Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt Training Course

Participants can translate customer needs into measurable process requirements and project targets.

• Voice of the customer sources: complaints, surveys, interviews and observations
• CTQ trees translating broad needs into measurable service requirements
• Internal customers, external customers and supplier requirement dependencies
• Kano model distinguishing basic, performance and attractive customer requirements
• Operational definitions for quality, timeliness, accuracy and completeness measures
• Target statements aligned with customer expectations and process capability

Participants can prepare a focused project charter with measurable aims, boundaries and stakeholders.

• Problem statements separating observed facts from presumed causes
• SMART goal statements with baseline, target, deadline and unit
• Project charter sections: business case, scope, risks and team
• In-scope and out-of-scope boundaries preventing uncontrolled project expansion
• Stakeholder analysis using influence-interest mapping and engagement actions
• Benefits estimates covering cost, capacity, quality and customer outcomes

Participants can create a SIPOC diagram to establish process boundaries and dependencies.

• SIPOC elements: suppliers, inputs, process, outputs and customers
• Start and end points selected for meaningful process analysis
• Supplier requirements affecting input quality, timing and availability
• Outputs defined from customer requirements and critical quality measures
• High-level process steps limited to clear, observable activity groups
• SIPOC assumptions tested with process owners and subject experts

Participants can map a current-state process and identify hand-offs, decisions and rework loops.

• Flowchart symbols for activities, decisions, documents, delays and endpoints
• Swimlane maps showing roles, hand-offs and accountability gaps
• Current-state mapping based on observed work rather than procedures
• Decision points exposing exceptions, approvals and repeat processing
• Rework loops recorded with triggers, frequency and downstream effects
• Process walk-throughs validating maps with frontline staff and managers

Participants can identify non-value-adding work using Lean waste categories and process evidence.

• Value-added, business-value-added and non-value-added work classification
• DOWNTIME wastes: defects, overproduction, waiting, non-utilised talent
• Transport, inventory, motion and extra-processing waste identification
• Waste observation sheets capturing location, frequency, impact and ownership
• Push and pull systems explained through demand and work release
• 5S principles for organised, visible and disciplined work areas

Participants can assess process flow using value stream measures and identify delay reduction opportunities.

• Value stream map elements: process boxes, inventories, flows and information
• Lead time, touch time, queue time and process cycle efficiency
• Takt time calculated from available capacity and customer demand
• Bottleneck identification through demand, capacity, queue and utilisation evidence
• Future-state maps specifying flow, pull signals and reduced hand-offs
• Kaizen opportunities prioritised by customer effect and implementation effort

Participants can prepare a data collection plan that produces a credible performance baseline.

• Baseline measures selected from project goals and critical quality requirements
• Operational definitions removing ambiguity from defect and cycle-time data
• Data collection plans specifying source, owner, frequency and method
• Sampling approaches: random, systematic, stratified and convenience samples
• Stratification variables separating performance by product, team or channel
• Data integrity checks for missing values, duplicates and recording errors

Participants can assess whether measurement methods are suitable for improvement decisions.

• Measurement system analysis purpose before analysing process performance data
• Accuracy, precision, bias, repeatability and reproducibility explained
• Attribute agreement analysis for defect classification and inspection decisions
• Calibration records and reference standards supporting reliable measurements
• Data collection instructions tested against inconsistent observer interpretations
• Measurement risks documented in the project risk and assumption log

Participants can summarise operational data using appropriate descriptive statistics and charts.

• Continuous, discrete, attribute and categorical data types distinguished
• Mean, median, mode and range selected for relevant data patterns
• Standard deviation interpreted as a measure of process variation
• Histograms revealing distribution shape, spread, gaps and unusual values
• Box plots comparing variation across teams, periods or service channels
• Run charts displaying process performance over time and sequence

Participants can use Pareto analysis to focus improvement effort on major contributors.

