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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. If a Cp shows that a process is not capable - should you calculate Cpk?
No -- if it is not the same - it can only be worse!
A time series plot.
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
An interaction is defined as a dependence relationship between the response and the levels of two or more variables

2. In the Service Quality Gap Model - what is Gap 4?
Method developed by Ishikawa to graphically display the causes of any given problem
The gap between what is promised and what is delivered.
Performance - features - conformance - reliability - durability - serviceability - aesthetics - perceived quality
1) Obtain Residuals 2) Fill out table --> y coordinates: F = 100 (i-.5)/N x coordinates: Ordered Residual 3) Plot on Normal Probability Paper

3. What is the center line of a p-chart?
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.
p-bar - the long-run percent defective.
Supplier - input - process - output - customer.
The number of standard deviations some value is from the mean.

4. For what is an x-bar chart used?
To monitor a process when measurement by variables is used.
50%
The Japanese national quality award.
Attribute.

5. Risk Priority Number RPN
Quality planning - design review - education and training - process control - IS costs - quality reporting - improvement project costs - working with suppliers before production.
Initiated before or at design concept finalization
= S x O x D S--> Severity O--> Occurrence D--> Detection Higher the number the worse it is
They move closer to the center line.

6. Define serviceability.
If the Response vs. Levels graph if the response lines are not parallel (crossing)
Speed - courtesy - competence - and ease of repair.
Walter A. Shewhart
The Japanese national quality award.

7. If a three-stage process has 90% yields at each stage - what is the overall yield?
Kaoru Ishikawa.
0.9^3 or 72.9%
A tool that shows the physical flows through a space.
To monitor a process when measurement by variables is used.

8. How does Juran define quality?
The House of Quality.
10 for Hazardous without warning 1 for none
To monitor a process when measurement by attribute is used.
Fitness for use.

9. Approximately what percent of a normal distribution falls between ± 1 standard deviations from the mean?
68%
Upper control limit.
Sampling for SPC is done real time.
The gap between what is promised and what is delivered.

10. What is the difference between the way sampling is done for SPC and for acceptance sampling?
Technical quality is the "what" of the service; functional quality is the "how."
An interaction is defined as a dependence relationship between the response and the levels of two or more variables
Sampling for SPC is done real time.
Hold all input variables constant except one. Observe the response as you vary the single input.

11. How are LQL and AQL determined in an acceptance sampling plan?
Through producer/consumer negotiation.
Outside.
Sort - Set in Order - Shine - Standardize - Sustain
Financial - customer - internal process - innovation and learning.

12. What are the four perspectives of the Balanced Scorecard?
Hold all input variables constant except one. Observe the response as you vary the single input.
A tool that shows where there is waste in a process.
Central Limit Theorem
Financial - customer - internal process - innovation and learning.

13. Defect check sheets
Fewer good units to sell - increased variable cost/unit.
To monitor a process when measurement by attribute is used.
QFD
Different types of defects are listed (used for Pareto chart)

14. The Test Statistic (TS)
95%
Fitness for use.
A random variable that summarizes the information from the sample(s).
The target number of standard deviations from the mean for specifications.

15. Regression Analysis
Technique used to relate through a model - one or more independent variables and a dependent variable (response)
How much variance you expect around the prediction; two SEs gives you a 95% confidence interval.
F_alpha - df(tr) - df (error)
Shows the temporal flow of activities in a project network.

16. What is DMADV?
Lower control limit.
Is the way in which the failure is manifested.
0.9^3 or 72.9%
Define - measure - analyze - design - verify.

17. Detection Criteria Ranking
Hold all input variables constant except one. Observe the response as you vary the single input.
10 if Almost impossible to detect
Actual drawings - layouts - maps - etc which show where a defect occurs
Prediction and estimation. based on an unknown x value - estimation is based on a known x value

18. In the Service Quality Gap Model - what is Gap 1?
The amount of variation in the dependent variable that is explained by the variation in the independent variable(s).
A diagram that shows the relationships between activities in a project network.
The gap between what management thinks customers want and what customers really want.
To mentor/coach (and sometimes train) black belts.

19. Explain the difference between technical and functional service quality.
Technical quality is the "what" of the service; functional quality is the "how."
Studying firms with the best performance in a particular area.
=sqrt((p*(1-p)/n)
Quality planning - design review - education and training - process control - IS costs - quality reporting - improvement project costs - working with suppliers before production.

20. What does Crosby say about benchmarking?
Initiated before or at design concept finalization
The primary operating characteristics of a product.
Look to your customer - not to other firms. "You can always find someone shorter - fatter and balder!"
Prevention - appraisal - internal failure - external failure.

21. Residual(eij)
= yij - y(bar)i --> value minus sum of that treatment (of row)
The primary operating characteristics of a product.
Lean is waste reduction - Six Sigma is variation reduction.
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

22. What is a Gage R&R?
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:
Kaoru Ishikawa.
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).
Assigns scores to weighted criteria for each project under consideration.

23. What inventory approach contributes to process quality by "lowering the river to find the rocks?"
p-bar - the long-run percent defective.
Before production starts
Lean (or JIT).
Is the consequence of the failure.

