Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt Certification The Improve Phase 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A team applies the 5 Whys technique and identifies the root cause as a lack of preventive maintenance. Which type of Improve-phase solution directly addresses this root cause?
- Increasing inspection frequency at the end of the line
- Implementing a scheduled preventive maintenance program (Correct answer)
- Adding more quality control staff
- Reducing production targets temporarily
Correct answer: Implementing a scheduled preventive maintenance program
Addressing the root cause directly—lack of preventive maintenance—requires creating and executing a maintenance schedule.
Question 2: What is the key difference between a 'quick win' and a 'full solution' in the Improve phase?
- Quick wins require management approval; full solutions do not
- Quick wins are low-effort, immediate improvements while full solutions require more planning and resources (Correct answer)
- Quick wins apply only to transactional processes
- Full solutions are always implemented before quick wins
Correct answer: Quick wins are low-effort, immediate improvements while full solutions require more planning and resources
Quick wins deliver immediate benefits with minimal effort, while full solutions may require capital, cross-functional coordination, or longer timelines.
Question 3: A company uses a RACI chart when rolling out a process improvement. What does the 'A' stand for and what is its significance?
- Aware — people who are informed of the change
- Accountable — the single person ultimately answerable for the outcome (Correct answer)
- Assigned — the team members doing the work
- Authorized — executives who approve the budget
Correct answer: Accountable — the single person ultimately answerable for the outcome
Accountable (A) identifies the one person who owns the result and ensures there is no ambiguity about final responsibility.
Question 4: When is it appropriate to use a 'should-be' process map during the Improve phase?
- To document current process defects for the Analyze phase
- To design the improved future process flow after waste is identified (Correct answer)
- To assign blame for process failures
- To replace the control plan in the Control phase
Correct answer: To design the improved future process flow after waste is identified
A 'should-be' (or 'to-be') process map outlines the redesigned, waste-free process that the team is working to implement.
Question 5: A team implements a solution that reduces process variation. Which outcome would best confirm the improvement was successful?
- The project sponsor verbally approves the results
- The process sigma level increases and the control chart shows reduced spread (Correct answer)
- Customer complaints decrease for one week after implementation
- Team members report feeling more confident about the process
Correct answer: The process sigma level increases and the control chart shows reduced spread
A higher sigma level and tighter control chart data provide objective, statistical confirmation that variation has genuinely decreased.
Question 6: Which of the following scenarios demonstrates 'overprocessing' waste that the Improve phase should eliminate?
- Shipping products before they pass final inspection
- Applying three coats of paint when one coat meets customer specifications (Correct answer)
- Running machines faster than downstream demand requires
- Storing finished goods in a distant warehouse
Correct answer: Applying three coats of paint when one coat meets customer specifications
Overprocessing means doing more work than the customer requires, such as applying extra paint that adds no customer value.
Question 7: A Yellow Belt notices that an implemented solution is working in one shift but not another. What is the most likely cause?
- The solution was incorrectly designed
- Inconsistent application of the new standard procedure across shifts (Correct answer)
- The control chart has too many data points
- Measurement system error during the Measure phase
Correct answer: Inconsistent application of the new standard procedure across shifts
Shift-to-shift inconsistency typically indicates that the new SOP is not being followed uniformly, a training or standardization issue.
Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt Certification The Improve Phase 5
A team applies the 5 Whys technique and identifies the root cause as a lack of preventive maintenance.
Which type of Improve-phase solution directly addresses this root cause?