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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. Uses of regression - Control
Stratify a particular defect type according to logical criteria
Actual drawings - layouts - maps - etc which show where a defect occurs
Before production starts
To obtain a certain desirable outcome from the process

2. What are the three main categories of assignable cause?
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
The number of standard deviations some value is from the mean.
Workers - machines - materials.
Attribute.

3. What is the Baldrige Award?
The US national quality award.
Lean (or JIT).
QFD
=sqrt((p*(1-p)/n)

4. What is the role of a master black belt?
To be a member of a Six Sigma project team.
To mentor/coach (and sometimes train) black belts.
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
Prevention - appraisal - internal failure - external failure.

5. What does DMAIC stand for?
To monitor a process when measurement by attribute is used.
False - because each machine will have different natural tolerances.
No -- the variation also has to be random and "expected."
Define - measure - analyze - improve - control.

6. Define serviceability.
A tool that shows the physical flows through a space.
Workers - machines - materials.
No -- only if the process is also capable.
Speed - courtesy - competence - and ease of repair.

7. Define takt time.
= 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
Complaint adjustment - returned material - warranty charges - allowances - loss of future business.
The cycle time required to meet demand.
False - because each machine will have different natural tolerances.

8. Approximately what percent of a normal distribution falls between ± 3 standard deviations from the mean?
Actual drawings - layouts - maps - etc which show where a defect occurs
Initiated before or at design concept finalization
F_alpha - df(tr) - df (error)
99.73%

9. Affinity Diagrams
The primary operating characteristics of a product.
Is what induces the failure
Organize ideas into meaningful categories by recognizing their underlying similarity
0.9^3 or 72.9%

10. Stratified defect check sheets
Mean time to replacement.
No -- the variation also has to be random and "expected."
No -- only if the process is also capable.
Stratify a particular defect type according to logical criteria

11. Failure effect
Is the consequence of the failure.
The amount of variation in the dependent variable that is explained by the variation in the independent variable(s).
The gap between specifications and how service is performed.
Conformance to specifications.

12. Definition of Interaction
Can't tell without a Range chart.
The degree to which a product meets pre-established standards.
Prevention and appraisal costs are balanced against internal and external failure.
An interaction is defined as a dependence relationship between the response and the levels of two or more variables

13. What is a Gantt chart?
The gap between specifications and how service is performed.
Linearity - normality - homoscedasticity - independence.
Shows the temporal flow of activities in a project network.
Inventory = throughput x flow time.

14. Affinity Diagrams
To monitor a process when measurement by variables is used.
Data reduction to put a large number of qualitative inputs into a smaller number of major dimensions
Because the mean and standard deviation are independent of each other.
Pleasing to the senses.

15. What is written on the "spines" of a fishbone diagram?
Supplier - input - process - output - customer.
Can't tell without a Range chart.
Causes that lead to a particular effect.
The secondary characteristics of a product; "bells and whistles."

16. What is the center line of a p-chart?
F_alpha - df(tr) - df (error)
Not necessarily.
p-bar - the long-run percent defective.
No; if the process is centered - Cp will be the same; if not - Cpk is what you need to determine capabilty.

17. With Six Sigma capability - how many defects per million opportunities would you see?
No; if the process is centered - Cp will be the same; if not - Cpk is what you need to determine capabilty.
3.4 (assuming 1.5 sigma shift in the mean)
A descending order-sorted bar chart with a cumulative percentage line.
The gap between what management thinks customers want and what customers really want.

18. Non-random patterns (Run Charts)
The House of Quality.
System to reduce waste and optimize productivity through maintaining an orderly workplace and using visual cues to achieve more consistent operational results.
Shifts - Trends - Repeating patterns - Correlation with known events
Concluding there has not been an effect/change when there has.

19. Does it ever make sense to accept a job when a process is incapable?
Pleasing to the senses.
Yes - when there are opportunities to improve - when contribution margin is adequate - when achieving market share is important.
A diagram that shows the relationships between activities in a project network.
Prevention and appraisal costs are balanced against internal and external failure.

20. What inventory approach contributes to process quality by "lowering the river to find the rocks?"
Not necessarily.
Lean (or JIT).
Central Limit Theorem
Workers - machines - materials.

21. Effect ranking (Severity of the Defect)
A scatterplot.
The number of standard deviations some value is from the mean.
Prevention and appraisal costs are balanced against internal and external failure.
10 for Hazardous without warning 1 for none

22. One factor at a time (OFAT)
To obtain a certain desirable outcome from the process
The US national quality award.
Mistake-proofing.
Hold all input variables constant except one. Observe the response as you vary the single input.

23. Test for Independence
95%
A random variable that summarizes the information from the sample(s).
Data reduction to put a large number of qualitative inputs into a smaller number of major dimensions
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

24. What percentage of a normal distribution lies above the mean?
p-bar - the long-run percent defective.
Mistake-proofing.
50%
Fishbone - cause-and-effect diagram.

25. What do you do when a process is out of control?
A scatterplot.
Define - measure - analyze - improve - control.
Look for the assignable cause of non-random variation.
The ability of a process to consistently meet customer specifications.

26. Name the structure associated with Quality Function Deployment.
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).
To manage the Six Sigma project.
The House of Quality.
Speed - courtesy - competence - and ease of repair.

27. Define benchmarking.
An assertion or conjecture concerning one or more populations
Studying firms with the best performance in a particular area.
A time series plot.
Prevention and appraisal costs are balanced against internal and external failure.

