SIX SIGMA YELLOW BELT TRAINING
MANUAL EXAM QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS
Six Sigma (6σ) - Correct Answers -both a methodology for process improvement and a
statistical concept that seeks to define the variation inherent in any process, while also
prioritizing a culture of continuous improvement
- Variation in a process leads to opportunities for error.
- Opportunities for error then lead to risks for product defects.
- Product defects lead to poor customer satisfaction.
- Therefore, Six Sigma reduces process costs and increases customer satisfaction.
In applying Six Sigma, organizations, teams, and project managers seek to implement
strategies that are based on ___ and ___. Historically, many business leaders made
decisions based on ___ or ___. - Correct Answers -Measurement and metrics.
Intuition or experience.
Beta testing - Correct Answers -the act of implementing a new idea, system, or product
with a select group of people or processes in as controlled an environment as possible.
- After beta testers identify potential problems and those problems are corrected, the
idea, system, or product can be rolled out to the entire population of customers,
employees, or processes.
- The purpose of beta testing is to reduce the risks and costs inherent in launching an
unproven product or system to a widespread audience.
The disadvantage of launching ideas into beta—or to an entire population--without
going through a Six Sigma methodology is that - Correct Answers -Organizations can
experience unintended consequences from changes, spend money on ideas that don't
end up working out as planned, and impact customer perceptions through trial-and-error
periods rife with opportunities for error.
,The Six Sigma method lets organizations ___, ___, ___, and ___ to avoid unintended
consequences. - Correct Answers -Identify problems, validate assumptions, brainstorm
solutions, and plan for implementation
Common Six Sigma Principles: Remove Waste - Correct Answers -Removing waste
(items, actions, or people that are unnecessary to the outcome of a process) reduces
processing time, opportunities for errors, and overall costs.
Common Six Sigma Principles: Equipping People - Correct Answers -After
implementing an improved process, employees who work directly with the process are
equipped to control and manage the process in its improved state.
Common Six Sigma Principles: Controlling the Process - Correct Answers -The goal of
improvement is to bring a process back within a state of statistical control. Then, after
improvements are implemented, measurements, statistics, and other Six Sigma tools
are used to ensure the process remains in control.
By applying tools such as statistical analysis and process mapping to problems and
solutions, teams can - Correct Answers -Visualize and predict outcomes with a high-
level of accuracy, letting leadership make decisions with less financial risk.
Define the statistical concept represented by 6σ. - Correct Answers -6σ is a statistical
representation for what many experts call a "perfect" process.
Technically, in a Six Sigma process, there are only 3.4 defects per million opportunities.
In percentages, that means 99.99966 percent of the products from a Six Sigma process
are without defect. At just one sigma level below—5σ, or 99.97 percent accuracy--
processes experience 233 errors per million opportunities.
For organizations, it's not just about the rate of error - it's also about - Correct Answers -
the costs associated with each error.
Defects per Million Opportunities for each Sigma Level - Correct Answers -One Sigma -
690,000
Two Sigma - 308,000
Three Sigma - 66,800
Four Sigma - 6,200
Five Sigma - 233
Six Sigma - 3.4
How to calculate the sigma level of a product or process - Correct Answers -( (# of
opportunities - # of defects) / # of opportunities ) x 100 = Yield
,Sigma Level is not a final indicator in determining which particular process an
organization should improve first. Leadership should also consider ___, ___, and ___. -
Correct Answers -Costs, resources, and the estimated impact of improvements.
Sometimes, a process might have a low sigma level, but it wouldn't be worth improving
because it is too costly to improve.
A Six Sigma culture is about ___ improvement. - Correct Answers -Continuous
List the Common Six Sigma Principles - Correct Answers -Customer Focused
Improvement
- Understanding the customers and their desires.
Continuous Process Improvement
- Once one area is improved upon, the organization moves on to improving another
area.
Reduce Variation
- Reducing variation leads to product/service consistency.
Remove Waste
- Removing waste (items, actions, or people that are unnecessary to the outcome of a
process) reduces processing time, opportunities for errors, and overall costs.
Equipping People
- After implementing an improved process, employees who work directly with the
process are equipped to control and manage the process in its improved state.
Controlling the Process
- The goal of improvement is to bring a process back within a state of statistical control.
Then, after improvements are implemented, measurements, statistics, and other Six
Sigma tools are used to ensure the process remains in control.
Common Six Sigma Principles: Customer Focused Improvement - Correct Answers -
Understanding the customers and their desires, improving processes based on what the
customers want.
Common Six Sigma Principles: Continuous Process Improvement - Correct Answers -
Once one area is improved upon, the organization moves on to improving another area.
