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Six Sigma

Subjects : certifications, six-sigma, business-skills

Instructions:

Answer 50 questions in 15 minutes.
If you are not ready to take this test, you can study here.
Match each statement with the correct term.
Don't refresh. All questions and answers are randomly picked and ordered every time you load a test.

This is a study tool. The 3 wrong answers for each question are randomly chosen from answers to other questions. So, you might find at times the answers obvious, but you will see it re-enforces your understanding as you take the test each time.

1. Your production process meets customer specifications. Is your process in control?
Is the way in which the failure is manifested.
A time series plot.
To manage the Six Sigma project.
Not necessarily.

2. In a regression - what does the standard error of the estimate tell you?
How much variance you expect around the prediction; two SEs gives you a 95% confidence interval.
Studying firms with the best performance in a particular area.
To do a capability study for a non-centered process.
Mean time to replacement.

3. Define aesthetic quality.
To monitor a process when measurement by attribute is used.
5%
Pleasing to the senses.
Fitness for use.

4. Effect ranking (Severity of the Defect)
A scatterplot.
Workers - machines - materials.
A tool that shows performance along key dimensions all at once.
10 for Hazardous without warning 1 for none

5. Failure cause
Is what induces the failure
The number of standard deviations some value is from the mean.
consists of plotting the residuals vs. the order of each experiment - If - as in the case of the constant variance a random horizontal band is obtained - the ______________ of the residuals is not rejected. (should be random above a below the line i
The manager in charge of a process being improved in a Six Sigma project.

6. Explain the difference between technical and functional service quality.
A systemized group of activities designed to 1. recognize and evaluate the potential failure of product/process and its effects 2. Identify actions which could eliminate or reduce the chance of potential failure ocurring 3. document the process
The gap between what management thinks customers want and the process specifications.
Producer risk.
Technical quality is the "what" of the service; functional quality is the "how."

7. Define features.
Can't tell without a Range chart.
Lean (or JIT).
Defects Per Million Opportunities
The secondary characteristics of a product; "bells and whistles."

8. Affinity Diagrams
To do a capability study for a non-centered process.
The primary operating characteristics of a product.
Data reduction to put a large number of qualitative inputs into a smaller number of major dimensions
To manage the Six Sigma project.

9. Based on what principal can we use the normal distribution assumptions for SPC?
How likely it is to have an F statistic of that value if there really is no relationship between the dependent variable and the independent variable(s).
Central Limit Theorem
Lower skill requirements - faster - less chance for error.
Quality planning - design review - education and training - process control - IS costs - quality reporting - improvement project costs - working with suppliers before production.

10. For what is a p-chart used?
Consumer risk.
Is the way in which the failure is manifested.
To monitor a process when measurement by attribute is used.
To be a member of a Six Sigma project team.

11. List Garvin's eight dimensions of product quality.
Quality planning - design review - education and training - process control - IS costs - quality reporting - improvement project costs - working with suppliers before production.
Performance - features - conformance - reliability - durability - serviceability - aesthetics - perceived quality
Sampling for SPC is done real time.
The ability of a process to consistently meet customer specifications.

12. What are two other names for an Ishikawa diagram?
Fishbone - cause-and-effect diagram.
An assertion or conjecture concerning one or more populations
Can't tell without a Range chart.
Lean is waste reduction - Six Sigma is variation reduction.

13. Process occurance ranking
X-bar-bar
Lower skill requirements - faster - less chance for error.
Rank of 10 if there is >= 100 per 1000 piece Rank of 1 if there is <=.01 per 1000 pieces
Mean time to replacement.

14. Affinity Diagrams
How much variance you expect around the prediction; two SEs gives you a 95% confidence interval.
10 for Hazardous without warning 1 for none
10 if Almost impossible to detect
Organize ideas into meaningful categories by recognizing their underlying similarity

15. What type of risk is associated with Type II Error?
Is what induces the failure
Observed variation in response is caused by the input
Consumer risk.
Someone who is consistently against virtually everything.

