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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. Define perceived quality (Garvin's framework).
Rapid improvement process.
Brand image.
Pleasing to the senses.
To monitor a process when measurement by variables is used.

2. What does Crosby say about benchmarking?
A chart that breaks the range of data into equal intervals and then shows the count of occurrences in each interval.
Look to your customer - not to other firms. "You can always find someone shorter - fatter and balder!"
Shifts - Trends - Repeating patterns - Correlation with known events
Complaint adjustment - returned material - warranty charges - allowances - loss of future business.

3. What is Type 1 Error?
Concluding there has been an effect/change when there has not.
Linearity - normality - homoscedasticity - independence.
Fewer good units to sell - increased variable cost/unit.
To monitor a process when measurement by attribute is used.

4. 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?
False - because each machine will have different natural tolerances.
To do a capability study for a non-centered process.
Different types of defects are listed (used for Pareto chart)
The secondary characteristics of a product; "bells and whistles."

5. When Crosby said - "Quality is free -" what dimension of quality was he referring to?
Attribute.
Conformance to specifications.
No -- if it is not the same - it can only be worse!
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

6. What is Little's Law?
Inventory = throughput x flow time.
Technique used to relate through a model - one or more independent variables and a dependent variable (response)
X-bar-bar
A brainstorming tool that shows the connections between ideas.

7. Failure Mode
An experiment where one or more variables believed to have an effect on an experimental outcome are identified and manipulated according to a plan
Is the way in which the failure is manifested.
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 ratio of outputs to inputs; 1-scrap.

8. In the Service Quality Gap Model - what is Gap 3?
Sort - Set in Order - Shine - Standardize - Sustain
50%
Actual drawings - layouts - maps - etc which show where a defect occurs
The gap between specifications and how service is performed.

9. If your process is capable at two sigma - what percentage of the output will you have to inspect to find defectives?
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 primary operating characteristics of a product.
Mistake-proofing.
100%

10. What is the formula for the standard deviation of a proportion?
The cycle time required to meet demand.
A tool that shows where there is waste in a process.
=sqrt((p*(1-p)/n)
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:

11. What size should samples be for attribute SPC?
Large enough to find two of the attribute - on average.
Represent the errors which are random variables with an assumed normal distribution with mean zero and a constant variance σ2.
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).
Variable.

12. What happens to control limits on an SPC chart when sample size is increased?
Fractional factorial designs (orthogonal arrays)
10 for Hazardous without warning 1 for none
They move closer to the center line.
An assertion or conjecture concerning one or more populations

13. Define durability.
A tool that shows the physical flows through a space.
The gap between what management thinks customers want and the process specifications.
Mean time to replacement.
To do a capability study for a non-centered process.

14. Approximately what percent of a normal distribution falls between ± 3 standard deviations from the mean?
99.73%
Technique used to relate through a model - one or more independent variables and a dependent variable (response)
A diagram that shows the relationships between activities in a project network.
The gap between what is promised and what is delivered.

15. What is DMADV?
Studying firms with the best performance in a particular area.
Define - measure - analyze - design - verify.
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
What the value of the dependent variable is when the independent variable is zero.

16. What is DPMO?
Is the way in which the failure is manifested.
Mistake-proofing.
Blame.
Defects Per Million Opportunities

17. When yields decrease - what are the two effects on contribution?
Fitness for use.
Critical to quality.
Can't tell without a Range chart.
Fewer good units to sell - increased variable cost/unit.

18. What is the role of a black belt?
To manage the Six Sigma project.
The amount of variation in the dependent variable that is explained by the variation in the independent variable(s).
To do a capability study for a non-centered process.
Consumer risk.

19. What is process capability?
The ability of a process to consistently meet customer specifications.
Upper control limit.
Concluding there has not been an effect/change when there has.
95%

20. How are LQL and AQL determined in an acceptance sampling plan?
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
68%
Through producer/consumer negotiation.
Complaint adjustment - returned material - warranty charges - allowances - loss of future business.

21. Stratified defect check sheets
Critical to quality.
Stratify a particular defect type according to logical criteria
The Japanese national quality award.
Not necessarily.

22. Residual(eij)
Mistake-proofing.
= yij - y(bar)i --> value minus sum of that treatment (of row)
Lean is waste reduction - Six Sigma is variation reduction.
Taguchi

23. Where should specifications fall in relation to ± 3 sigma for the process in order for a process to be capable.
The gap between what customers expect and the service they receive.
Outside.
Conformance to specifications.
X-bar-bar

24. Name the structure associated with Quality Function Deployment.
Critical to quality.
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 House of Quality.
Not necessarily.

25. If a three-stage process has 90% yields at each stage - what is the overall yield?
Prediction and estimation. based on an unknown x value - estimation is based on a known x value
0.9^3 or 72.9%
Financial - customer - internal process - innovation and learning.
How much variance you expect around the prediction; two SEs gives you a 95% confidence interval.

26. Based on what principal can we use the normal distribution assumptions for SPC?
= y = Beta(0) + Beta(1)X + epsilon y=dependent variable (response) x=independent variable (predictor of y) - epsilon=error component - Beta(not)=intersection. If data include zero - it represents the mean of the distribution of y when - x=0. It does
The number of standard deviations some value is from the mean.
Central Limit Theorem
Kaoru Ishikawa.

