; Lean; competence; Black Belt; Green Belt; DMAIC; process improvement; statistical methods; organisational deployment.