Common Six Sigma Principles: Reduce Variation - Correct Answers -Reducing variation
leads to product/service consistency.
Value Streams - Correct Answers -the sequence of all items, events, and people
required to produce an end result.
, For ex. If you combine all of the processes in making a hotdog (supplier, buns,
ketchups, someone to serve hotdog, etc.) into a pictorial representation of exactly how
these elements become the served hotdog, then you have a value stream map.
The purpose for determining a value stream for a process is that - Correct Answers -you
can identify areas of concern, waste, and improvement.
List the Challenges of Six Sigma - Correct Answers -Lack of Support
- Leaders and executives must be willing to back initiatives with resources—financial
and labor related. Subject-matter experts must be open to sharing information about
their processes with project teams, and employees at all levels must embrace the idea
of change and improvement and participate in training.
Lack of Resources or Knowledge
- Lack of knowledge about how to use and implement Six Sigma is one of the first
issues small- and mid-sized companies face. Smaller businesses can't always afford to
hire dedicated resources to handle continuous process improvement, but the availability
of resources and Six Sigma training makes it increasingly possible for organizations to
use some of the tools without an expert or to send in-house staff to be certified in Six
Sigma.
Poor Project Execution
- Proponents of Six Sigma within any organization really have to hit it out of the ballpark
with the first project if leadership and others are on the fence about the methodology.
Teams can help avoid poor project performance by taking extreme care to execute
every phase of the project correctly. By choosing low-risk, high-reward improvements,
teams can also stack the deck in their favor with first-time projects. The only
disadvantage with such a tactic is that it can be hard to duplicate the wow factor with
subsequent improvements.
Data Access Issues
- Gaining access to consistent and accurate data streams—and applying statistical
analysis to that data in an appropriate manner—is difficult.
Concerns about Using Six Sigma in a Specific Industry
- Organizations often discount the methods or believe they will be too difficult to
implement in other industries. In reality, Six Sigma can be customized to any industry.
Challenges of Six Sigma: Lack of Support - Correct Answers -Leaders and executives
must be willing to back initiatives with resources—financial and labor related. Subject-
matter experts must be open to sharing information about their processes with project
teams, and employees at all levels must embrace the idea of change and improvement
and participate in training.
Challenges of Six Sigma: Lack of Resources or Knowledge - Correct Answers -Lack of
knowledge about how to use and implement Six Sigma is one of the first issues small-
MANUAL EXAM QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS
Six Sigma (6σ) - Correct Answers -both a methodology for process improvement and a
statistical concept that seeks to define the variation inherent in any process, while also
prioritizing a culture of continuous improvement
- Variation in a process leads to opportunities for error.
- Opportunities for error then lead to risks for product defects.
- Product defects lead to poor customer satisfaction.
- Therefore, Six Sigma reduces process costs and increases customer satisfaction.
In applying Six Sigma, organizations, teams, and project managers seek to implement
strategies that are based on ___ and ___. Historically, many business leaders made
decisions based on ___ or ___. - Correct Answers -Measurement and metrics.
Intuition or experience.
Beta testing - Correct Answers -the act of implementing a new idea, system, or product
with a select group of people or processes in as controlled an environment as possible.
- After beta testers identify potential problems and those problems are corrected, the
idea, system, or product can be rolled out to the entire population of customers,
employees, or processes.
- The purpose of beta testing is to reduce the risks and costs inherent in launching an
unproven product or system to a widespread audience.
The disadvantage of launching ideas into beta—or to an entire population--without
going through a Six Sigma methodology is that - Correct Answers -Organizations can
experience unintended consequences from changes, spend money on ideas that don't
end up working out as planned, and impact customer perceptions through trial-and-error
periods rife with opportunities for error.
,The Six Sigma method lets organizations ___, ___, ___, and ___ to avoid unintended
consequences. - Correct Answers -Identify problems, validate assumptions, brainstorm
solutions, and plan for implementation
Common Six Sigma Principles: Remove Waste - Correct Answers -Removing waste
(items, actions, or people that are unnecessary to the outcome of a process) reduces
processing time, opportunities for errors, and overall costs.
Common Six Sigma Principles: Equipping People - Correct Answers -After
implementing an improved process, employees who work directly with the process are
equipped to control and manage the process in its improved state.
Common Six Sigma Principles: Controlling the Process - Correct Answers -The goal of
improvement is to bring a process back within a state of statistical control. Then, after
improvements are implemented, measurements, statistics, and other Six Sigma tools
are used to ensure the process remains in control.
By applying tools such as statistical analysis and process mapping to problems and
solutions, teams can - Correct Answers -Visualize and predict outcomes with a high-
level of accuracy, letting leadership make decisions with less financial risk.
