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Belt 3 of 4 · Project lead

Green Belt Study-ready

Own a scoped DMAIC project end-to-end: charter, MSA, capability, verified root causes, pilots, and Control handoff with standard work / Job Instruction — with Black Belt coaching on advanced DOE.

What this belt means

Role & typical depth

Green Belt leads a scoped improvement — often part-time. You run full DMAIC with tollgates, select tools appropriately, lead Yellow Belts/SMEs, and hand off a controlled process with updated standards and JI.

Depth: MSA/Gage R&R intro, process capability (Cp/Cpk), control charts, basic hypothesis tests & regression orientation, FMEA, VSM, pull, standard work, A3. Full multi-factor DOE and advanced regression are escalate to Black Belt.

Factory / Toyota training context: Green Belts turn kaizen energy into chartered projects — then use TWI Job Instruction so the new method sticks across shifts.

Learning goals

  • Write a clear project charter (problem, SMART goal, scope, VOC/CTQ, stakeholders, timeline).
  • Pass DMAIC tollgates with evidence — not template theater.
  • Plan an MSA check (Gage R&R / attribute agreement) before trusting Measure data.
  • Build/interpret basic control charts and capability (Cp/Cpk vs Pp/Ppk awareness).
  • Verify root causes with data; use hypothesis tests / simple regression at orientation depth.
  • Use FMEA before and after pilots; know when to escalate DOE.
  • Create current/future VSM; implement standard work + Job Breakdown for JI trainers.
  • Close Control with owners, audit cadence, and trainer handoff.

DMAIC tollgates (exit criteria)

Define

  • Charter signed by sponsor
  • SIPOC + in/out of scope
  • Primary Y metric & goal
  • Team & timeline set

Measure

  • Operational definition locked
  • MSA acceptable or plan
  • Baseline charted
  • Stratification plan clear

Analyze

  • Vital Xs prioritized with data
  • Root causes verified
  • Quick wins vs project Xs split

Improve

  • Solutions piloted
  • FMEA on new process
  • Before/after on Y
  • JI / training plan drafted

Control

  • Control & reaction plans live
  • Standards & Job Breakdown updated
  • Owners & audit cadence
  • A3 / storyboard closed

Core Lean topics (Green depth)

Value stream mapping

Material + information flow, inventory, C/T, C/O, uptime, lead vs process time. Future state with pull/WIP limits and kaizen bursts.

Kanban / pull

Withdrawal and production signals; WIP limits; connect to takt. Move from push batches toward pull.

Standard work + JI

Sequence, timing, SWIP, key points. Hand off a Job Breakdown so instructors use Prepare–Present–Try out–Follow up.

A3 problem solving

One-page story: background, current, goal, analysis, countermeasures, plan, follow-up.

SMED

Internal vs external setup; convert and streamline. Green often leads changeover kaizen with coaching.

JIT, jidoka, heijunka, TPM

Flow to takt; stop-and-fix with andon; level mix awareness; autonomous care partnership.

Core Six Sigma / DMAIC (Green depth)

Define

Charter, SIPOC, VOC→CTQ, stakeholder map, scope.

Measure

Operational definitions, data plan, MSA intro, baseline, stratification.

Analyze

Graphical tools, basic hypothesis tests, verified root cause (not fishbone-only).

Improve

Pilots, FMEA, poka-yoke; DOE awareness — escalate complex X interactions.

Control

Control plan, charts, standard work / JI, reaction plan, audit, handoff.

MSA / Gage R&R

Repeatability, reproducibility; attribute agreement. Fix the gage before chasing process X’s.

Control charts & capability

I-MR, X̄-R/S. Stable first, then Cp/Cpk vs specs. Know Cp vs Cpk (centering).

Hypothesis tests & regression

t-tests, proportions, simple ANOVA awareness; simple regression orientation. Practical + statistical significance.

FMEA

Severity × Occurrence × Detection → prioritize actions before launch and after redesign.

