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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. An SPC chart shows no points outside the control limits. Does this mean the process is in control?
Not necessarily.
Is the consequence of the failure.
Through producer/consumer negotiation.
No -- the variation also has to be random and "expected."

2. For what is an x-bar chart used?
Fewer good units to sell - increased variable cost/unit.
To monitor a process when measurement by variables is used.
= 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.

3. Failure Mode
Vary two or more variables simultaneously - Multiple measurements are obtained under the same experimental conditions
Quality planning - design review - education and training - process control - IS costs - quality reporting - improvement project costs - working with suppliers before production.
Is the way in which the failure is manifested.
Shows the temporal flow of activities in a project network.

4. If you can only collect categorical data - what type of SPC charting can you do?
QFD
Attribute.
3.4 (assuming 1.5 sigma shift in the mean)
Inventory = throughput x flow time.

5. What size should samples be for attribute SPC?
Technique used to relate through a model - one or more independent variables and a dependent variable (response)
Large enough to find two of the attribute - on average.
They move closer to the center line.
The House of Quality.

6. List two components of prevention cost.
Quality planning - design review - education and training - process control - IS costs - quality reporting - improvement project costs - working with suppliers before production.
Prevention and appraisal costs are balanced against internal and external failure.
The manager in charge of a process being improved in a Six Sigma project.
Producer risk.

7. If your process is capable at two sigma - what percentage of the output will be defective (assuming the process is in control)?
5%
What the value of the dependent variable is when the independent variable is zero.
No -- if it is not the same - it can only be worse!
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

8. Residual
The ratio of outputs to inputs; 1-scrap.
Represent the errors which are random variables with an assumed normal distribution with mean zero and a constant variance σ2.
Attribute
Upper control limit.

9. Simple Regression Analysis (one factor regression model)
Observed variation in response is caused by the input
95%
= 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
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).

10. Define conformance quality.
Represent the errors which are random variables with an assumed normal distribution with mean zero and a constant variance σ2.
The degree to which a product meets pre-established standards.
Financial - customer - internal process - innovation and learning.
= 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

11. Does it ever make sense to accept a job when a process is incapable?
To monitor a process when measurement by attribute is used.
Scrap - rework - retest - downtime - yield losses - disposition costs.
Yes - when there are opportunities to improve - when contribution margin is adequate - when achieving market share is important.
Pleasing to the senses.

12. What are two other names for an Ishikawa diagram?
Central Limit Theorem
Fishbone - cause-and-effect diagram.
Fitness for use.
Lean (or JIT).

13. Who is a process owner?
Financial - customer - internal process - innovation and learning.
The manager in charge of a process being improved in a Six Sigma project.
1) Obtain Residuals 2) Fill out table --> y coordinates: F = 100 (i-.5)/N x coordinates: Ordered Residual 3) Plot on Normal Probability Paper
Causes that lead to a particular effect.

14. What is CTQ?
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
0.9^3 or 72.9%
Critical to quality.
The process of ranking opportunities to determine which of many potential opportunities should be pursued first.

15. Who developed the fishbone diagram?
Controlling quality at the source.
Kaoru Ishikawa.
Reliability - Assurance - Responsiveness - Tangibles - Empathy
Lean is waste reduction - Six Sigma is variation reduction.

16. What are the four perspectives of the Balanced Scorecard?
An assertion or conjecture concerning one or more populations
Prediction and estimation. based on an unknown x value - estimation is based on a known x value
Financial - customer - internal process - innovation and learning.
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).

17. Test for constant variance
The gap between what management thinks customers want and the process specifications.
An interaction is defined as a dependence relationship between the response and the levels of two or more variables
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.
Quality planning - design review - education and training - process control - IS costs - quality reporting - improvement project costs - working with suppliers before production.

18. What is the 5S model?
System to reduce waste and optimize productivity through maintaining an orderly workplace and using visual cues to achieve more consistent operational results.
To be a member of a Six Sigma project team.
95%
An interaction is defined as a dependence relationship between the response and the levels of two or more variables

19. Effect ranking (Severity of the Defect)
Data reduction to put a large number of qualitative inputs into a smaller number of major dimensions
The gap between what customers expect and the service they receive.
10 for Hazardous without warning 1 for none
A descending order-sorted bar chart with a cumulative percentage line.

20. Residual(eij)
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
1) Obtain Residuals 2) Fill out table --> y coordinates: F = 100 (i-.5)/N x coordinates: Ordered Residual 3) Plot on Normal Probability Paper
A scatterplot.
= yij - y(bar)i --> value minus sum of that treatment (of row)

21. Where should specifications fall in relation to ± 3 sigma for the process in order for a process to be capable.
Outside.
Inventory = throughput x flow time.
5%
=sqrt(Σ(x-x-bar)^2)/(n-1))

22. If you have calculated a Cpk - should you also calculate a Cp?
Supplier - input - process - output - customer.
The gap between what is promised and what is delivered.
F_alpha - df(tr) - df (error)
No; if the process is centered - Cp will be the same; if not - Cpk is what you need to determine capabilty.

23. 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).
Before production starts
Represent the errors which are random variables with an assumed normal distribution with mean zero and a constant variance σ2.
Technical quality is the "what" of the service; functional quality is the "how."

24. FMEA
The US national quality award.
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
It looks to minimize the probability of a failure - or to minimize its effects
Deming.

