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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. Which quality guru developed the concept of loss to society?
An experiment where one or more variables believed to have an effect on an experimental outcome are identified and manipulated according to a plan
It usually isn't possible to hold all other variables constant - There is no way to account for the effect of joint variation of independent variables - such as interaction - There is no way to account for experimental error - including measurement v
Kaoru Ishikawa.
Taguchi

2. If a Cp shows that a process is not capable - should you calculate Cpk?
A tool that shows where there is waste in a process.
The gap between what management thinks customers want and what customers really want.
Is what induces the failure
No -- if it is not the same - it can only be worse!

3. When yields decrease - what are the two effects on contribution?
Reliability - Assurance - Responsiveness - Tangibles - Empathy
A tool that shows where there is waste in a process.
Concluding there has been an effect/change when there has not.
Fewer good units to sell - increased variable cost/unit.

4. Who first studied randomness in industrial processes
Fractional factorial designs (orthogonal arrays)
Walter A. Shewhart
Rapid improvement process.
Not necessarily.

5. Process occurance ranking
Rank of 10 if there is >= 100 per 1000 piece Rank of 1 if there is <=.01 per 1000 pieces
Central Limit Theorem
Technical quality is the "what" of the service; functional quality is the "how."
The degree to which a product meets pre-established standards.

6. What is a dashboard?
Blame.
A tool that shows performance along key dimensions all at once.
The manager in charge of a process being improved in a Six Sigma project.
Hold all input variables constant except one. Observe the response as you vary the single input.

7. How does Juran define quality?
Fitness for use.
The US national quality award.
Prediction and estimation. based on an unknown x value - estimation is based on a known x value
Fewer good units to sell - increased variable cost/unit.

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

9. In the Service Quality Gap Model - what is Gap 4?
A time series plot.
The gap between what is promised and what is delivered.
Technique used to relate through a model - one or more independent variables and a dependent variable (response)
The Japanese national quality award.

10. What does Crosby say about benchmarking?
Speed - courtesy - competence - and ease of repair.
To mentor/coach (and sometimes train) black belts.
Look to your customer - not to other firms. "You can always find someone shorter - fatter and balder!"
Producer risk.

11. Who is a process owner?
A tools that is used to measure the amount of variation in the measurement system arising from the measurement device (repeatability) and the people taking the measurement (reproducibility).
The amount of variation in the dependent variable that is explained by the variation in the independent variable(s).
The gap between what management thinks customers want and what customers really want.
The manager in charge of a process being improved in a Six Sigma project.

12. Histogram by Hand
Initiated before or at design concept finalization
Fitness for use.
Attribute
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

13. DOE
Rank of 10 if there is >= 100 per 1000 piece Rank of 1 if there is <=.01 per 1000 pieces
No -- only if the process is also capable.
Lean (or JIT).
An experiment where one or more variables believed to have an effect on an experimental outcome are identified and manipulated according to a plan

14. How are LQL and AQL determined in an acceptance sampling plan?
Through producer/consumer negotiation.
The US national quality award.
Fractional factorial designs (orthogonal arrays)
Prevention and appraisal costs are balanced against internal and external failure.

15. Your production process meets customer specifications. Is your process in control?
To mentor/coach (and sometimes train) black belts.
Can't tell without a Range chart.
Shifts - Trends - Repeating patterns - Correlation with known events
Not necessarily.

16. What type of risk is associated with Type II Error?
Prevention and appraisal costs are balanced against internal and external failure.
The number of standard deviations some value is from the mean.
Consumer risk.
Deming.

17. Residual(eij)
Initiated before or at design concept finalization
= yij - y(bar)i --> value minus sum of that treatment (of row)
Linearity - normality - homoscedasticity - independence.
Variable.

18. 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?
Prevention - appraisal - internal failure - external failure.
False - because each machine will have different natural tolerances.
The number of standard deviations some value is from the mean.
Deming.

19. What size should samples be for attribute SPC?
=sqrt(Σ(x-x-bar)^2)/(n-1))
No; if the process is centered - Cp will be the same; if not - Cpk is what you need to determine capabilty.
Large enough to find two of the attribute - on average.
A tool that shows performance along key dimensions all at once.

20. Affinity Diagrams
No -- the variation also has to be random and "expected."
Data reduction to put a large number of qualitative inputs into a smaller number of major dimensions
Define - measure - analyze - design - verify.
68%

21. A process is operating "in control." Does this mean the customer's requirements are met?
Incoming materials inspection - inspection and testing - maintaining test equipment - materials/services consumed
No -- only if the process is also capable.
Rank of 10 if there is >= 100 per 1000 piece Rank of 1 if there is <=.01 per 1000 pieces
No; if the process is centered - Cp will be the same; if not - Cpk is what you need to determine capabilty.

22. What is the center line of an X-bar chart?
X-bar-bar
Actual drawings - layouts - maps - etc which show where a defect occurs
What the value of the dependent variable is when the independent variable is zero.
To do a capability study for a non-centered process.

23. One factor at a time (OFAT)
Observed variation in response is caused by the input
Upper control limit.
The target number of standard deviations from the mean for specifications.
Represent the errors which are random variables with an assumed normal distribution with mean zero and a constant variance σ2.

24. Failure effect
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
How much variance you expect around the prediction; two SEs gives you a 95% confidence interval.
Is the consequence of the failure.
10 if Almost impossible to detect

25. What happens to control limits on an SPC chart when sample size is increased?
95%
Plot the residuals vs. the fitted values (mean of each group - y(hat) = y (bar)i ) - Assumption of ____________not rejected if the dispersion of every group is approximately the same.
They move closer to the center line.
Supplier - input - process - output - customer.

