PECB Six Sigma Green Belt study plan
PECB Six Sigma Green Belt · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 7 hours per week
Six Sigma fundamentals and Lean concepts & Project identification, selection, and definition
Distinguish Six Sigma from Lean and from TQM by writing a one-page comparison of scope, primary metric, and typical project trigger.
Define DMAIC phase inputs, outputs, and exit criteria from memory, then verify against a control-chart-style checklist you build yourself.
Explain the roles of Champion, Sponsor, Master Black Belt, Black Belt, Green Belt, and process owner in terms of decision rights and time allocation.
Select three candidate projects from your own work area and score each against a written screening matrix covering financial impact, process stability, data availability, and scope.
Convert each candidate's problem statement into a SMART goal with a baseline, target, and entitlement estimate.
Your checkpoint
A project charter for one selected project containing problem statement, SMART goal, scope boundaries, business case, team roles, and milestone schedule, reviewed against a 10-point self-audit checklist.
Project identification, selection, and definition & Measure phase: data collection and process characterization
Construct a SIPOC for your chosen process with at least six process steps and explicit start and stop boundaries.
Translate the charter into a data collection plan naming each metric, operational definition, data type, sampling method, and owner.
Classify each metric as continuous or discrete and justify the measurement scale chosen.
Draft a stakeholder analysis and communication plan identifying who must approve the charter and who can block data access.
Your checkpoint
A complete data collection plan plus SIPOC diagram, covering at least five metrics with operational definitions that a colleague could use to collect the same data independently.
Measure phase: data collection and process characterization
Perform a Gage R&R or attribute agreement analysis on one of your metrics and interpret the percent contribution and number of distinct categories.
Build a value stream map or detailed process map for the target process and mark value-added, non-value-added, and necessary non-value-added steps.
Calculate baseline capability (Cp, Cpk, Pp, Ppk) or sigma level for your primary metric and state which indices are appropriate for the data type.
Identify and document at least three sources of measurement variation or definition ambiguity you found.
Your checkpoint
A baseline capability summary for the primary metric including measurement system verdict, baseline sigma level, and a chart set (run chart, histogram, or control chart) with written interpretation.
Measure phase: data collection and process characterization & Analyze phase: root cause and statistical analysis
Apply the correct control chart to each baseline metric and justify the choice using data type and subgroup size.
Calculate and interpret descriptive statistics including mean, median, standard deviation, and IQR for your baseline data.
Formulate at least five potential root causes using a cause-and-effect diagram and a why-why chain for the two most likely branches.
Separate occurrence, detection, and escape causes so the analysis does not stop at the operator level.
Your checkpoint
A baseline report combining control chart interpretation, descriptive statistics, and a prioritized cause-and-effect diagram with at least five causes ranked by current evidence strength.
Analyze phase: root cause and statistical analysis
Run a hypothesis test appropriate to your data (two-sample t, paired t, proportion test, or chi-square) and state null, alternative, alpha, and p-value conclusion in plain language.
Check the assumptions behind each test you use and describe the remedy when an assumption fails.
Complete a multi-vari or stratification analysis to determine whether variation is within-unit, between-unit, or temporal.
Quantify the practical significance of your finding separately from its statistical significance.
Your checkpoint
A root cause verification memo naming the confirmed root cause, the statistical evidence supporting it, the effect size, and the causes you eliminated with reasons.
Analyze phase: root cause and statistical analysis & Improve and Control phases: solution implementation and sustainment
Generate at least eight improvement alternatives using brainstorming, benchmarking, and mistake-proofing lenses.
Evaluate alternatives against impact, effort, cost, and risk in a weighted selection matrix and document the rejection rationale.
Design a pilot or DOE-lite experiment with defined response, factors, levels, and success criteria.
Write a failure mode and effects analysis for the proposed change covering at least six failure modes with severity, occurrence, and detection ratings.
Your checkpoint
A solution selection package containing the weighted matrix, the chosen countermeasure with its link to the verified root cause, and a pilot plan with success criteria and a rollback trigger.
Improve and Control phases: solution implementation and sustainment
Implement or simulate the pilot and record before-and-after results on the primary metric.
Construct a control plan specifying metric, specification, monitoring frequency, sample size, chart type, reaction plan, and owner.
Design a mistake-proofing device or standard work document that prevents recurrence rather than detecting it.
Draft a control chart with revised limits and state the rules you will use to detect drift.
Your checkpoint
A control plan plus post-improvement capability calculation showing the new sigma level and the gap to target, with reaction plan triggers written as specific actions.
Six Sigma fundamentals and Lean concepts & Project identification, selection, and definition & Improve and Control phases: solution implementation and sustainment
Standardize the improvement through updated work instructions, training material, and a named process owner sign-off.
Complete a lessons-learned review that identifies which DMAIC phase consumed the most effort and why.
Rehearse the full project story in a 20-minute presentation and defend it against ten likely reviewer questions.
Take a timed 100-question practice set and map every error back to its domain and phase.
Your checkpoint
A final project report and closure package including control plan, benefit validation, lessons learned, and a scored practice-exam error log with a remediation list.
Milestones
Week 2: Charter approved against the 10-point self-audit and SIPOC complete; if the charter still lacks a measurable baseline, rework it before starting measurement.
Week 4: Baseline capability and measurement system verdict documented; you can state your baseline sigma level without notes.
Week 5: Root cause verified with statistical evidence and effect size; at least three alternative causes formally eliminated.
Week 7: Control plan in place and post-improvement capability recalculated; the primary metric shows a documented shift in the intended direction.
Week 8: Practice exam score at or above 80 percent with every missed item traced to a domain and a written remediation action.