16. In the Service Quality Gap Model - what is Gap 2?
Decomposing the total variation of data into: (a) the internal or "natural" or "within" groups variation - and (b) the "between" groups variation in such a way that when these two types of variation are compared - it's possible to determine if there
The gap between what management thinks customers want and the process specifications.
Lean is waste reduction - Six Sigma is variation reduction.
A tool that shows where there is waste in a process.

17. What does DMAIC stand for?
Because the mean and standard deviation are independent of each other.
The process of ranking opportunities to determine which of many potential opportunities should be pursued first.
Initiated before or at design concept finalization
Define - measure - analyze - improve - control.

18. What percentage of a normal distribution lies above the mean?
Scrap - rework - retest - downtime - yield losses - disposition costs.
50%
No -- only if the process is also capable.
A systemized group of activities designed to 1. recognize and evaluate the potential failure of product/process and its effects 2. Identify actions which could eliminate or reduce the chance of potential failure ocurring 3. document the process

19. What quality tool formally incorporates the voice of the customer?
QFD
Studying firms with the best performance in a particular area.
Technique used to relate through a model - one or more independent variables and a dependent variable (response)
Defects Per Million Opportunities

20. What happens to control limits on an SPC chart when sample size is increased?
Workers - machines - materials.
They move closer to the center line.
Attribute
To monitor a process when measurement by variables is used.

21. In Juran's Cost of Quality model - which categories of costs balance which other categories?
Prevention and appraisal costs are balanced against internal and external failure.
1.Interactions can be detected and measured 2.Each value does the work of several values 3.Experimental error is quantified and used to determine the confidence the experimenter has in the conclusions
Walter A. Shewhart
Variable.

22. Daniel Test
Brand image.
Another way to assess the significance of the analyzed factors is through a graphic procedure developed by C. Daniel when only one replicate (a single observation) was obtained:
The Japanese national quality award.
Outside.

23. Complete this quality phrase: 'Fix the process - not the _____.'
Blame.
Concluding there has been an effect/change when there has not.
Observed variation in response is caused by the input
To be a member of a Six Sigma project team.

24. What is the role of a black belt?
F_alpha - df(tr) - df (error)
Lean (or JIT).
To manage the Six Sigma project.
1.Interactions can be detected and measured 2.Each value does the work of several values 3.Experimental error is quantified and used to determine the confidence the experimenter has in the conclusions

25. What does SIPOC stand for?
Kaoru Ishikawa.
Complaint adjustment - returned material - warranty charges - allowances - loss of future business.
Supplier - input - process - output - customer.
Initiated before or at design concept finalization

26. You have been plotting sample means on an x-bar chart and all points indicate normal - expected variation. Is the process in control?

27. Who developed the fishbone diagram?
Concluding there has not been an effect/change when there has.
The target number of standard deviations from the mean for specifications.
Prevention - appraisal - internal failure - external failure.
Kaoru Ishikawa.

28. If a Cp shows that a process is not capable - should you calculate Cpk?
The ratio of outputs to inputs; 1-scrap.
No -- if it is not the same - it can only be worse!
The manager in charge of a process being improved in a Six Sigma project.
It looks to minimize the probability of a failure - or to minimize its effects

29. Uses of regression
System to reduce waste and optimize productivity through maintaining an orderly workplace and using visual cues to achieve more consistent operational results.
Prediction and estimation. based on an unknown x value - estimation is based on a known x value
Prevention and appraisal costs are balanced against internal and external failure.
Kaoru Ishikawa.

30. Statistical Hypothesis
They move closer to the center line.
X-bar-bar
Data reduction to put a large number of qualitative inputs into a smaller number of major dimensions
An assertion or conjecture concerning one or more populations

31. What is a histogram?
A chart that breaks the range of data into equal intervals and then shows the count of occurrences in each interval.
Concluding there has not been an effect/change when there has.
Sampling for SPC is done real time.
Not necessarily.

32. What are the Five Dimensions of Service Quality?
Fractional factorial designs (orthogonal arrays)
50%
Reliability - Assurance - Responsiveness - Tangibles - Empathy
To do a capability study for a non-centered process.

33. Detection Criteria Ranking
Through producer/consumer negotiation.
Method developed by Ishikawa to graphically display the causes of any given problem
10 if Almost impossible to detect
No -- if it is not the same - it can only be worse!