26. In a regression - what does R-square tell you?
99.73%
Sampling for SPC is done real time.
The amount of variation in the dependent variable that is explained by the variation in the independent variable(s).
Walter A. Shewhart

27. Where should specifications fall in relation to ± 3 sigma for the process in order for a process to be capable.
Lower control limit.
Outside.
Mistake-proofing.
To mentor/coach (and sometimes train) black belts.

28. Detection Criteria Ranking
The gap between specifications and how service is performed.
10 if Almost impossible to detect
Technique used to relate through a model - one or more independent variables and a dependent variable (response)
Performance - features - conformance - reliability - durability - serviceability - aesthetics - perceived quality

29. What is an affinity diagram?
A brainstorming tool that shows the connections between ideas.
A tool that shows performance along key dimensions all at once.
Large enough to find two of the attribute - on average.
Workers - machines - materials.

30. What does a project prioritization matrix do?
F_alpha - df(tr) - df (error)
Assigns scores to weighted criteria for each project under consideration.
Linearity - normality - homoscedasticity - independence.
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

31. What is a run chart?
Mean time to failure.
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
Method developed by Ishikawa to graphically display the causes of any given problem
A time series plot.

32. Affinity Diagrams
X-bar-bar
Deming.
Organize ideas into meaningful categories by recognizing their underlying similarity
To manage the Six Sigma project.

33. For your SPC sample you weigh bags of potatoes. Is this variable or attribute SPC?
Kaoru Ishikawa.
Variable.
Waste.
Lean is waste reduction - Six Sigma is variation reduction.

34. Uses of regression
An interaction is defined as a dependence relationship between the response and the levels of two or more variables
Incoming materials inspection - inspection and testing - maintaining test equipment - materials/services consumed
Lower skill requirements - faster - less chance for error.
Prediction and estimation. based on an unknown x value - estimation is based on a known x value

35. What is the role of a green belt?
3.4 (assuming 1.5 sigma shift in the mean)
A tool that shows where there is waste in a process.
To be a member of a Six Sigma project team.
It looks to minimize the probability of a failure - or to minimize its effects

36. What are two other names for an Ishikawa diagram?
Performance - features - conformance - reliability - durability - serviceability - aesthetics - perceived quality
5%
Fishbone - cause-and-effect diagram.
Kaoru Ishikawa.

37. In the Service Quality Gap Model - what is Gap 5?
Walter A. Shewhart
The gap between what customers expect and the service they receive.
Concluding there has not been an effect/change when there has.
It usually isn't possible to hold all other variables constant - There is no way to account for the effect of joint variation of independent variables - such as interaction - There is no way to account for experimental error - including measurement v

38. Uses of regression - Control
Inventory = throughput x flow time.
To obtain a certain desirable outcome from the process
The manager in charge of a process being improved in a Six Sigma project.
Actual drawings - layouts - maps - etc which show where a defect occurs

39. What is the Deming Prize?
The Japanese national quality award.
Organize ideas into meaningful categories by recognizing their underlying similarity
Incoming materials inspection - inspection and testing - maintaining test equipment - materials/services consumed
Look for the assignable cause of non-random variation.

40. What are the Five Dimensions of Service Quality?
Reliability - Assurance - Responsiveness - Tangibles - Empathy
Central Limit Theorem
Plot the residuals vs. the fitted values (mean of each group - y(hat) = y (bar)i ) - Assumption of ____________not rejected if the dispersion of every group is approximately the same.
X-bar-bar

41. What is the formula for the standard deviation of a proportion?
=sqrt((p*(1-p)/n)
Shifts - Trends - Repeating patterns - Correlation with known events
A descending order-sorted bar chart with a cumulative percentage line.
A diagram that shows the relationships between activities in a project network.

42. What is Kaizen?
To obtain a certain desirable outcome from the process
Speed - courtesy - competence - and ease of repair.
Rapid improvement process.
A tool that shows where there is waste in a process.

43. Name the structure associated with Quality Function Deployment.
Prevention and appraisal costs are balanced against internal and external failure.
Central Limit Theorem
The House of Quality.
Fishbone - cause-and-effect diagram.

44. Disadvantages of DOE

45. What is a Gage R&R?
To do a capability study for a non-centered process.
0.9^3 or 72.9%
No -- if it is not the same - it can only be worse!
A tools that is used to measure the amount of variation in the measurement system arising from the measurement device (repeatability) and the people taking the measurement (reproducibility).

46. What is DMADV?
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
Define - measure - analyze - design - verify.
Attribute
If the Response vs. Levels graph if the response lines are not parallel (crossing)

47. Define takt time.
Shifts - Trends - Repeating patterns - Correlation with known events
The cycle time required to meet demand.
A time series plot.
Organize ideas into meaningful categories by recognizing their underlying similarity

48. What is the role of a master black belt?
How much variance you expect around the prediction; two SEs gives you a 95% confidence interval.
To mentor/coach (and sometimes train) black belts.
Technical quality is the "what" of the service; functional quality is the "how."
Upper control limit.

49. In a regression - what does the p value of F tell you?
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).
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
A diagram that shows the relationships between activities in a project network.
Initiated before or at design concept finalization

50. Presence of interaction effect
It's good -- but it's still out of control!
Hold all input variables constant except one. Observe the response as you vary the single input.
The ability of a process to consistently meet customer specifications.
If the Response vs. Levels graph if the response lines are not parallel (crossing)