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The IASSC Yellow Belt certification focuses on the Define, Measure, and Control phases of a Lean Six Sigma Project.

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Quick reference

IASSC Yellow Belt

The IASSC Yellow Belt certification focuses on the Design, Measure, and Control phases of a Lean Six Sigma project. The Body of Knowledge is the list of topics and tools that a Yellow Belt practitioner should know.

When to use

When studying to take the IASSC Yellow Belt certification exam, this list should be your study guide.

Instructions

A Yellow Belt is a Lean Six Sigma team member who is usually a subject matter expert in the product or process that is being improved. As such they do not need to be experts in all of the Lean Six Sigma tools and techniques, but they need to understand the Lean Six Sigma process and be able to contribute well during the phases that are associated with problem definition and solution implementation.

The Yellow Belt Body of Knowledge is the list of subjects that IASSC believes are necessary for Yellow Belt practitioners to know. It addresses three of the Lean Six Sigma project phases, that of Define, Measure, and Control. Thorough knowledge of these topics will prepare an individual to sit for the IASSC Yellow Belt Exam.

The Body of Knowledge list is divided into three parts for the Define, Measure, and Control phases. The topics are further divided into categories within those phases. There is some overlap between phases, so a topic introduced in one phase may have application in other phases – such as the concept of the normal curve which is introduced in the Measure phase.

IASSC does not provide a detailed explanation for each topic, or even recommended references. They rely on the practitioner to acquire the information and background associated with each topic as well as the ability to apply the tools.

Hints & tips

  • The list of topics and tools is rather broad and different books or teaching programs may cover those topics differently. Be sure you are studying them in the context of a Lean Six Sigma project.
  • There are many other aspects to a successful Lean Six Sigma project. These are focused on the Lean Six Sigma methodology. However, items like stakeholder support, project planning, and resource allocation are also keys to project success.
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  • 00:05 Hello, I'm Ray Sheen.
  • 00:06 Now if you're planning on taking the Yellow Belt exam, you will need to become
  • 00:10 familiar with all of the topics in the the Yellow Belt Body of Knowledge.
  • 00:14 So let's take a minute and look at what that entails.
  • 00:18 Let's start with what we mean by a body of knowledge.
  • 00:22 The IASSC Yellow Belt Body of Knowledge is a list of topics and
  • 00:25 subject matter that a Lean Six Sigma yellow belt practitioner should know.
  • 00:31 In the case of the IASSC Body of Knowledge, it is a list of topics, but
  • 00:35 not all of the detail about those topics.
  • 00:38 To understand the details, you need to take a course like this one, or
  • 00:42 you need to study the books and writings that explain the topic.
  • 00:45 Also, let me clarify for you that are not familiar with the Lean Six Sigma belts.
  • 00:50 The Yellow Belt role is for that of a Lean Six Sigma project team member.
  • 00:55 Often the team member is a subject matter expert in the product or
  • 00:58 process that is being improved, but not an expert on Lean Six Sigma or statistics.
  • 01:04 Therefore, the IASSC Yellow Belt Exam focuses on the Define, Measure,
  • 01:09 and Control phases of an improvement project.
  • 01:13 In these phases, the product or the process knowledge is vital.
  • 01:16 In the Analyze and Improve phases, the Lean and
  • 01:19 Six Sigma knowledges are much more critical for success.
  • 01:24 As I mentioned in an earlier session, the IASSC Yellow Belt exam is 60 multiple
  • 01:28 choice and true/false questions that address the Yellow Belt Body of Knowledge.
  • 01:34 So let's look at each of the three Lean Six Sigma project phases that are included
  • 01:38 in the Yellow Belt Body of Knowledge.
  • 01:40 First is the Define phase. The Body of Knowledge in this phase is both a broad
  • 01:45 knowledge of Lean Six Sigma, and specifics on the defined phase.
  • 01:50 So one of the aspects is the basics of Six Sigma.
  • 01:53 The history and project management approach like roles, phases and
  • 01:57 deliverables, and the fundamental aspect of problem solving the Y = f(x) formula.
  • 02:03 There are also a number of fundamental terms and concepts for
  • 02:07 Six Sigma that are used over and over again,
  • 02:09 acronyms like CTQ, DMPO, Cost of Quality, and the Pareto Principle.
  • 02:14 Specifically focusing on the Define phase, there are topics concerning
  • 02:18 building a Business Case, creating a charter, and setting project metrics.
  • 02:24 The last topic in this phase is the Lean Enterprise.
  • 02:27 For many in the Six Sigma community, Lean is an afterthought, or
  • 02:31 a poor stepchild to the Six Sigma statistics.
  • 02:34 IASSC has made a conscious effort to bring Lean principles into its Body of
  • 02:39 Knowledge, and many test questions will be related to Lean.
  • 02:43 In particular, the Seven Elements of Waste and the 5Ss.
  • 02:48 On to the Measure phase,
  • 02:50 in the Measure phase we get down to the real problem solving.
  • 02:53 And to do that, the Body of Knowledge includes a number of tools and
  • 02:56 techniques for process and problem definition.
  • 03:00 Things like cause and effect or Fishbone Diagram, Process Mapping, and
  • 03:04 related topics like SIPOC and Value Stream Mapping.
  • 03:08 This is also where IASSC introduces some basic statistical principles that
  • 03:12 everyone doing process improvement should know.
  • 03:15 Things like a normal distribution,
  • 03:17 the items of descriptive statistical analysis, and graphical analysis.
  • 03:23 Another very important area is Measurement Systems Analysis,
  • 03:26 this is the tools to make sure that your measurement system can be trusted.
  • 03:30 We have an entire course on this topic, and if it is brand new to you,
  • 03:34 I would recommend that you take it.
  • 03:36 However in this program, we will introduce the topic and the key principles.
  • 03:40 The final topic in this phase is Process Capability,
  • 03:42 it is a statistical idea that is crucial for understanding your real problem.
  • 03:47 It deals with process stability, and
  • 03:50 you need to understand how to determine it with both variable and discrete data.
  • 03:55 The final phase that is included in the Yellow Belt Body of Knowledge is
  • 03:59 the Control phase.
  • 04:00 Now that doesn't mean that a Yellow Belt team member doesn't do any work during
  • 04:05 the Analyze or Improve phases of a Lean Six Sigma project.
  • 04:08 It just means that during those two phases,
  • 04:10 the Yellow Belt is focused on providing their subject matter expertise,
  • 04:14 not doing the statistical analysis, or creating a Lean visual control system.
  • 04:19 Even the Control phase is an abbreviated phase in the Body of Knowledge for
  • 04:24 the IASSC Yellow Belt.
  • 04:25 The statistical process control charts are not part of the Body of Knowledge.
  • 04:29 So that leaves two topics in the Yellow Belt Control phase Body of
  • 04:33 knowledge.
  • 04:34 One is the Lean Controls, like 5S, Kanban, and Poka-Yoke,
  • 04:38 the other is a Six Sigma Control plan and Response plan,
  • 04:42 along with the final Cost Benefits Analysis.
  • 04:48 The Yellow Belt Body of Knowledge contains many of the normal problem solving tools.
  • 04:52 And it's augmented though, with some of the specific Lean and Six Sigma elements.
  • 04:57 The Define, Measure and Control phases are covered.
  • 05:01 Make sure that you know these before you sit for the exam.

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