Key tools & glossary

Charter
Problem, goal, scope, benefits, team, timeline — sponsor agreement.
Tollgate
Phase-exit review with evidence before the next DMAIC phase.
MSA
Measurement System Analysis — trust data before analyzing the process.
Cp / Cpk
Capability vs specs (Cpk includes centering). Need stability first.
Control plan
What/how often/who reacts + reaction rules + where standards live.
VSM
End-to-end flow of value and waste (current → future).
A3
Structured problem-solving story on one sheet.
JI handoff
Job Breakdown (steps/key points/reasons) for TWI instructors.
DOE (awareness)
Designed experiments for factor effects — escalate complex cases.

Curated external resources

ASQ — DMAIC

Phase-by-phase tool map for DMAIC projects.
ASQ — Control Chart

Special vs common cause; SPC chart fundamentals.
ASQ — FMEA

Failure Mode and Effects Analysis structure.
ASQ — Value Stream Mapping

VSM overview for current/future state design.
ASQ — Process Capability

Cp/Cpk concepts and interpretation caveats.
ASQ — Statistical Process Control

SPC system view beyond a single chart type.
ASQ — Root Cause Analysis

RCA framing that pairs with 5 Whys and verification.
ASQ — Six Sigma Green Belt certification

BoK target for Green Belt project leaders.
IASSC — Lean Six Sigma Body of Knowledge

Independent BoK framing DMAIC competencies for Y/G/B.
IASSC — Green Belt certification

Exam-based Green Belt competency framing.
MIT OCW — Introduction to Lean Six Sigma Methods

Free university course materials covering Lean and Six Sigma methods.
NIST MEP — Lean and Process Improvement

U.S. MEP lean services: VSM, 5S, changeover, continuous improvement for manufacturers.
NIST MEP — Training Within Industry (TWI)

Government primer on TWI and Job Instruction for manufacturers.
LEI — Value Stream Mapping

Authoritative VSM definition and current/future-state intent.
LEI — A3 Report

A3 problem-solving story format.
LEI — SMED

Rapid changeover method lexicon.
LEI — Standardized Work

Standardized work as the baseline for kaizen.
EPA — Lean Manufacturing and Environment

Links Lean waste reduction to environmental outcomes.
CSSC — Free Six Sigma training manuals

Free self-study manuals by belt (some fetchers see 403; page is the known free-manual hub).
Shingo Institute

Principles-based operational excellence model (culture + systems + tools).
ASQ — Gage Repeatability & Reproducibility

Gage R&R primer for MSA — trust the measurement system before Analyze.
ASQ — Statistics

Quality statistics overview useful for Green/Black analytical depth.

Study path (checklist)

  1. Confirm Yellow skills; skim History + TWI/JI.
  2. Draft a real charter; get sponsor alignment on Y and scope.
  3. Measure: operational definition + MSA + baseline chart; pass tollgate.
  4. Analyze: verify causes with data; hypothesis test / regression only as needed.
  5. VSM current→future; pilot Improve; FMEA; before/after on Y.
  6. Control: control plan + Job Breakdown + JI training + audit cadence.
  7. For multi-factor DOE / coaching others → Black Belt.

Q&A study cards

How is Green different from Yellow?

A. Greens lead scoped DMAIC and own Measure/Analyze rigor; Yellows primarily support.

What is a DMAIC tollgate?

A. A phase-exit review with evidence that exit criteria are met before the next phase.

Why MSA before trusting data?

A. Noisy gages make you ‘improve’ measurement noise instead of the process.

Stable vs capable?

A. Stability = predictable common-cause variation. Capability = does that stable process fit specs?

Cp vs Cpk?

A. Cp is potential if centered; Cpk penalizes off-center location vs the nearer spec.

When use a hypothesis test?

A. To confirm a suspected difference with data — weigh practical significance, not p-values alone.

Regression at Green depth?

A. Scatter/simple models for Y = f(X); don’t overfit. Multi-factor optimization → Black Belt.

When escalate DOE?

A. Interactions, fractional confounding, response surfaces, or high experimental risk/cost.

Control plan essentials?

A. What/how often/who reacts, reaction rules, where standards/JI live, audit cadence.

How does JI show up in Control?

A. Update Job Breakdown and train with Prepare–Present–Try out–Follow up across shifts.

What is process FMEA for?

A. Prioritize failure modes before launch and after redesign — drive actions, not score theater.

VSM must-capture?

A. Material + info flow, inventories, C/T, C/O, uptime, lead vs process time, then future state.