What I learned in [Nissan] school is _____

Nissan has a program similar to Six Sigma, where interns and employees alike learn business and management processes to increase efficiency and lower the likelihood of errors.

Theres all sorts of tools and processes that we learn. And just like Six Sigma, there are various levels of certification. You start by taking a training course, which I just completed and then you must solve problems in our various programs. Once we come up with a plan, we submit it for approval, do the project and evaluate it. Only after we do this do we get recognized as a "problem solver", get a plaque announcing our achievement, and then go through an even more intensive class and solve more problems afterwards. It's just like karate, with each certification being a color. We have to achieve that certification and then move to the next.

Since these are involved projects, solving a problem with the process and tools at our disposal might take as little as 1 month or could go for as long as 5+ years.

One tool at our disposal is the RACI chart. By using this matrix, roles and responsibilities are set before the project begins. This might not seem important, but in a company with 200,000 + employees, organization is a key part in getting things done. The R, or responsible, notes who is doing the action, which is given to the person with the lowest rank but is still qualified to do it. A, or accountable, is their boss because although they aren't doing the task, they sign off on the worker's work. C, or consulted, is usually higher management. They are consulted on what the task should entail. Informed is also upper management. The outcomes of the project are conveyed to them, requiring no extra work from their end.

And this is the RACI chart, which I hope to use to get my Yellow Belt problem solving certification before the summer ends. I have big plans, so let's hope I can get my certification!