• Pareto principle applied to defect types, causes and complaint categories
• Frequency, cost and customer impact compared before selecting priorities
• Pareto charts built with ordered categories and cumulative percentages
• Stratified Pareto analysis separating patterns by product, location or team
• Problem concentration checked before allocating investigation resources
• Priority statements linking major contributors to measurable project objectives

Participants can identify and validate potential root causes using structured analytical methods.

• Cause-and-effect diagrams structured by people, methods, machines and materials
• 5 Whys questioning used without stopping at superficial explanations
• Process data distinguishing symptoms, contributing factors and root causes
• Cause validation through observation, records review and comparative data
• Affinity diagrams grouping team observations into coherent causal themes
• Root cause statements written as testable relationships between factors

Participants can distinguish common-cause from special-cause variation using basic control charts.

• Common-cause and special-cause variation interpreted for process decisions
• Control limits distinguished from specification limits and performance targets
• Individuals charts used for single observations collected over time
• P charts monitoring proportions of defects across changing sample sizes
• Control-chart signals: shifts, trends, runs and points beyond limits
• Appropriate responses avoiding tampering with stable process variation

Participants can interpret basic capability measures against defined customer specifications.

• Specification limits derived from customer needs and operational requirements
• Process capability concept linking variation with acceptable performance ranges
• Cp and Cpk interpreted at introductory Yellow Belt level
• Defects per unit, yield and first-pass yield calculations
• Sigma level concepts explained without advanced statistical derivations
• Capability findings translated into practical process improvement priorities

Participants can generate, assess and select improvement options using clear decision criteria.

• Brainstorming rules producing diverse solutions without premature evaluation
• SCAMPER prompts generating alternatives to existing process steps
• Impact-effort matrices comparing expected benefit and implementation difficulty
• Decision matrices weighting customer, cost, risk and feasibility criteria
• Error-proofing methods preventing defects through design and process controls
• Pilot plans defining scope, measures, duration, owners and review points

Participants can use FMEA to anticipate failure modes and prioritise preventive actions.

• FMEA purpose within process design, change planning and risk prevention
• Failure modes identified at each critical process step
• Effects, causes and current controls documented in FMEA worksheets
• Severity, occurrence and detection ratings assigned using agreed scales
• Risk priority numbers used to prioritise preventive action discussions
• Revised ratings recorded after actions reduce failure exposure

Participants can create an implementation plan that assigns actions, resources and adoption measures.

• Implementation plans sequencing tasks, owners, milestones and dependencies
• RACI matrices clarifying responsibility, accountability, consultation and information
• Change impact assessments identifying affected roles, procedures and systems
• Communication plans addressing purpose, timing, channels and feedback
• Training needs identified for revised standard work and controls
• Resistance indicators monitored through adoption data and stakeholder feedback

Participants can design controls that maintain gains and trigger timely corrective action.

• Control plans linking critical measures, targets, owners and response actions
• Standard work documents defining sequence, timing and quality checks
• Visual management boards showing status, abnormalities and accountable actions
• Control charts embedded in routine performance review cycles
• Escalation rules triggered by thresholds, trends and recurring defects
• Audit checklists confirming adherence to revised process requirements

Participants can validate improvement results and close a Yellow Belt project with documented learning.

• Before-and-after comparisons using agreed baseline and post-change measures
• Benefits calculations separating realised, forecast and avoided costs
• Project closure reports documenting results, controls, risks and owners
• Lessons learned captured for future DMAIC projects and local teams
• Handover meetings transferring accountability to process owners
• Replication criteria identifying where proven improvements can be reused

Participants can build, review and present a complete Yellow Belt DMAIC project pack for a defined process problem.

• Project charter presenting problem, goal, scope, stakeholders and benefits
• SIPOC and current-state map establishing process boundaries and hand-offs
• Baseline data analysis showing defects, delay, variation and priorities
• Root cause evidence supported by Pareto, fishbone and 5 Whys
• Improvement recommendations assessed through impact, risk, feasibility and control
• Control plan, implementation actions and benefits measures presented for review