Lean Six Sigma - Yellow Belt

Lean Six Sigma is a proven business process improvement methodology that builds on the best practices and experiences of earlier approaches. It combines best practices around customer focus, empowered teams, process definition, and data analysis.

Lean and Six Sigma are easily blended. They have many similarities in methodology – process focused, team based, and project management. The differences, analyzing quality data versus flow data, are complementary and together provide a balanced view of the process.

The IASSC Yellow Belt certification focuses on the Define, Measure, and Control phases of a Lean Six Sigma Project.

The Lean Six Sigma methodology relies on a five-phased project management methodology. The phases Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control provide structure to the project.

The Lean Six Sigma methodology encourages the use of a project charter and the creation of a business case to set boundaries on the project and to manage stakeholder expectations.

Waste can take many forms including high costs, delayed timing, rework, redundant work and idle processes. One of the primary goals of a Lean Six Sigma project is to identify areas of process waste and eliminating or reducing those sources of waste.

One of the decisions that must be made during the Define Phase is the selection of the project and its boundaries. Lean Six Sigma projects are often part of a portfolio of projects that may be selected and approved as a bundle.

The Pareto principle is a widely accepted technique for prioritizing effort and activity. The Pareto principle will typically be applied in every phase of a Lean Six Sigma project, including this initial Define phase where it is used to prioritize the areas of focus for the project.

Lean Six Sigma methodology is grounded on the voice of the customer. The Define phase collects and assesses information concerning the customer perspective and uses it to focus the project activities.

In order to improve process performance, the Lean Six Sigma project team must understand the current state of the process. Process Mapping is the technique for describing the process and providing a framework for collecting process data.

Lean Six Sigma projects apply the Lean principle of value-added effort in the definition of the project and when identifying the opportunity for improvement.

The problem statement clarifies the goals and activities of the Lean Six Sigma project by specifying the issue to be resolved. It's an excellent communication tool for the team to use with stakeholders.

There are two types of data: variable and attribute. Both types are useful in measuring process performance by analyzing process problems, but they need to be treated differently.

The X/Y matrix is a tool that maps the Voice of Customer needs and concerns onto the process steps and inputs. This tool can take on several different formats, but any of them will provide the Lean Six Sigma team with insight as to the contributing factors of customer value.

The Failure Mode Effects Analysis (FMEA) tool highlights areas of high product design or process execution risk. This tool provides insight into possible causes for observed failures.

The normal distribution charts the type of variability in a process parameter that is being measured when the only cause for variation is natural random physical effects. It's the desired distribution when improving a process since it delivers a predictable level of process performance.

A key element of the control plan is the response plan. It tells the process operators what to do when the process begins to deviate from the parameters laid out in the control plan.