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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 your process is capable at two sigma - what percentage of the output will you have to inspect to find defectives?
Observed variation in response is caused by the input
100%
Studying firms with the best performance in a particular area.
A tool that shows performance along key dimensions all at once.

2. What does DMAIC stand for?
Define - measure - analyze - improve - control.
The process of ranking opportunities to determine which of many potential opportunities should be pursued first.
The target number of standard deviations from the mean for specifications.
An assertion or conjecture concerning one or more populations

3. What does Crosby say about benchmarking?
System to reduce waste and optimize productivity through maintaining an orderly workplace and using visual cues to achieve more consistent operational results.
Look to your customer - not to other firms. "You can always find someone shorter - fatter and balder!"
Lower skill requirements - faster - less chance for error.
Data reduction to put a large number of qualitative inputs into a smaller number of major dimensions

4. Complete this quality phrase: 'Fix the process - not the _____.'
Vary two or more variables simultaneously - Multiple measurements are obtained under the same experimental conditions
Supplier - input - process - output - customer.
Blame.
A simple graph between two variables - visualize the type - degree of strength and shape of the relationship between two variables

5. If a three-stage process has 90% yields at each stage - what is the overall yield?
Waste.
Fractional factorial designs (orthogonal arrays)
= S x O x D S--> Severity O--> Occurrence D--> Detection Higher the number the worse it is
0.9^3 or 72.9%

6. Regression Analysis
Rapid improvement process.
Outside.
3.4 (assuming 1.5 sigma shift in the mean)
Technique used to relate through a model - one or more independent variables and a dependent variable (response)

7. What is Little's Law?
To monitor a process when measurement by attribute is used.
Inventory = throughput x flow time.
The secondary characteristics of a product; "bells and whistles."
Represents the behavior of a process

8. For what is an x-bar chart used?
68%
To monitor a process when measurement by variables is used.
Reliability - Assurance - Responsiveness - Tangibles - Empathy
Actual drawings - layouts - maps - etc which show where a defect occurs

9. Define features.
Fewer good units to sell - increased variable cost/unit.
The secondary characteristics of a product; "bells and whistles."
Look to your customer - not to other firms. "You can always find someone shorter - fatter and balder!"
Supplier - input - process - output - customer.

10. To what does the Six in Six Sigma relate?
Defects Per Million Opportunities
False - because each machine will have different natural tolerances.
Pleasing to the senses.
The target number of standard deviations from the mean for specifications.

11. In your major - courses are pass-fail. Would you monitor performance using attribute or variable SPC?
The US national quality award.
Attribute
Initiated before or at design concept finalization
Before production starts

12. In the Service Quality Gap Model - what is Gap 5?
Incoming materials inspection - inspection and testing - maintaining test equipment - materials/services consumed
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).
Vary two or more variables simultaneously - Multiple measurements are obtained under the same experimental conditions
The gap between what customers expect and the service they receive.

13. Approximately what percent of a normal distribution falls between ± 3 standard deviations from the mean?
=sqrt(Σ(x-x-bar)^2)/(n-1))
99.73%
Speed - courtesy - competence - and ease of repair.
Concluding there has not been an effect/change when there has.

14. If a Cp shows that a process is not capable - should you calculate Cpk?
They move closer to the center line.
Quality planning - design review - education and training - process control - IS costs - quality reporting - improvement project costs - working with suppliers before production.
Central Limit Theorem
No -- if it is not the same - it can only be worse!

15. What is Value Stream Mapping?
A tool that shows where there is waste in a process.
Technique used to relate through a model - one or more independent variables and a dependent variable (response)
The gap between what customers expect and the service they receive.
Outside.

16. What is the difference between the way sampling is done for SPC and for acceptance sampling?
Sampling for SPC is done real time.
QFD
95%
Represent the errors which are random variables with an assumed normal distribution with mean zero and a constant variance σ2.

17. What are two other names for an Ishikawa diagram?
Different types of defects are listed (used for Pareto chart)
=sqrt((p*(1-p)/n)
Fishbone - cause-and-effect diagram.
Central Limit Theorem

18. Process check sheets
Used to create frequency distribution tally sheets
Rank of 10 if there is >= 100 per 1000 piece Rank of 1 if there is <=.01 per 1000 pieces
Deming.
Define - measure - analyze - improve - control.

19. Approximately what percent of a normal distribution falls between ± 2 standard deviations from the mean?
95%
=sqrt((p*(1-p)/n)
Before production starts
Observed variation in response is caused by the input

20. Which quality guru developed the concept of loss to society?
Prediction and estimation. based on an unknown x value - estimation is based on a known x value
Vary two or more variables simultaneously - Multiple measurements are obtained under the same experimental conditions
Taguchi
100%

21. Uses of regression
Prediction and estimation. based on an unknown x value - estimation is based on a known x value
Mean time to failure.
Vary two or more variables simultaneously - Multiple measurements are obtained under the same experimental conditions
A brainstorming tool that shows the connections between ideas.

22. Pareto Analysis
Pleasing to the senses.
The process of ranking opportunities to determine which of many potential opportunities should be pursued first.
The degree to which a product meets pre-established standards.
Defects Per Million Opportunities

23. Defect location check sheets
Fractional factorial designs (orthogonal arrays)
A simple graph between two variables - visualize the type - degree of strength and shape of the relationship between two variables
Actual drawings - layouts - maps - etc which show where a defect occurs
Rapid improvement process.

24. What is Kaizen?
Kaoru Ishikawa.
The amount of variation in the dependent variable that is explained by the variation in the independent variable(s).
The ratio of outputs to inputs; 1-scrap.
Rapid improvement process.

