Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt

Yellow Belt is designed for those who need broad familiarity with the overall Six Sigma process and the basic tools associated with the process. Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt will cover the very basics of Six Sigma Problem Solving, allowing the student to gain general knowledge and understanding of the process.

Six Sigma Yellow Belt Course Content

Introduction

• Six Sigma Overview

Over the years, the term 'Six Sigma' has been used to describe a wide variety of programs and initiatives as companies adapted it to their needs. The Six Sigma process starts with strategic and annual business goals and targets. To accomplish those goals, the right projects must be selected. Then the correct people must be trained to work on those projects. Improvement plans must be developed and implemented by the teams. Operations must be managed to achieve excellence. Finally the gains must be sustained. If all of this can be accomplished then the output of the process will be achieving the set goals and targets.

• Legacy Quality Improvement Processes

Most companies effect process improvement at some level. However, progress is often at an evolutionary rate. This sections provides some over information on Kaizen, PDCA, and 8-D.

• What Makes a Good Six Sigma Project?

A continuous flow of good Projects is the lifeblood of a Six Sigma Program. Without this flow, a Six Sigma Program will soon fail. Any Six Sigma project must directly address three factors: improved customer satisfaction, improved bottom line, and directly support the companies strategic critical success factors.

• Six Sigma Teams

Teams are established to accomplish something within a timeframe. Energizing and focusing the creativity of all employees on accomplishing the most important issue the company needs to do is the strength of Six Sigma. This section explains the roles and responsibilities of a Six Sigma team.

• Process Mapping

Sometimes referred to as Process Flow Diagramming, Process Mapping is used to document the movement of products or services through the organization's manufacturing or support process. Special attention should be taken to document redundant activities, for example, the number of manager approvals that are needed before a decision can be implemented.

• Voice of the Customer / Voice of the Business

Senior leaders must constantly manage the balance of satisfying Customer needs while meeting the shareholder / stakeholder needs of constantly increasing the value of the organization. By having both of these needs clearly identified and defined, the Six Sigma Team can optimize the use of the Six Sigma process to maximize the benefits to the customers and shareholders / stakeholders.

Measure

• Descriptive Statistics

What gets measured gets managed! When the problem is quantified and measured mathematically, you can use the powerful Six Sigma statistical tools to give managers insights into problems that cannot be seen using any other process. It is the power of statistics that enable managers to make bolder, more informed decisions that accelerate the rate of positive improvement in their organizations.

• Measurement Systems Analysis

The old saying "garbage in, garbage out" is very true. If the measuring system itself produces a significant amount of variability into the data, any decisions made based on that data carries a high risk of being a bad decision. Measurement systems analysis assesses the quality of a measurement system to ensure that the measurement system being used is appropriate for the application.

• Data Collection

Collecting data provides the information needed to solve problems. Sampling or sample sizes are determined by the acceptable risk that an organization can endure. The lower the acceptable risk the larger the sample sizes required to mitigate that risk.

• Control Plan

Control plans are developed to inspect products or characteristics for features that have some probability of being incorrect. There is no reason to have a control plan if all critical and significant characteristics are mistake-proofed.

• Work Instructions

Work instructions are the extension of any item from a control plan or special control and identify the "Best Practice" on how to perform a function. They should be detailed enough to allow the operator, or user of the instruction, to follow it and complete the task with a very low probability of making an error. It must be as visual as possible and preferably on one sheet of paper.

• Statistical Process Control

A powerful, simple tool that makes a distinction between Common and Special Causes of Variation and helps to determine whether a process is running within established control limits.