25. What is poka yoke?
Hold all input variables constant except one. Observe the response as you vary the single input.
= S x O x D S--> Severity O--> Occurrence D--> Detection Higher the number the worse it is
Mistake-proofing.
Attribute

26. What is the role of a green belt?
If the Response vs. Levels graph if the response lines are not parallel (crossing)
No -- if it is not the same - it can only be worse!
F_alpha - df(tr) - df (error)
To be a member of a Six Sigma project team.

27. In a regression - what does R-square tell you?
They move closer to the center line.
Blame.
The amount of variation in the dependent variable that is explained by the variation in the independent variable(s).
1) Plot a Line chart of the data in time sequence 2) Draw a line at the median

28. Explain the difference between technical and functional service quality.
A tool that shows where there is waste in a process.
Technical quality is the "what" of the service; functional quality is the "how."
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.

29. Defect location check sheets
Concluding there has been an effect/change when there has not.
To obtain a certain desirable outcome from the process
Actual drawings - layouts - maps - etc which show where a defect occurs
Attribute.

30. Detection Criteria Ranking
It's good -- but it's still out of control!
= 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
No -- if it is not the same - it can only be worse!
10 if Almost impossible to detect

31. What quality guru emphasizes management as a system?
Look for the assignable cause of non-random variation.
Fishbone - cause-and-effect diagram.
Deming.
To monitor a process when measurement by attribute is used.

32. What is a dashboard?
A tool that shows performance along key dimensions all at once.
Look for the assignable cause of non-random variation.
A random variable that summarizes the information from the sample(s).
Before production starts

33. List two appraisal costs.
= yij - y(bar)i --> value minus sum of that treatment (of row)
Assigns scores to weighted criteria for each project under consideration.
Incoming materials inspection - inspection and testing - maintaining test equipment - materials/services consumed
An assertion or conjecture concerning one or more populations

34. Define product reliability.
A tool that shows the physical flows through a space.
= 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
Mean time to failure.
Fewer good units to sell - increased variable cost/unit.

35. Define serviceability.
Performance - features - conformance - reliability - durability - serviceability - aesthetics - perceived quality
Speed - courtesy - competence - and ease of repair.
Data reduction to put a large number of qualitative inputs into a smaller number of major dimensions
The primary operating characteristics of a product.

36. What is the difference between Lean and Six Sigma?
The manager in charge of a process being improved in a Six Sigma project.
Lean is waste reduction - Six Sigma is variation reduction.
95%
Supplier - input - process - output - customer.

37. What do you do when a process is out of control?
Look for the assignable cause of non-random variation.
QFD
Stratify a particular defect type according to logical criteria
Prediction and estimation. based on an unknown x value - estimation is based on a known x value

38. If your process is capable at two sigma - what percentage of the output will you have to inspect to find defectives?
The Japanese national quality award.
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).
100%
Deming.

39. What are the four categories of costs in Juran's framework?
Prevention - appraisal - internal failure - external failure.
Pleasing to the senses.
p-bar - the long-run percent defective.
The gap between what management thinks customers want and what customers really want.

40. What is the role of a black belt?
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
Different types of defects are listed (used for Pareto chart)
What the value of the dependent variable is when the independent variable is zero.
To manage the Six Sigma project.

41. Daniel Test
To mentor/coach (and sometimes train) black belts.
How much variance you expect around the prediction; two SEs gives you a 95% confidence interval.
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:
Incoming materials inspection - inspection and testing - maintaining test equipment - materials/services consumed

42. Uses of regression
Prediction and estimation. based on an unknown x value - estimation is based on a known x value
What the value of the dependent variable is when the independent variable is zero.
A brainstorming tool that shows the connections between ideas.
10 for Hazardous without warning 1 for none

43. What does DMAIC stand for?
Assigns scores to weighted criteria for each project under consideration.
Define - measure - analyze - improve - control.
To manage the Six Sigma project.
p-bar - the long-run percent defective.

44. What does the abbreviation UCL stand for?
Initiated before or at design concept finalization
Quality planning - design review - education and training - process control - IS costs - quality reporting - improvement project costs - working with suppliers before production.
The gap between what customers expect and the service they receive.
Upper control limit.

45. Non-random patterns (Run Charts)
Shifts - Trends - Repeating patterns - Correlation with known events
Fractional factorial designs (orthogonal arrays)
No -- if it is not the same - it can only be worse!
Lower control limit.

46. Pareto Analysis
The process of ranking opportunities to determine which of many potential opportunities should be pursued first.
Brand image.
Taguchi
A tool that shows where there is waste in a process.

47. What is a CAVE man?
Lean (or JIT).
A descending order-sorted bar chart with a cumulative percentage line.
Someone who is consistently against virtually everything.
Sort - Set in Order - Shine - Standardize - Sustain

48. Failure cause
Walter A. Shewhart
Fractional factorial designs (orthogonal arrays)
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 what induces the failure

49. Approximately what percent of a normal distribution falls between ± 3 standard deviations from the mean?
99.73%
A brainstorming tool that shows the connections between ideas.
5%
The Japanese national quality award.

50. What percentage of a normal distribution lies above the mean?
No -- the variation also has to be random and "expected."
50%
Linearity - normality - homoscedasticity - independence.
=sqrt(Σ(x-x-bar)^2)/(n-1))