How to tie the front line departments to manufacturing operations to deliver products & services while meeting the company’s goal on external customer demands
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Influential Woman · Manufacturing
Consuelo T. Mendoza
Retired Six Sigma Master Black Belt & Engineer, Retired
Cape Coral, FL 33914
1Article published
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I realized the impact of my voice through training employees and making them change agents. It's a great feeling to influence them for the greater good.
Consuelo T. Mendoza · In Her Own Words
Her Story
About Consuelo
Consuelo Mendoza dedicated 40 years to a successful career before retiring to Cape Coral, Florida. Over the course of 25 years with her last company, she advanced through progressive promotions, ultimately earning the position of Six Sigma Master Black Belt.
Consuelo began her professional journey studying Engineering Technology in the Philippines, where she studied Management & iIndustrial Engineering (MIE). She continuously studied & earned her Bachelor of Business Administration from Virginia Wesleyan University, and Master of Business Administration from Regent University.
Her career started as an engineering technical documenter—an engineer responsible for documenting manufacturing processes—before transitioning to industrial engineering, where she worked in all aspects of manufacturing operations. Within two years, she was promoted to Senior Industrial Engineer and received specialized training in process improvements and lean manufacturing practices.
A certified Six Sigma Yellow Belt, Green Belt, Black Belt, Lean Practitioner, and ultimately Master Black Belt,
Consuelo applied her expertise by visiting local manufacturers to help solve production challenges across both the front office such as Project Management, Engineering, Order Entry, Quality, Aftermarket, Planning, Purchasing, & Accounting. This along the back business such as Assembly, Machining, Quality Assurance, Testing, Warehousing, & Shipping. This along with presenting, and conducting training sessions both nationally and locally, sharing her extensive knowledge and leadership in process excellence.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Consuelo
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to working hard in the field and embracing every opportunity that came my way. Over the years, I’ve held many diverse positions that ultimately led me to become a Six Sigma Master Black Belt—a milestone in my career that opened doors for international travel and the chance to visit manufacturing plants around the world. My experience as an engineer in manufacturing has been both challenging and rewarding, shaping me into the professional I am today.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I received was that I can do anything I set my mind to. This mindset has carried me through 40 years of hard work.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
For young women entering the industry, my advice is simple: you can do anything that you set out to accomplish. Staying focused and determined will take you there!
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
One of the challenges and opportunities I see in the industry is staying involved and motivating other women even after retiring. I take pride in encouraging the next generation of professionals.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
I value the ability to work hard and make an impact on other women coming up in the field today. Mentorship and leadership are just as important as technical skills in creating lasting change. Now that I have more free time being retired, I enjoy gardening, cooking, fishing and boating in Cape Coral, Florida.
Her Content Hub
Articles by Consuelo
Six Sigma Environment
Manufacturing & Front Lines are Synchronous
In manufacturing, every segment of the business exists to meet the demands of external customers. The complexity begins with the origin of the order. Whether the orders are generated internally or domestically, the products must comply with strict standards and customer-specific requirements. The product life cycle must adhere to the promised delivery schedule, and this is where the Six Sigma Master Black Belt (SSMBB) plays a critical role—driving continuous process improvements to ensure internal customers (employees executing the work) and external customers (those receiving the products) experience timely delivery and exceptional quality.
From the moment an order is received, a coordinated chain of activities must align. Cost analysis, engineering reviews, quality checkpoints, schedule planning, supply chain coordination, production readiness, documentation, and regulatory compliance all form the frontline functions that determine manufacturability. Because products are built to customer specifications, machining, assembly, testing, and inspection of raw and finished materials must meet engineering standards and arrive just in time for production. Shipping instructions and documentation also play a vital role in meeting business requirements.
Six Sigma professionals continuously observe every facet of the operation to ensure customer satisfaction. Ongoing process monitoring and improvement initiatives are executed through problem-solving projects and team-based Kaizen events. These engagements not only drive efficiency but also empower employees to become active contributors to solutions. Standardization, ergonomic improvements, buy-in from critical stakeholders, and hitting monthly performance targets all emerge from a culture of continuous improvement.
Master Black Belts further extend their influence into the supply chain by collaborating closely with vendors. Through supplier visits, joint process reviews, and improvement projects, they help providers enhance delivery performance, quality, and consistency. Whether the initiative is domestic or international, whether it involves training, mentoring, or technical problem solving, no challenge is too large or too small to be addressed using Six Sigma methodologies.
As the saying goes, “The only change that does not change is change itself.” This principle is a constant reminder that true improvement requires clarity—defining the problem, relying on data, establishing achievable goals, analyzing root causes, implementing effective solutions, and controlling variation to ensure predictable outcomes. This discipline is the foundation of operational excellence and the essence of a continuous improvement culture.
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