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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. What is poka yoke?
The gap between what customers expect and the service they receive.
The process of ranking opportunities to determine which of many potential opportunities should be pursued first.
Mistake-proofing.
Defects Per Million Opportunities

2. What is a dashboard?
The gap between what customers expect and the service they receive.
A tool that shows performance along key dimensions all at once.
The process of ranking opportunities to determine which of many potential opportunities should be pursued first.
The gap between what management thinks customers want and what customers really want.

3. What graphical tool is used to show the relationship between two numerical variables?
Taguchi
A scatterplot.
100%
= yij - y(bar)i --> value minus sum of that treatment (of row)

4. What are the four categories of costs in Juran's framework?
No -- if it is not the same - it can only be worse!
Yes - when there are opportunities to improve - when contribution margin is adequate - when achieving market share is important.
Workers - machines - materials.
Prevention - appraisal - internal failure - external failure.

5. Who is a process owner?
The manager in charge of a process being improved in a Six Sigma project.
No -- if it is not the same - it can only be worse!
Deming.
Speed - courtesy - competence - and ease of repair.

6. What are the three main categories of assignable cause?
They move closer to the center line.
The process of ranking opportunities to determine which of many potential opportunities should be pursued first.
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
Workers - machines - materials.

7. What is DPMO?
Before production starts
The gap between what management thinks customers want and what customers really want.
Defects Per Million Opportunities
Fishbone - cause-and-effect diagram.

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

9. What is Kaizen?
Rapid improvement process.
Variable.
No -- only if the process is also capable.
Someone who is consistently against virtually everything.

10. What is the difference between Lean and Six Sigma?
False - because each machine will have different natural tolerances.
Variable.
Lower control limit.
Lean is waste reduction - Six Sigma is variation reduction.

11. An SPC chart shows no points outside the control limits. Does this mean the process is in control?
No -- the variation also has to be random and "expected."
Complaint adjustment - returned material - warranty charges - allowances - loss of future business.
Pleasing to the senses.
The gap between what management thinks customers want and what customers really want.

12. What is CTQ?
1) Obtain Residuals 2) Fill out table --> y coordinates: F = 100 (i-.5)/N x coordinates: Ordered Residual 3) Plot on Normal Probability Paper
Critical to quality.
To manage the Six Sigma project.
It looks to minimize the probability of a failure - or to minimize its effects

13. Manual Test for Nomality
A simple graph between two variables - visualize the type - degree of strength and shape of the relationship between two variables
1) Obtain Residuals 2) Fill out table --> y coordinates: F = 100 (i-.5)/N x coordinates: Ordered Residual 3) Plot on Normal Probability Paper
5%
Initiated before or at design concept finalization

14. Where should specifications fall in relation to ± 3 sigma for the process in order for a process to be capable.
Outside.
It's good -- but it's still out of control!
F_alpha - df(tr) - df (error)
Rank of 10 if there is >= 100 per 1000 piece Rank of 1 if there is <=.01 per 1000 pieces

15. Test for constant variance
A tool that shows performance along key dimensions all at once.
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.
Yes - when there are opportunities to improve - when contribution margin is adequate - when achieving market share is important.
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).

16. What does SIPOC stand for?
Look to your customer - not to other firms. "You can always find someone shorter - fatter and balder!"
A random variable that summarizes the information from the sample(s).
Supplier - input - process - output - customer.
Actual drawings - layouts - maps - etc which show where a defect occurs

17. What type of risk is associated with Type II Error?
=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.
Consumer risk.
To monitor a process when measurement by variables is used.

18. What is a run chart?
To manage the Six Sigma project.
A time series plot.
50%
Reliability - Assurance - Responsiveness - Tangibles - Empathy

19. Define conformance quality.
The degree to which a product meets pre-established standards.
Inventory = throughput x flow time.
= yij - y(bar)i --> value minus sum of that treatment (of row)
Consumer risk.

20. DOE
No; if the process is centered - Cp will be the same; if not - Cpk is what you need to determine capabilty.
Hold all input variables constant except one. Observe the response as you vary the single input.
An experiment where one or more variables believed to have an effect on an experimental outcome are identified and manipulated according to a plan
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

21. In a Z table - what is Z?
=sqrt((p*(1-p)/n)
The number of standard deviations some value is from the mean.
The ability of a process to consistently meet customer specifications.
Producer risk.

22. Define product reliability.
Mean time to failure.
To do a capability study for a non-centered process.
No; if the process is centered - Cp will be the same; if not - Cpk is what you need to determine capabilty.
Concluding there has not been an effect/change when there has.

23. Failure cause
To manage the Six Sigma project.
A chart that breaks the range of data into equal intervals and then shows the count of occurrences in each interval.
Is what induces the failure
Data reduction to put a large number of qualitative inputs into a smaller number of major dimensions

24. Approximately what percent of a normal distribution falls between ± 2 standard deviations from the mean?
95%
Fitness for use.
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.
To obtain a certain desirable outcome from the process

25. What is the formula for the standard deviation of a proportion?
=sqrt((p*(1-p)/n)
The primary operating characteristics of a product.
The gap between what management thinks customers want and what customers really want.
= 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

26. Explain the difference between technical and functional service quality.
Actual drawings - layouts - maps - etc which show where a defect occurs
Not necessarily.
Technical quality is the "what" of the service; functional quality is the "how."
A chart that breaks the range of data into equal intervals and then shows the count of occurrences in each interval.

