Lean Principles and Waste Flashcards
7 cards from real Lean Six Sigma Green Belt Certification practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Lean Principles and Waste flashcards as text
A software development team keeps a backlog of hundreds of features coded but not yet released to users. Which waste does this represent?
Answer: Inventory
Unreleased software features are analogous to inventory waste — work-in-process that is not yet delivering value to the customer.
According to Lean thinking, which of the following actions best represents 'identifying value' from a customer's perspective?
Answer: Determining which product features the customer is willing to pay for
Identifying value means understanding what the customer is willing to pay for — only those features or outcomes define true value in Lean.
Which waste type is added in the 'extended' 8-waste model that is NOT part of the original 7 wastes of Lean?
Answer: Non-utilized talent
The 8th waste — non-utilized talent (skills) — was added to the original 7 Toyota Production System wastes to address underuse of employee knowledge and creativity.
A printer applies three coats of paint when the customer specification requires only one. This is an example of which waste?
Answer: Over-processing
Over-processing waste occurs when more work, effort, or quality is applied to a product than the customer requires or values.
In Lean, which Japanese term refers to the actual workplace or 'place where value is created'?
Answer: Gemba
Gemba means 'the real place' in Japanese and refers to the location where actual work and value creation occur, such as a factory floor or service counter.
Which of the following is the best example of a 'pull' system in a manufacturing environment?
Answer: Manufacturing products only after receiving a customer order or kanban signal
A pull system triggers production based on actual demand signals such as customer orders or kanban cards, not forecasts or schedules.
A Lean team performs a Gemba walk and observes operators frequently searching for misplaced tools. The corrective action of organizing tools at point of use primarily targets which waste?
Answer: Motion
Organizing tools at the point of use reduces the unnecessary physical movement (motion waste) operators make to search for and retrieve items.