27. What is a spaghetti diagram?
F_alpha - df(tr) - df (error)
Brand image.
Define - measure - analyze - improve - control.
A tool that shows the physical flows through a space.

28. If a Cp shows that a process is not capable - should you calculate Cpk?
Observed variation in response is caused by the input
Is the way in which the failure is manifested.
No -- if it is not the same - it can only be worse!
Not necessarily.

29. Define aesthetic quality.
5%
Pleasing to the senses.
An assertion or conjecture concerning one or more populations
To do a capability study for a non-centered process.

30. If your process is capable at two sigma - what percentage of the output will be defective (assuming the process is in control)?
=sqrt((p*(1-p)/n)
Financial - customer - internal process - innovation and learning.
5%
They move closer to the center line.

31. If you can only collect categorical data - what type of SPC charting can you do?
Attribute.
Method developed by Ishikawa to graphically display the causes of any given problem
Outside.
Taguchi

32. Define product reliability.
Mean time to failure.
What the value of the dependent variable is when the independent variable is zero.
Lower control limit.
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).

33. Approximately what percent of a normal distribution falls between ± 1 standard deviations from the mean?
No -- the variation also has to be random and "expected."
68%
Through producer/consumer negotiation.
Prediction and estimation. based on an unknown x value - estimation is based on a known x value

34. What are the four regression assumptions?
No -- if it is not the same - it can only be worse!
Scrap - rework - retest - downtime - yield losses - disposition costs.
The gap between what management thinks customers want and what customers really want.
Linearity - normality - homoscedasticity - independence.

35. What does SIPOC stand for?
Scrap - rework - retest - downtime - yield losses - disposition costs.
A simple graph between two variables - visualize the type - degree of strength and shape of the relationship between two variables
Supplier - input - process - output - customer.
1) Plot a Line chart of the data in time sequence 2) Draw a line at the median

36. With Six Sigma capability - how many defects per million opportunities would you see?
3.4 (assuming 1.5 sigma shift in the mean)
A chart that breaks the range of data into equal intervals and then shows the count of occurrences in each interval.
The gap between specifications and how service is performed.
1) Obtain Residuals 2) Fill out table --> y coordinates: F = 100 (i-.5)/N x coordinates: Ordered Residual 3) Plot on Normal Probability Paper

37. List two components of prevention cost.
Look to your customer - not to other firms. "You can always find someone shorter - fatter and balder!"
The Japanese national quality award.
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
Quality planning - design review - education and training - process control - IS costs - quality reporting - improvement project costs - working with suppliers before production.

38. Pareto Analysis
Look for the assignable cause of non-random variation.
The process of ranking opportunities to determine which of many potential opportunities should be pursued first.
Brand image.
The Japanese national quality award.

39. In the Service Quality Gap Model - what is Gap 1?
Sampling for SPC is done real time.
The gap between what management thinks customers want and what customers really want.
A brainstorming tool that shows the connections between ideas.
How much variance you expect around the prediction; two SEs gives you a 95% confidence interval.

40. Who is a process owner?
Prevention and appraisal costs are balanced against internal and external failure.
Supplier - input - process - output - customer.
50%
The manager in charge of a process being improved in a Six Sigma project.

41. What is a Gantt chart?
F_alpha - df(tr) - df (error)
Vary two or more variables simultaneously - Multiple measurements are obtained under the same experimental conditions
False - because each machine will have different natural tolerances.
Shows the temporal flow of activities in a project network.

42. Define features.
Upper control limit.
Mean time to replacement.
The secondary characteristics of a product; "bells and whistles."
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

43. What is Type II Error?
Concluding there has not been an effect/change when there has.
The House of Quality.
Rank of 10 if there is >= 100 per 1000 piece Rank of 1 if there is <=.01 per 1000 pieces
Organize ideas into meaningful categories by recognizing their underlying similarity

44. DFMEA
Sort - Set in Order - Shine - Standardize - Sustain
The ability of a process to consistently meet customer specifications.
Lower skill requirements - faster - less chance for error.
Initiated before or at design concept finalization

45. Define conformance quality.
Failure Modes and Effects Analysis
A descending order-sorted bar chart with a cumulative percentage line.
95%
The degree to which a product meets pre-established standards.

46. A process is operating "in control." Does this mean the customer's requirements are met?
Is the way in which the failure is manifested.
A simple graph between two variables - visualize the type - degree of strength and shape of the relationship between two variables
Financial - customer - internal process - innovation and learning.
No -- only if the process is also capable.

47. FMEA
An experiment where one or more variables believed to have an effect on an experimental outcome are identified and manipulated according to a plan
Used to create frequency distribution tally sheets
Conformance to specifications.
It looks to minimize the probability of a failure - or to minimize its effects

48. What quality guru emphasizes management as a system?
Deming.
The gap between what customers expect and the service they receive.
Is what induces the failure
To be a member of a Six Sigma project team.

49. Definition of Interaction
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
Define - measure - analyze - design - verify.
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
An interaction is defined as a dependence relationship between the response and the levels of two or more variables

50. For your SPC sample you weigh bags of potatoes. Is this variable or attribute SPC?
Deming.
An experiment where one or more variables believed to have an effect on an experimental outcome are identified and manipulated according to a plan
Variable.
Workers - machines - materials.