27. What is the Baldrige Award?
The US national quality award.
Supplier - input - process - output - customer.
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
A brainstorming tool that shows the connections between ideas.

28. Risk Priority Number RPN
Shifts - Trends - Repeating patterns - Correlation with known events
The ratio of outputs to inputs; 1-scrap.
Conformance to specifications.
= S x O x D S--> Severity O--> Occurrence D--> Detection Higher the number the worse it is

29. How does Juran define quality?
Fitness for use.
The number of standard deviations some value is from the mean.
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.
Supplier - input - process - output - customer.

30. What is a network diagram?
Conformance to specifications.
Through producer/consumer negotiation.
A diagram that shows the relationships between activities in a project network.
No -- the variation also has to be random and "expected."

31. Based on what principal can we use the normal distribution assumptions for SPC?
Central Limit Theorem
The target number of standard deviations from the mean for specifications.
F_alpha - df(tr) - df (error)
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

32. In a regression - what does R-square tell you?
100%
A descending order-sorted bar chart with a cumulative percentage line.
The amount of variation in the dependent variable that is explained by the variation in the independent variable(s).
Fishbone - cause-and-effect diagram.

33. What is muda
Causes that lead to a particular effect.
3.4 (assuming 1.5 sigma shift in the mean)
Prevention - appraisal - internal failure - external failure.
Waste.

34. What is Type 1 Error?
Concluding there has been an effect/change when there has not.
50%
The target number of standard deviations from the mean for specifications.
QFD

35. Definition of Interaction
An interaction is defined as a dependence relationship between the response and the levels of two or more variables
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:
A simple graph between two variables - visualize the type - degree of strength and shape of the relationship between two variables
Attribute.

36. Name the structure associated with Quality Function Deployment.
The gap between what is promised and what is delivered.
The House of Quality.
No; if the process is centered - Cp will be the same; if not - Cpk is what you need to determine capabilty.
5%

37. Define perceived quality (Garvin's framework).
Speed - courtesy - competence - and ease of repair.
Fractional factorial designs (orthogonal arrays)
Brand image.
=sqrt((p*(1-p)/n)

38. In your major - courses are pass-fail. Would you monitor performance using attribute or variable SPC?
Lower control limit.
Pleasing to the senses.
QFD
Attribute

39. In a regression - what does the p value of F tell you?
Different types of defects are listed (used for Pareto chart)
To mentor/coach (and sometimes train) black belts.
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).
=sqrt(Σ(x-x-bar)^2)/(n-1))

40. Detection Criteria Ranking
10 if Almost impossible to detect
Someone who is consistently against virtually everything.
1) Obtain Residuals 2) Fill out table --> y coordinates: F = 100 (i-.5)/N x coordinates: Ordered Residual 3) Plot on Normal Probability Paper
Shifts - Trends - Repeating patterns - Correlation with known events

41. 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.
Is the way in which the failure is manifested.
The gap between specifications and how service is performed.
Is what induces the failure

42. Affinity Diagrams
An experiment where one or more variables believed to have an effect on an experimental outcome are identified and manipulated according to a plan
The cycle time required to meet demand.
Data reduction to put a large number of qualitative inputs into a smaller number of major dimensions
Prediction and estimation. based on an unknown x value - estimation is based on a known x value

43. Histogram by Hand
It's good -- but it's still out of control!
Complaint adjustment - returned material - warranty charges - allowances - loss of future business.
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
QFD

44. Test for Independence
Incoming materials inspection - inspection and testing - maintaining test equipment - materials/services consumed
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
Large enough to find two of the attribute - on average.
Taguchi

45. What is the center line of a p-chart?
p-bar - the long-run percent defective.
No -- if it is not the same - it can only be worse!
To do a capability study for a non-centered process.
Prevention and appraisal costs are balanced against internal and external failure.

46. What do you do when a process is out of control?
Mistake-proofing.
To manage the Six Sigma project.
Look for the assignable cause of non-random variation.
Fishbone - cause-and-effect diagram.

47. What is Little's Law?
An assertion or conjecture concerning one or more populations
1) Plot a Line chart of the data in time sequence 2) Draw a line at the median
Inventory = throughput x flow time.
The primary operating characteristics of a product.

48. Stratified defect check sheets
= 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
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:
Stratify a particular defect type according to logical criteria
Not necessarily.

49. What does the abbreviation LCL stand for?
Organize ideas into meaningful categories by recognizing their underlying similarity
Through producer/consumer negotiation.
If the Response vs. Levels graph if the response lines are not parallel (crossing)
Lower control limit.

50. List two components of internal failure.
Quality planning - design review - education and training - process control - IS costs - quality reporting - improvement project costs - working with suppliers before production.
Scrap - rework - retest - downtime - yield losses - disposition costs.
Not necessarily.
Shifts - Trends - Repeating patterns - Correlation with known events