Black Belt
Operations Management

Choose one manageable process and define the improvement you will pursue.

1. Complete the Week 1 coursework and watch the project guidance video.
2. Download the Week 1 PowerPoint. Read the exemplar on each slide, then replace the prompts in “Your Project.”
3. Complete all seven charter sections: project title, factual problem statement, business case, measurable goal, scope, team, and timeline.
4. Use the same metric in your problem and goal. Include the baseline, target, and target completion date; leave unconfirmed causes and solutions for later.
5. Save your completed charter and use it as the starting point for the following weeks.

Before moving on: Your problem identifies what, where, when, and how much; your goal is measurable; your scope and project owner are clear.

Connect with your peers: For optional peer review, open this week’s project discussion on YouTube in a new tab. Share a brief example and one question; reply constructively to two classmates. Keep confidential information out of public comments.

Work at your own pace. Save each week’s work in the same project folder. Follow your enrolled course for official assessment and submission requirements.

Show how the current process works and establish a trustworthy baseline.

1. Complete the Week 2 coursework and watch the project guidance video. Continue the project selected in Week 1.
2. Download the Week 2 PowerPoint and complete the current process map. On slide 2, insert a clear photo of your hand-drawn value stream, including steps, flow, waiting, and known step times.
3. Define your main metric, its units, and exactly how it will be measured. Record the data source, collection period, collector, and sampling approach.
4. Check the data for missing records, duplicates, inconsistent units, and unclear measurement rules. Document how you checked accuracy.
5. Calculate baseline performance in Excel and complete the measurement summary. Keep the source data and calculations with your slides.

Before moving on: Another person can follow your map, understand your measurement rule, and reproduce your baseline calculation.

Connect with your peers: For optional peer review, open this week’s project discussion on YouTube in a new tab. Share a brief example and one question; reply constructively to two classmates. Keep confidential information out of public comments.

Work at your own pace. Save each week’s work in the same project folder. Follow your enrolled course for official assessment and submission requirements.

Use evidence to explain why the measured problem occurs.

1. Complete the Week 3 coursework and watch the project guidance video. Start with your Week 2 problem and baseline.
2. Download the updated Week 3 PowerPoint. List possible causes and complete the Five Whys for a suspected cause.
3. Check the suspected cause against observations and data. Explain what supports it, what contradicts it, and what remains uncertain.
4. Use the chart spaces that fit your evidence: Pareto for problem categories, a comparison chart for groups or conditions, or a scatter plot for two numeric variables. Label axes, units, period, and data source.
5. Complete the root-cause summary. Save the analysis and calculations; distinguish a supported cause from a hypothesis that still needs checking.

Before moving on: Your conclusion follows from evidence. A chart or association alone does not establish that one factor caused the problem.

Connect with your peers: For optional peer review, open this week’s project discussion on YouTube in a new tab. Share a brief example and one question; reply constructively to two classmates. Keep confidential information out of public comments.

Work at your own pace. Save each week’s work in the same project folder. Follow your enrolled course for official assessment and submission requirements.

Test a practical change that addresses your supported root cause.

1. Complete the Week 4 course review and follow the Operations Manager examination instructions in your enrolled account. Watch the Week 4 project guidance video.
2. Download the Week 4 PowerPoint. Compare possible solutions and explain why you selected the proposed improvement.
3. Plan a small pilot: what will change, who is responsible, when it will run, how success will be measured, and what safeguards are needed. Obtain the relevant process owner’s permission before changing a workplace process.
4. If a pilot is feasible and authorized, record its results using the same metric and measurement rules as your baseline. If it has not run, label the work as a proposed pilot and identify the evidence still needed.
5. Add suitable before-and-after, run, or Pareto charts. Complete the improvement summary with results, limitations, and your next decision.

Before moving on: You separate measured results from estimates or proposed outcomes and explain whether the evidence supports the change.

Connect with your peers: For optional peer review, open this week’s project discussion on YouTube in a new tab. Share a brief example and one question; reply constructively to two classmates. Keep confidential information out of public comments.

Work at your own pace. Save each week’s work in the same project folder. Follow your enrolled course for official assessment and submission requirements.

Translate the project results into a credible business case.

1. Complete the Week 6 Business coursework and download the Week 6 PowerPoint.
2. Explain which business objective your improvement supports and who benefits from it.
3. Calculate time and capacity benefits using visible formulas and documented assumptions. Separate released capacity, avoided costs, and actual cash savings.
4. List implementation and ongoing costs. Compare costs and benefits over a stated period, and label estimates and projections clearly.
5. Complete the leadership story and business review. Ask the relevant process owner or appropriate business reviewer to check your claims when available, and record feedback or outstanding questions.

Before moving on: Your claims can be traced to data and assumptions, and you avoid counting the same benefit twice.

Connect with your peers: For optional peer review, use the weekly YouTube project discussion when its link is available, or connect through the class board below. Share one question and offer constructive feedback to classmates.

Work at your own pace. Save each week’s work in the same project folder. Follow your enrolled course for official assessment and submission requirements.

Prepare a clear recommendation for a CEO, manager, sponsor, or process owner.

1. Complete the Scrum Agile Master coursework. Use what you learned to organize the remaining actions, owners, priorities, and review points.
2. Download the Week 7 PowerPoint. Use the exemplar to complete the “Your Project” sections: audience and decision, problem and business impact, evidence and results, recommendation, resources and implementation, closing request, and feedback and follow-up.
3. Use the recommended chart spaces that fit your evidence: before-and-after results, run chart, Pareto, implementation cost breakdown, cash benefits and ongoing costs, workload and capacity, and implementation timeline. Select visuals that help leadership make the decision; label sources, units, periods, and assumptions.
4. State your recommendation, the decision or resources requested, implementation responsibilities, and remaining risks or evidence gaps.
5. Practice presenting to a colleague or peer when available. Ask what is unclear, document their feedback, and revise the presentation.

Before moving on: Your audience can understand the recommendation, its evidence, its business value, and the action you want them to take.

Connect with your peers: For optional peer review, open the Week 7 project discussion on YouTube in a new tab. Share your recommendation, strongest chart, and one question; reply constructively to two classmates. Keep confidential information out of public comments.

Work at your own pace. Save each week’s work in the same project folder. Follow your enrolled course for official assessment and submission requirements.

Bring the coursework and project evidence together for the Black Belt assessment process.

1. Complete the Black Belt coursework and review the examination and project requirements in your enrolled account.
2. Download the Week 8 PowerPoint. Complete the “Your Project” sections and DMAIC evidence checklist. Review your relevant Black Belt analysis and explain why each method fits your project question and data.
3. Assemble your weekly work into one clear project story. Include a final results graph, business value, process ownership, and your Week 7 leadership recommendation and any feedback received.
4. Complete the final quality check: file names, calculations, chart labels, sources, conclusions, and limitations. Distinguish measured results from estimates and identify any missing evidence.
5. Email your final project presentation and supporting calculations to Projects@starglobal.online using the Submit Your Final Project button below. Include your full name, enrollment email, and project title. Record your submission and any confirmation in the Week 8 template. Follow your enrolled course for examination requirements and keep copies of your files.

Before moving on: The project tells a consistent story from the original problem through results and sustainment. Complete the official assessment requirements before expecting certification.

Connect with your peers: For optional peer review, open the Week 8 project discussion on YouTube in a new tab. Share a brief final reflection and one question, and offer constructive feedback to classmates. Keep confidential project information out of public comments.

Work at your own pace. Keep each week’s work in the same project folder. Submit your final project by email below and follow your enrolled course for examination requirements.