24. Process occurance ranking
1) Obtain Residuals 2) Fill out table --> y coordinates: F = 100 (i-.5)/N x coordinates: Ordered Residual 3) Plot on Normal Probability Paper
Supplier - input - process - output - customer.
Studying firms with the best performance in a particular area.
Rank of 10 if there is >= 100 per 1000 piece Rank of 1 if there is <=.01 per 1000 pieces

25. Does it ever make sense to accept a job when a process is incapable?
Attribute.
Yes - when there are opportunities to improve - when contribution margin is adequate - when achieving market share is important.
Through producer/consumer negotiation.
=sqrt(Σ(x-x-bar)^2)/(n-1))

26. Approximately what percent of a normal distribution falls between ± 2 standard deviations from the mean?
95%
To obtain a certain desirable outcome from the process
=sqrt(Σ(x-x-bar)^2)/(n-1))
Define - measure - analyze - improve - control.

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

28. What is written on the "spines" of a fishbone diagram?
Blame.
Causes that lead to a particular effect.
Upper control limit.
Fishbone - cause-and-effect diagram.

29. What is a run chart?
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
Actual drawings - layouts - maps - etc which show where a defect occurs
To manage the Six Sigma project.
A time series plot.

30. What happens to control limits on an SPC chart when sample size is increased?
The ratio of outputs to inputs; 1-scrap.
p-bar - the long-run percent defective.
Lower control limit.
They move closer to the center line.

31. When yields decrease - what are the two effects on contribution?
Pleasing to the senses.
Consumer risk.
Fewer good units to sell - increased variable cost/unit.
Central Limit Theorem

32. What quality guru emphasizes management as a system?
Fitness for use.
Mean time to replacement.
Deming.
Inventory = throughput x flow time.

33. 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?
Reliability - Assurance - Responsiveness - Tangibles - Empathy
False - because each machine will have different natural tolerances.
They move closer to the center line.
A chart that breaks the range of data into equal intervals and then shows the count of occurrences in each interval.

34. Why do you need two control charts for variables SPC?
Can't tell without a Range chart.
Because the mean and standard deviation are independent of each other.
p-bar - the long-run percent defective.
Reliability - Assurance - Responsiveness - Tangibles - Empathy

35. List two appraisal costs.
Inventory = throughput x flow time.
Incoming materials inspection - inspection and testing - maintaining test equipment - materials/services consumed
The cycle time required to meet demand.
A simple graph between two variables - visualize the type - degree of strength and shape of the relationship between two variables

36. For your SPC sample you weigh bags of potatoes. Is this variable or attribute SPC?
Variable.
Lean (or JIT).
Walter A. Shewhart
Incoming materials inspection - inspection and testing - maintaining test equipment - materials/services consumed

37. Creating a Run Chart
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).
Defects Per Million Opportunities
1) Plot a Line chart of the data in time sequence 2) Draw a line at the median

38. PFMEA
10 for Hazardous without warning 1 for none
Studying firms with the best performance in a particular area.
Before production starts
Failure Modes and Effects Analysis

39. Name the structure associated with Quality Function Deployment.
Fitness for use.
The House of Quality.
Lower control limit.
Hold all input variables constant except one. Observe the response as you vary the single input.

40. What are the 5 Ss?
Sort - Set in Order - Shine - Standardize - Sustain
No -- only if the process is also capable.
Waste.
An assertion or conjecture concerning one or more populations

41. What does SIPOC stand for?
Supplier - input - process - output - customer.
The gap between what management thinks customers want and the process specifications.
Speed - courtesy - competence - and ease of repair.
How much variance you expect around the prediction; two SEs gives you a 95% confidence interval.

42. Failure effect
Because the mean and standard deviation are independent of each other.
Is the consequence of the failure.
99.73%
Walter A. Shewhart

43. Define features.
Represents the behavior of a process
Different types of defects are listed (used for Pareto chart)
The secondary characteristics of a product; "bells and whistles."
Rapid improvement process.

44. Define benchmarking.
Actual drawings - layouts - maps - etc which show where a defect occurs
Someone who is consistently against virtually everything.
Lower control limit.
Studying firms with the best performance in a particular area.

45. When is Cpk used?
To do a capability study for a non-centered process.
F_alpha - df(tr) - df (error)
Outside.
Pleasing to the senses.

46. DOE
Mean time to failure.
The gap between what management thinks customers want and the process specifications.
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
An experiment where one or more variables believed to have an effect on an experimental outcome are identified and manipulated according to a plan

47. To what does the Six in Six Sigma relate?
The target number of standard deviations from the mean for specifications.
68%
The cycle time required to meet demand.
Inventory = throughput x flow time.

48. What is the formula for the standard deviation of a proportion?
A random variable that summarizes the information from the sample(s).
Technique used to relate through a model - one or more independent variables and a dependent variable (response)
To mentor/coach (and sometimes train) black belts.
=sqrt((p*(1-p)/n)

49. Who is a process owner?
Deming.
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).
The manager in charge of a process being improved in a Six Sigma project.
= yij - y(bar)i --> value minus sum of that treatment (of row)

50. Which type of SPC measurement is more precise - variable or attribute?
Define - measure - analyze - design - verify.
Variable.
Not necessarily.
The target number of standard deviations from the mean for specifications.