What is a Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt?

What Is a Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt?

If you’re looking to improve your organization’s processes and efficiency, you may have looked into 5S training and Six Sigma. Implementing both of these programs can change the trajectory of your company, so it’s worthwhile to learn more about them.

Today, we’ll talk about a method that can help you run your company more safely, Lean Six Sigma, and its achievement levels. The Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt is just one step in the Lean Six process.

What Is Lean Six Sigma?

If you haven’t heard of Six Sigma, it’s a method that improves work processes for organizations by limiting defects and variations. This could lead to things like increased profits, accuracy, and productivity. 

Lean Six Sigma also aims to eliminate processes and procedures that don’t maximize your potential in all of these areas. If a process doesn’t result in better outcomes for the customer or company, it’s wasteful and should no longer be used. For many organizations, this makes perfect sense.

Lean Six Sigma Relevancy

Because this method isn’t talked about often, is Lean Six Sigma still relevant? Recently, it’s been making a comeback after falling off of people’s radars for some time. Whether it’s popular or not, your organization can benefit from utilizing it.

Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma

Lean manufacturing is the elimination of waste within systems while improving productivity. You may think to yourself that this sounds a lot like Lean Six Sigma. The difference between Lean manufacturing and Six Sigma is that Lean manufacturing focuses more on waste reduction. Some companies use a combination of the two to improve their business, and they see great results from doing so.

What Are ‘Belts’ in Lean Six Sigma?

Like in martial arts, you can earn different colored ‘belts’ throughout the Six Sigma certification process. These belt colors indicate how much you’ve learned so far about the method. You cannot move onto the next belt color until you’ve earned the one before it.

What Is a Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt?

Most people start at the first level, White Belt. However, if you have experience in Lean manufacturing, you may be able to start at Yellow Belt. 

Yellow Belts have some understanding of Six Sigma processes and can contribute as a team member on projects. They’ve learned the basics and principles already, but still have more to learn.

For that reason, Yellow Belts take courses to continue their certification process. These courses may take as many as twenty hours to complete. Once they’re completed and you pass the exam, you’re promoted to Green Belt.

The Bottom Line

Lean Six Sigma is just one way to increase safety in the workplace. When unnecessary processes are done away with and consistency is achieved, your workplace becomes more predictable and efficient. 

Another way to improve safety is to mark your floors, utilize safety signs, and label items appropriately. Creative Safety Supply carries all of these things and more to aid in your company’s safety overhaul. Browse our website today to see all that we have to offer!