Define the statistical concept represented by 6σ. - Correct Answers -6σ is a statistical
representation for what many experts call a "perfect" process.
Technically, in a Six Sigma process, there are only 3.4 defects per million opportunities.
In percentages, that means 99.99966 percent of the products from a Six Sigma process
are without defect. At just one sigma level below—5σ, or 99.97 percent accuracy--
processes experience 233 errors per million opportunities.
For organizations, it's not just about the rate of error - it's also about - Correct Answers -
the costs associated with each error.
Defects per Million Opportunities for each Sigma Level - Correct Answers -One Sigma -
690,000
Two Sigma - 308,000
Three Sigma - 66,800
Four Sigma - 6,200
Five Sigma - 233
Six Sigma - 3.4
How to calculate the sigma level of a product or process - Correct Answers -( (# of
opportunities - # of defects) / # of opportunities ) x 100 = Yield
,Sigma Level is not a final indicator in determining which particular process an
organization should improve first. Leadership should also consider ___, ___, and ___. -
Correct Answers -Costs, resources, and the estimated impact of improvements.
Sometimes, a process might have a low sigma level, but it wouldn't be worth improving
because it is too costly to improve.
A Six Sigma culture is about ___ improvement. - Correct Answers -Continuous
List the Common Six Sigma Principles - Correct Answers -Customer Focused
Improvement
- Understanding the customers and their desires.
Continuous Process Improvement
- Once one area is improved upon, the organization moves on to improving another
area.
Reduce Variation
- Reducing variation leads to product/service consistency.
Remove Waste
- Removing waste (items, actions, or people that are unnecessary to the outcome of a
process) reduces processing time, opportunities for errors, and overall costs.
Equipping People
- After implementing an improved process, employees who work directly with the
process are equipped to control and manage the process in its improved state.
Controlling the Process
- The goal of improvement is to bring a process back within a state of statistical control.
Then, after improvements are implemented, measurements, statistics, and other Six
Sigma tools are used to ensure the process remains in control.
Common Six Sigma Principles: Customer Focused Improvement - Correct Answers -
Understanding the customers and their desires, improving processes based on what the
customers want.
Common Six Sigma Principles: Continuous Process Improvement - Correct Answers -
Once one area is improved upon, the organization moves on to improving another area.
Common Six Sigma Principles: Reduce Variation - Correct Answers -Reducing variation
leads to product/service consistency.
Value Streams - Correct Answers -the sequence of all items, events, and people
required to produce an end result.
, For ex. If you combine all of the processes in making a hotdog (supplier, buns,
ketchups, someone to serve hotdog, etc.) into a pictorial representation of exactly how
these elements become the served hotdog, then you have a value stream map.
The purpose for determining a value stream for a process is that - Correct Answers -you
can identify areas of concern, waste, and improvement.
List the Challenges of Six Sigma - Correct Answers -Lack of Support
- Leaders and executives must be willing to back initiatives with resources—financial
and labor related. Subject-matter experts must be open to sharing information about
their processes with project teams, and employees at all levels must embrace the idea
of change and improvement and participate in training.
Lack of Resources or Knowledge
- Lack of knowledge about how to use and implement Six Sigma is one of the first
issues small- and mid-sized companies face. Smaller businesses can't always afford to
hire dedicated resources to handle continuous process improvement, but the availability
of resources and Six Sigma training makes it increasingly possible for organizations to
use some of the tools without an expert or to send in-house staff to be certified in Six
Sigma.
Poor Project Execution
- Proponents of Six Sigma within any organization really have to hit it out of the ballpark
with the first project if leadership and others are on the fence about the methodology.
Teams can help avoid poor project performance by taking extreme care to execute
every phase of the project correctly. By choosing low-risk, high-reward improvements,
teams can also stack the deck in their favor with first-time projects. The only
disadvantage with such a tactic is that it can be hard to duplicate the wow factor with
subsequent improvements.
Data Access Issues
- Gaining access to consistent and accurate data streams—and applying statistical
analysis to that data in an appropriate manner—is difficult.
Concerns about Using Six Sigma in a Specific Industry
- Organizations often discount the methods or believe they will be too difficult to
implement in other industries. In reality, Six Sigma can be customized to any industry.
Challenges of Six Sigma: Lack of Support - Correct Answers -Leaders and executives
must be willing to back initiatives with resources—financial and labor related. Subject-
matter experts must be open to sharing information about their processes with project
teams, and employees at all levels must embrace the idea of change and improvement
and participate in training.
Challenges of Six Sigma: Lack of Resources or Knowledge - Correct Answers -Lack of
knowledge about how to use and implement Six Sigma is one of the first issues small-
