Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt Certification Lean Concepts and Waste 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Moving finished goods from the warehouse to a staging area and then to shipping is an example of which waste?
- Motion
- Waiting
- Transportation (Correct answer)
- Inventory
Correct answer: Transportation
Transportation waste involves unnecessary movement of materials or products that does not add value.
Question 2: In a value stream map, which symbol is typically used to represent a push of materials between process steps?
- A pull arrow
- A push arrow (straight arrow) (Correct answer)
- A lightning bolt
- A triangle with 'I'
Correct answer: A push arrow (straight arrow)
A straight push arrow in VSM indicates materials are being pushed to the next step regardless of downstream demand.
Question 3: A customer service team re-enters order data into three different systems because they are not integrated. Which waste is this?
- Defects
- Overproduction
- Extra processing (Correct answer)
- Non-utilized talent
Correct answer: Extra processing
Extra processing (over-processing) includes doing more work than the customer requires or duplicating effort due to poor system design.
Question 4: What is the primary goal of a 5S program in relation to Lean waste elimination?
- To increase production speed
- To create a clean, organized workplace that reduces waste and improves efficiency (Correct answer)
- To standardize employee pay scales
- To monitor supplier quality
Correct answer: To create a clean, organized workplace that reduces waste and improves efficiency
5S (Sort, Set in Order, Shine, Standardize, Sustain) creates an organized workplace that makes waste visible and reduces motion, waiting, and defect waste.
Question 5: Which of the following is NOT one of the original seven wastes identified by Taiichi Ohno at Toyota?
- Transportation
- Non-utilized talent (Correct answer)
- Waiting
- Overproduction
Correct answer: Non-utilized talent
Non-utilized talent was added later by Lean practitioners expanding beyond Toyota's original seven wastes (TIMWOOD).
Question 6: In Lean, what term describes the total time from when a customer places an order to when they receive the product?
- Cycle time
- Takt time
- Lead time (Correct answer)
- Throughput time
Correct answer: Lead time
Lead time is the end-to-end elapsed time from customer order to delivery, including all value-added and non-value-added activities.
Question 7: A factory stores three months of raw material inventory 'just in case' of supply disruptions. Which waste is primarily illustrated?
- Defects
- Motion
- Inventory (Correct answer)
- Extra processing
Correct answer: Inventory
Excess inventory ties up capital, occupies space, and hides other problems, making it a significant Lean waste.
Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt Certification Lean Concepts and Waste 3
Moving finished goods from the warehouse to a staging area and then to shipping is an example of which waste?