28. Statistical Hypothesis
An assertion or conjecture concerning one or more populations
X-bar-bar
Variable.
Not necessarily.

29. In the Service Quality Gap Model - what is Gap 4?
The gap between what is promised and what is delivered.
System to reduce waste and optimize productivity through maintaining an orderly workplace and using visual cues to achieve more consistent operational results.
Represent the errors which are random variables with an assumed normal distribution with mean zero and a constant variance σ2.
= yij - y(bar)i --> value minus sum of that treatment (of row)

30. What is Jidoka?
Data reduction to put a large number of qualitative inputs into a smaller number of major dimensions
A descending order-sorted bar chart with a cumulative percentage line.
Initiated before or at design concept finalization
Controlling quality at the source.

31. Manual Test for Nomality
95%
1) Obtain Residuals 2) Fill out table --> y coordinates: F = 100 (i-.5)/N x coordinates: Ordered Residual 3) Plot on Normal Probability Paper
The process of ranking opportunities to determine which of many potential opportunities should be pursued first.
Mistake-proofing.

32. What is a histogram?
A brainstorming tool that shows the connections between ideas.
A chart that breaks the range of data into equal intervals and then shows the count of occurrences in each interval.
Fitness for use.
Technical quality is the "what" of the service; functional quality is the "how."

33. A process is operating "in control." Does this mean the customer's requirements are met?
No -- only if the process is also capable.
The ratio of outputs to inputs; 1-scrap.
= S x O x D S--> Severity O--> Occurrence D--> Detection Higher the number the worse it is
Can't tell without a Range chart.

34. What is the center line of an X-bar chart?
= S x O x D S--> Severity O--> Occurrence D--> Detection Higher the number the worse it is
X-bar-bar
The gap between what is promised and what is delivered.
Concluding there has been an effect/change when there has not.

35. What does SIPOC stand for?
Supplier - input - process - output - customer.
10 for Hazardous without warning 1 for none
Concluding there has not been an effect/change when there has.
= S x O x D S--> Severity O--> Occurrence D--> Detection Higher the number the worse it is

36. List two components of internal failure.
Attribute.
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.
It's good -- but it's still out of control!

37. Process occurance ranking
Used to create frequency distribution tally sheets
They move closer to the center line.
Rank of 10 if there is >= 100 per 1000 piece Rank of 1 if there is <=.01 per 1000 pieces
The Japanese national quality award.

38. An SPC chart shows no points outside the control limits. Does this mean the process is in control?
Critical to quality.
No -- the variation also has to be random and "expected."
No -- if it is not the same - it can only be worse!
The gap between what management thinks customers want and what customers really want.

39. If you can only collect categorical data - what type of SPC charting can you do?
Attribute.
Speed - courtesy - competence - and ease of repair.
Financial - customer - internal process - innovation and learning.
Shifts - Trends - Repeating patterns - Correlation with known events

40. DFMEA
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).
Financial - customer - internal process - innovation and learning.
Initiated before or at design concept finalization
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:

41. In your major - courses are pass-fail. Would you monitor performance using attribute or variable SPC?
Look to your customer - not to other firms. "You can always find someone shorter - fatter and balder!"
Attribute
What the value of the dependent variable is when the independent variable is zero.
The gap between what management thinks customers want and what customers really want.

42. Defect location check sheets
Actual drawings - layouts - maps - etc which show where a defect occurs
Incoming materials inspection - inspection and testing - maintaining test equipment - materials/services consumed
Supplier - input - process - output - customer.
A simple graph between two variables - visualize the type - degree of strength and shape of the relationship between two variables

43. If you have calculated a Cpk - should you also calculate a Cp?
If the Response vs. Levels graph if the response lines are not parallel (crossing)
Incoming materials inspection - inspection and testing - maintaining test equipment - materials/services consumed
No; if the process is centered - Cp will be the same; if not - Cpk is what you need to determine capabilty.
No -- if it is not the same - it can only be worse!

44. What does a project prioritization matrix do?
Quality planning - design review - education and training - process control - IS costs - quality reporting - improvement project costs - working with suppliers before production.
The cycle time required to meet demand.
The manager in charge of a process being improved in a Six Sigma project.
Assigns scores to weighted criteria for each project under consideration.

45. What are two other names for an Ishikawa diagram?
Define - measure - analyze - design - verify.
= 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
Define - measure - analyze - improve - control.
Fishbone - cause-and-effect diagram.

46. In the Service Quality Gap Model - what is Gap 2?
100%
Define - measure - analyze - design - verify.
The gap between what management thinks customers want and the process specifications.
Controlling quality at the source.

47. What is DMADV?
Is the way in which the failure is manifested.
Vary two or more variables simultaneously - Multiple measurements are obtained under the same experimental conditions
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).
Define - measure - analyze - design - verify.

48. Define performance quality.
Actual drawings - layouts - maps - etc which show where a defect occurs
Stratify a particular defect type according to logical criteria
The primary operating characteristics of a product.
Performance - features - conformance - reliability - durability - serviceability - aesthetics - perceived quality

49. If a Cp shows that a process is not capable - should you calculate Cpk?
Rapid improvement process.
Represents the behavior of a process
No -- if it is not the same - it can only be worse!
Central Limit Theorem

50. What does the abbreviation UCL stand for?
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.
X-bar-bar
Upper control limit.