Benchmarking Query/Solution Report

Query: Belt Programs
Date: 8-25-09
Originator: Kelly Reinhardt
Contact Phone: 313-235-3360 / Contact Email:
Respondent:
Contact Phone: / Contact Email:
Date of Response:
Benchmarking Questions:
DTE Energy is interested in expanding our Belt programs and would like to find out how others have their various belts structured. Please include where possible any lessons learned.
1.  What levels of belts exist within your organization? (green, yellow, black, etc.)
This is a difficult question to answer without understanding your corporate commitment to the program. There are many advantages of building a multi-tier program with multiple layers to include yellow belts into the program when recognition of teaming is a vital component of your program. However, there are some organizations in which this value is not recognized throughout the organization. Respect for people within the program is only as good as the qualifications (training, testing) and achievements (standardized project requirements) that are aligned to obtaining the status of GB, BB, MBB and even YB. The most important aspect is to ensure that this widely accepted as fair and meaningful.
2.  What does each level focus on? (lean, six sigma, sustainability, etc.)
Everyone owns sustainability in the organization. Linking individual deliverables (HR Personal Develop Program) should be linked to project KPIs via the corporate and business unit balanced scorecards.
Generally, Lean and Kaizen events can be eventually run by qualified YBs in a few cases. However, initially BBs should be leading these events; followed by strong GBs that have been certified. All projects should be linked to corporate and business unit balanced scorecards. This in turn should be linked to internal (P&L) and customer (Scorecards).
When performing DMAIC projects, YBs are generally team members (often SMEs). Those contributing (with active participation) can earn their certification. You may want the team members to vote to the person that contributed the most to the project.
Leveraged BB projects are great projects that can be scoped to become GB projects.
Is the training for each handled internally or externally?
Initially, training can be performed by outside agency to get the program started until the skills are in-house. The training material will need to be customized to meet your organization’s “language”. This will take time. Do not underestimate the time and effort to get this right. You need to remove excuses of why people do not participate in the program. This is an excuse that can be eliminated with the right planning.
3.  Are projects required at all levels?
There is not a better way to endorse a program than lead by example. An executive’s belief that they too smart to need to perform a project and it does not apply to them really hurts the buy-in the program. Quick wins showing the tools (especially buy-in, changing paradigms, data validation, with strong controls) are vital for success – even if the detailed work is performed by others.
Performing a strong assessment and closing projects with demonstrated results often gets the program off to a strong start. Participation in these events with continued participation throughout the deployment follow-up is essential. When this follow-up is not timely and meaningful the program will lose momentum; falling short of personnel expectations.
Lean Best Practices:
1.  First demonstrate Change Management (Kaizen Events)
2.  Ensure Project Management Skills
3.  Buy-in: don’t underestimate nor the amount of time required or the PAY-off when BUY-IN occurs at the TOP, MIDDLE and TRUE-WORKERS.
4.  Perform and measure success according to a standard assessment; action plans
5.  Develop a methodology to prioritize projects; not according to opinion (avoid “pet projects”).
6.  Teams should be balanced (SME, new-be, process owner, process evaluator, process implementer)
7.  If you don’t have time to in right, do you have enough time to do it over?
8. 
Lessons Learned:
Notes: