Enterprise Information Technology Services Press Release
The University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia

OCIO-> EITS-> Press Releases

Tuesdsday, March 6, 2006

WRITER: Sarah Lee, 706/542-0183, slee23@uga.edu
CONTACT: Greg Topp, 542-7617, gtopp@uga.edu

Enterprise Information Technology Services facilitates Six Sigma training for IT leadership at UGA

ATHENS, Ga.— UGA IT leadership from the Terry College of Business, the College of Education, and EITS will participate in Six Sigma training. The objective of Six Sigma is to deliver world-class performance, reliability, and value to the end customer and/or client.

"Six Sigma represents a suite of tools and techniques that are proven and that teach standard methodology and skills intended to bring planning and operational excellence into closer harmony," said Greg Topp, Director of IT Planning and Decision Support, a unit within EITS that was instrumental in bringing this training to UGA. "Some of the most competitive and successful businesses use the Six Sigma methodology to eliminate defects in any process."

Ten training sessions will be held from March through May 2006 on the Athens Area Technical Institute campus. These sessions include hands-on activities, examples, and group discussions designed to teach students how to perform the tasks and apply the knowledge associated with Six Sigma at the Green Belt level. Successful training at the Green Belt level can lead to Black Belt and higher level training, enabling individuals to manage very large and complex processes and projects.

Topp notes that the training was something he felt necessary in this age of shrinking budgets and IT compliance. "In the last few years, with constrained and challenged resources, higher education has begun to examine its potential to better link services with constituents to facilitate a tighter link among operating units," Topp said. "The 40-hour Green Belt course covers such topics as improvement processes, organizational performance, how to manage variability, variation and capability, process dynamics, defect eliminations and statistical thinking."

The current participants will be evaluating the training for possible extension to other members of the UGA IT leadership community. As more training is offered, the IT Contracts and Licensing Administration Office, a unit within the Office of the Chief Information Officer and Associate Provost, will negotiate reduced cost to ensure that the training is affordable.

About EITS
Enterprise Information Technology Services (EITS) is committed to providing information technology resources and services in support of the mission of the University of Georgia as articulated in the overarching strategic plan for the University. Under the leadership of the University's Chief Information Officer, EITS executes its mission via eight core initiatives: strategic planning and governance, instructional technology, research computing, client support, information security, outreach and partnerships, business operations and administrative applications, and infrastructure support. For more information, please visit the EITS Web site: www.eits.uga.edu.