34. What is written on the "spines" of a fishbone diagram?
Lean is waste reduction - Six Sigma is variation reduction.
The number of standard deviations some value is from the mean.
Causes that lead to a particular effect.
Shows the temporal flow of activities in a project network.

35. The data points on an SPC p-chart of defective percent plot below the mean. Is this good or bad?

36. Definition of Interaction
Causes that lead to a particular effect.
An interaction is defined as a dependence relationship between the response and the levels of two or more variables
1) Identify the Range (Max Value - Min Value) 2) Determine # of bins 3) Determine the Width of each bin --> (Range / # Bins) 4) Put values in correct Bin
System to reduce waste and optimize productivity through maintaining an orderly workplace and using visual cues to achieve more consistent operational results.

37. What does Crosby say about benchmarking?
Shows the temporal flow of activities in a project network.
Deming.
Look to your customer - not to other firms. "You can always find someone shorter - fatter and balder!"
The cycle time required to meet demand.

38. Which quality guru developed the concept of loss to society?
1) Obtain Residuals 2) Fill out table --> y coordinates: F = 100 (i-.5)/N x coordinates: Ordered Residual 3) Plot on Normal Probability Paper
Financial - customer - internal process - innovation and learning.
Taguchi
The degree to which a product meets pre-established standards.

39. The Test Statistic (TS)
Producer risk.
A random variable that summarizes the information from the sample(s).
To obtain a certain desirable outcome from the process
Is the consequence of the failure.

40. There are two milling machines in the shop. Data has been collected on one to compute control limits for both. This is acceptable SPC practice - true or false and why?
Yes - when there are opportunities to improve - when contribution margin is adequate - when achieving market share is important.
False - because each machine will have different natural tolerances.
Through producer/consumer negotiation.
Look to your customer - not to other firms. "You can always find someone shorter - fatter and balder!"

41. In a regression - what does the p value of F tell you?
No -- the variation also has to be random and "expected."
Outside.
How likely it is to have an F statistic of that value if there really is no relationship between the dependent variable and the independent variable(s).
Complaint adjustment - returned material - warranty charges - allowances - loss of future business.

42. What is the center line of an X-bar chart?
Concluding there has been an effect/change when there has not.
X-bar-bar
Critical to quality.
1.Interactions can be detected and measured 2.Each value does the work of several values 3.Experimental error is quantified and used to determine the confidence the experimenter has in the conclusions

43. What is a spaghetti diagram?
To manage the Six Sigma project.
No -- if it is not the same - it can only be worse!
Inventory = throughput x flow time.
A tool that shows the physical flows through a space.

44. In your major - courses are pass-fail. Would you monitor performance using attribute or variable SPC?
5%
Deming.
Attribute
Attribute.

45. One factor at a time (OFAT)
A tool that shows the physical flows through a space.
Observed variation in response is caused by the input
X-bar-bar
Define - measure - analyze - design - verify.

46. In the Service Quality Gap Model - what is Gap 5?
Sort - Set in Order - Shine - Standardize - Sustain
Fishbone - cause-and-effect diagram.
The gap between what customers expect and the service they receive.
Fitness for use.

47. Approximately what percent of a normal distribution falls between ± 1 standard deviations from the mean?
68%
No; if the process is centered - Cp will be the same; if not - Cpk is what you need to determine capabilty.
Failure Modes and Effects Analysis
The ratio of outputs to inputs; 1-scrap.

48. How are LQL and AQL determined in an acceptance sampling plan?
Through producer/consumer negotiation.
The manager in charge of a process being improved in a Six Sigma project.
Look to your customer - not to other firms. "You can always find someone shorter - fatter and balder!"
Critical to quality.

49. What is Type II Error?
Walter A. Shewhart
Concluding there has not been an effect/change when there has.
Pleasing to the senses.
The cycle time required to meet demand.

50. Define benchmarking.
Rank of 10 if there is >= 100 per 1000 piece Rank of 1 if there is <=.01 per 1000 pieces
A chart that breaks the range of data into equal intervals and then shows the count of occurrences in each interval.
1) Plot a Line chart of the data in time sequence 2) Draw a line at the median
Studying firms with the best performance in a particular area.