Lean Six Sigma Black Belt Certification Lean Six Sigma Black Belt Lean Enterprise Principles 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the primary purpose of Heijunka in a Lean enterprise?
- To empower operators to stop the production line when a defect is detected
- To level production volume and mix evenly over a given time period (Correct answer)
- To map both the current and future state of a value stream
- To eliminate inventory by triggering replenishment only when needed
Correct answer: To level production volume and mix evenly over a given time period
Heijunka is a production-leveling technique that distributes volume and product variety evenly across a time period, preventing overburden (muri) and unevenness (mura) that lead to waste and quality problems.
Question 2: How is takt time calculated in a Lean enterprise?
- Total cycle time divided by the number of operators on the line
- Available production time divided by the rate of customer demand (Correct answer)
- Customer demand rate multiplied by the number of production shifts
- Lead time minus the sum of all non-value-added processing time
Correct answer: Available production time divided by the rate of customer demand
Takt time equals available production time divided by customer demand rate. It sets the pace at which products must be completed to satisfy demand without overproducing or under-producing.
Question 3: Which Lean principle gives both machines and workers the authority and ability to detect an abnormality and halt production immediately?
- Kanban
- Poka-yoke
- Jidoka (Correct answer)
- Heijunka
Correct answer: Jidoka
Jidoka, sometimes called 'autonomation,' builds quality into the process by enabling automatic detection of defects and immediate line stoppage, preventing defective items from moving downstream.
Question 4: Which of the following is NOT one of the eight categories of waste (Muda) recognized in Lean enterprise?
- Overproduction
- Non-utilized talent
- Innovation (Correct answer)
- Extra processing
Correct answer: Innovation
The eight Lean wastes are commonly remembered with the acronym DOWNTIME: Defects, Overproduction, Waiting, Non-utilized talent, Transportation, Inventory, Motion, and Extra processing. Innovation is a value-creating activity, not a waste.
Question 5: What is the primary role of Standard Work in a Lean enterprise?
- To allow each operator flexibility to develop a personal method that maximizes individual productivity
- To document the current best-known method as a stable baseline for continuous improvement (Correct answer)
- To eliminate the need for quality checks by ensuring every unit is produced identically
- To reduce training time by automating the most complex steps in a process
Correct answer: To document the current best-known method as a stable baseline for continuous improvement
Standard Work establishes a documented, repeatable baseline for the best current method. This baseline enables teams to identify deviations, measure improvement, and sustain gains — it is the foundation upon which kaizen is built.
Question 6: In a Lean enterprise, what is the key distinction between value-added and non-value-added activities when classifying work steps?
- Value-added activities are performed by machines, while non-value-added activities are performed by people
- A step is value-added only if it physically transforms the product, is done right the first time, and the customer is willing to pay for it (Correct answer)
- Non-value-added activities are those that exceed the budgeted standard cost for the process
- Value-added activities are any steps required by regulatory compliance or customer contract
Correct answer: A step is value-added only if it physically transforms the product, is done right the first time, and the customer is willing to pay for it
Lean defines a value-added step by three criteria: it must physically change or transform the product or service, it must be performed correctly the first time, and the customer must care about it enough to pay for it. Steps failing any criterion are candidates for elimination.
Lean Six Sigma Black Belt Certification Lean Six Sigma Black Belt Lean Enterprise Principles 1
What is the primary purpose of Heijunka in a Lean enterprise?