Belt roles, sponsors, champions, and process owners

Learning objectives

• Distinguish champion, sponsor, Black Belt, Green/Yellow Belt and process owner.
• Assign accountability for improvement and for sustainment.
• Avoid making the belt a permanent process owner.

Who does what

• Champion — aligns deployment, removes systemic barriers.
• Sponsor — authorizes the project and provides resources.
• Black Belt — leads rigorous DMAIC work.
• Green/Yellow Belt — supports analysis and local action.
• Process owner — sustains the changed process after handover.

Garment-factory example

A finishing-defect project needs quality, production, IE, maintenance and washing input, but the finishing manager must own the control plan after the belt hands it over.

Method

1. Name sponsor and process owner in the charter.
2. Define competencies and record a RACI.
3. Agree review cadence and plan handover at project start.

Common mistakes

• Making the Black Belt the permanent process owner.
• Assigning titles without time or authority.