Lean Six Sigma Black Belt Certification Advanced Lean and Enterprise 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which lean enterprise concept refers to making production problems immediately visible so they can be addressed before more defects are produced?
- Jidoka (autonomation) (Correct answer)
- Heijunka
- Hoshin kanri
- Yokoten
Correct answer: Jidoka (autonomation)
Jidoka (autonomation) gives machines and operators the ability to detect abnormalities and stop production immediately, preventing defects from passing to the next step.
Question 2: In lean thinking, which type of waste involves transporting materials or information further than necessary?
- Motion
- Transportation (Correct answer)
- Waiting
- Overprocessing
Correct answer: Transportation
Transportation waste occurs when materials, products, or information are moved more than required, adding no value and increasing the risk of damage or delay.
Question 3: What distinguishes a lean enterprise from a lean manufacturing initiative?
- Lean enterprise applies tools only to production; lean manufacturing applies to the whole company
- Lean enterprise extends principles across all functions including sales, HR, finance, and supply chain (Correct answer)
- Lean enterprise focuses solely on headcount reduction
- Lean enterprise requires ISO certification while lean manufacturing does not
Correct answer: Lean enterprise extends principles across all functions including sales, HR, finance, and supply chain
Lean enterprise applies lean principles across all business functions—not just manufacturing—to eliminate waste and create value throughout the entire organization.
Question 4: In a lean system, what is the primary function of a kanban card?
- Document operator skill levels and training completion
- Signal replenishment or production authorization for a specific quantity (Correct answer)
- Track defect frequency at each workstation
- Communicate shift handover information between operators
Correct answer: Signal replenishment or production authorization for a specific quantity
A kanban card is a visual signal authorizing the production or movement of a specific quantity of items in response to actual consumption.
Question 5: Which of the following describes 'leader standard work' in a lean enterprise?
- A checklist leaders complete during annual performance reviews
- Defined, repeatable daily routines that leaders follow to sustain lean processes and develop people (Correct answer)
- A quality standard document approved by senior management
- A rotation schedule for leaders across different departments
Correct answer: Defined, repeatable daily routines that leaders follow to sustain lean processes and develop people
Leader standard work defines the specific, structured daily activities—gemba walks, audits, coaching—that leaders perform to model discipline and sustain improvements.
Question 6: A lean Black Belt is mapping an enterprise value stream and finds that 90% of total lead time is wait time. What is the most informative metric to calculate next?
- Defects per unit
- Process cycle efficiency (PCE) (Correct answer)
- Control chart centerline
- Rolled throughput yield
Correct answer: Process cycle efficiency (PCE)
Process cycle efficiency = value-added time ÷ total lead time; a result far below 25% confirms that the value stream is waste-dominant and guides improvement priorities.
Question 7: In the context of enterprise lean, what is the significance of 'respect for people' as a core principle?
- It refers only to customer satisfaction scores and NPS metrics
- It means developing employees' problem-solving capabilities and engaging them in improvement (Correct answer)
- It prohibits layoffs as a result of productivity improvements
- It requires management to seek employee approval before making changes
Correct answer: It means developing employees' problem-solving capabilities and engaging them in improvement
Respect for people means genuinely developing employees, engaging them in problem-solving, and valuing their knowledge—not treating them as passive labor resources.
Lean Six Sigma Black Belt Certification Advanced Lean and Enterprise 5
Which lean enterprise concept refers to making production problems immediately visible so they can be addressed before more defects are produced?