25. What is a Gage R&R?
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).
Linearity - normality - homoscedasticity - independence.
Kaoru Ishikawa.
A descending order-sorted bar chart with a cumulative percentage line.

26. Why do you need two control charts for variables SPC?
A chart that breaks the range of data into equal intervals and then shows the count of occurrences in each interval.
10 for Hazardous without warning 1 for none
Because the mean and standard deviation are independent of each other.
Sampling for SPC is done real time.

27. Which type of SPC measurement is more precise - variable or attribute?
Through producer/consumer negotiation.
Variable.
Speed - courtesy - competence - and ease of repair.
To manage the Six Sigma project.

28. Stratified defect check sheets
Stratify a particular defect type according to logical criteria
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 consequence of the failure.
Sort - Set in Order - Shine - Standardize - Sustain

29. Does it ever make sense to accept a job when a process is incapable?
Yes - when there are opportunities to improve - when contribution margin is adequate - when achieving market share is important.
To obtain a certain desirable outcome from the process
To mentor/coach (and sometimes train) black belts.
Technical quality is the "what" of the service; functional quality is the "how."

30. What does SIPOC stand for?
The primary operating characteristics of a product.
Deming.
The US national quality award.
Supplier - input - process - output - customer.

31. In a Z table - what is Z?
Prevention - appraisal - internal failure - external failure.
Someone who is consistently against virtually everything.
Actual drawings - layouts - maps - etc which show where a defect occurs
The number of standard deviations some value is from the mean.

32. What inventory approach contributes to process quality by "lowering the river to find the rocks?"
Observed variation in response is caused by the input
Prediction and estimation. based on an unknown x value - estimation is based on a known x value
Lean (or JIT).
A chart that breaks the range of data into equal intervals and then shows the count of occurrences in each interval.

33. In a regression - what does R-square tell you?
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
A scatterplot.
The ability of a process to consistently meet customer specifications.
The amount of variation in the dependent variable that is explained by the variation in the independent variable(s).

34. Define perceived quality (Garvin's framework).
The secondary characteristics of a product; "bells and whistles."
Brand image.
50%
It looks to minimize the probability of a failure - or to minimize its effects

35. What are the four categories of costs in Juran's framework?
Prevention - appraisal - internal failure - external failure.
The gap between what is promised and what is delivered.
Yes - when there are opportunities to improve - when contribution margin is adequate - when achieving market share is important.
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).

36. What are the four perspectives of the Balanced Scorecard?
The US national quality award.
Financial - customer - internal process - innovation and learning.
Failure Modes and Effects Analysis
Lower skill requirements - faster - less chance for error.

37. Cause and Effect Diagrams
Workers - machines - materials.
System to reduce waste and optimize productivity through maintaining an orderly workplace and using visual cues to achieve more consistent operational results.
Method developed by Ishikawa to graphically display the causes of any given problem
A random variable that summarizes the information from the sample(s).

38. What is a Gantt chart?
p-bar - the long-run percent defective.
Attribute
Shows the temporal flow of activities in a project network.
Method developed by Ishikawa to graphically display the causes of any given problem

39. When Crosby said - "Quality is free -" what dimension of quality was he referring to?
Lean is waste reduction - Six Sigma is variation reduction.
Supplier - input - process - output - customer.
A diagram that shows the relationships between activities in a project network.
Conformance to specifications.

40. In a regression - what does the standard error of the estimate tell you?
The ratio of outputs to inputs; 1-scrap.
Fewer good units to sell - increased variable cost/unit.
How much variance you expect around the prediction; two SEs gives you a 95% confidence interval.
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).

41. PFMEA
A time series plot.
Before production starts
Performance - features - conformance - reliability - durability - serviceability - aesthetics - perceived quality
Shifts - Trends - Repeating patterns - Correlation with known events

42. What is process capability?
Assigns scores to weighted criteria for each project under consideration.
A descending order-sorted bar chart with a cumulative percentage line.
The ability of a process to consistently meet customer specifications.
Used to create frequency distribution tally sheets

43. What is Type II Error?
A random variable that summarizes the information from the sample(s).
Taguchi
Concluding there has not been an effect/change when there has.
Producer risk.

44. What is the formula for standard deviation?
=sqrt(Σ(x-x-bar)^2)/(n-1))
A tool that shows where there is waste in a process.
Represents the behavior of a process
5%

45. Regression
Represents the behavior of a process
Linearity - normality - homoscedasticity - independence.
Consumer risk.
50%

46. What percentage of a normal distribution lies above the mean?
The gap between what is promised and what is delivered.
Organize ideas into meaningful categories by recognizing their underlying similarity
Consumer risk.
50%

47. If you can only collect categorical data - what type of SPC charting can you do?
Attribute.
Fitness for use.
3.4 (assuming 1.5 sigma shift in the mean)
= yij - y(bar)i --> value minus sum of that treatment (of row)

48. What happens to control limits on an SPC chart when sample size is increased?
To manage the Six Sigma project.
No -- if it is not the same - it can only be worse!
They move closer to the center line.
5%

49. For your SPC sample you weigh bags of potatoes. Is this variable or attribute SPC?
Mean time to replacement.
If the Response vs. Levels graph if the response lines are not parallel (crossing)
Look to your customer - not to other firms. "You can always find someone shorter - fatter and balder!"
Variable.

50. Detection Criteria Ranking
Yes - when there are opportunities to improve - when contribution margin is adequate - when achieving market share is important.
10 if Almost impossible to detect
Quality planning - design review - education and training - process control - IS costs - quality reporting - improvement project costs - working with suppliers before production.
No -- only if the process is also capable.