Six Sigma Black Belt Certified Practice Exam

What practice includes using signs in storage areas to indicate when to reorder products?

1. Kanban

2. Poka-yoke

3. Checkpoints

4. Hoshin

The correct answer is: Kanban

The practice of using signs in storage areas to indicate when to reorder products is known as Kanban. This is a visual system that helps maintain inventory levels and streamline production by using signals or indicators to trigger the replenishment of items. The primary goal of Kanban is to optimize the flow of materials and ensure that supply meets the demand efficiently. In a Kanban system, when the inventory of a product falls to a predetermined level, the visual signal (such as a card, tag, or sign) prompts the team to reorder more of that item. This helps prevent stockouts and excess inventory, enabling just-in-time production. Other practices mentioned, such as Poka-yoke, pertain to mistake-proofing processes; Checkpoints typically refer to stages in a process where quality is assessed; and Hoshin involves strategic planning and alignment throughout an organization. These concepts, while important in their own right, do not directly relate to the practice of signaling inventory levels for reordering, making Kanban the appropriate answer.