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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. Which type of SPC measurement is more precise - variable or attribute?
The US national quality award.
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.
Variable.

2. What is the Baldrige Award?
Fractional factorial designs (orthogonal arrays)
The gap between what management thinks customers want and the process specifications.
Is the way in which the failure is manifested.
The US national quality award.

3. If a Cp shows that a process is not capable - should you calculate Cpk?
Through producer/consumer negotiation.
= S x O x D S--> Severity O--> Occurrence D--> Detection Higher the number the worse it is
Kaoru Ishikawa.
No -- if it is not the same - it can only be worse!

4. Histogram by Hand
Studying firms with the best performance in a particular area.
System to reduce waste and optimize productivity through maintaining an orderly workplace and using visual cues to achieve more consistent operational results.
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
Outside.

5. What type of risk is associated with Type II Error?
Is the consequence of the failure.
They move closer to the center line.
Consumer risk.
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).

6. What is the Deming Prize?
No -- only if the process is also capable.
The Japanese national quality award.
Prevention - appraisal - internal failure - external failure.
The secondary characteristics of a product; "bells and whistles."

7. Define durability.
Supplier - input - process - output - customer.
Fractional factorial designs (orthogonal arrays)
Actual drawings - layouts - maps - etc which show where a defect occurs
Mean time to replacement.

8. One factor at a time (OFAT)
100%
Observed variation in response is caused by the input
Supplier - input - process - output - customer.
0.9^3 or 72.9%

9. Advantages of DOE
Taguchi
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
The manager in charge of a process being improved in a Six Sigma project.
No; if the process is centered - Cp will be the same; if not - Cpk is what you need to determine capabilty.

10. If you can only collect categorical data - what type of SPC charting can you do?
The cycle time required to meet demand.
Attribute.
=sqrt(Σ(x-x-bar)^2)/(n-1))
An experiment where one or more variables believed to have an effect on an experimental outcome are identified and manipulated according to a plan

11. What are the 5 Ss?
Sort - Set in Order - Shine - Standardize - Sustain
Hold all input variables constant except one. Observe the response as you vary the single input.
The cycle time required to meet demand.
Critical to quality.

12. What is Type 1 Error?
Concluding there has been an effect/change when there has not.
Taguchi
To be a member of a Six Sigma project team.
A brainstorming tool that shows the connections between ideas.

13. Stratified defect check sheets
Stratify a particular defect type according to logical criteria
Concluding there has not been an effect/change when there has.
No; if the process is centered - Cp will be the same; if not - Cpk is what you need to determine capabilty.
The degree to which a product meets pre-established standards.

14. What are the four categories of costs in Juran's framework?
Prevention - appraisal - internal failure - external failure.
Hold all input variables constant except one. Observe the response as you vary the single input.
A tool that shows performance along key dimensions all at once.
Complaint adjustment - returned material - warranty charges - allowances - loss of future business.

15. Why do you need two control charts for variables SPC?
Data reduction to put a large number of qualitative inputs into a smaller number of major dimensions
Incoming materials inspection - inspection and testing - maintaining test equipment - materials/services consumed
Because the mean and standard deviation are independent of each other.
The ratio of outputs to inputs; 1-scrap.

16. Define conformance quality.
Conformance to specifications.
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
Upper control limit.
The degree to which a product meets pre-established standards.

17. What does a project prioritization matrix do?
False - because each machine will have different natural tolerances.
Assigns scores to weighted criteria for each project under consideration.
To obtain a certain desirable outcome from the process
50%

18. In a regression - what does the p value of F tell you?
A random variable that summarizes the information from the sample(s).
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).
Studying firms with the best performance in a particular area.
A tool that shows where there is waste in a process.

19. What are the four perspectives of the Balanced Scorecard?
Financial - customer - internal process - innovation and learning.
Speed - courtesy - competence - and ease of repair.
It looks to minimize the probability of a failure - or to minimize its effects
Outside.

20. An SPC chart shows no points outside the control limits. Does this mean the process is in control?
Walter A. Shewhart
Inventory = throughput x flow time.
No -- the variation also has to be random and "expected."
Large enough to find two of the attribute - on average.

21. In a regression - what does the standard error of the estimate tell you?
Attribute.
A chart that breaks the range of data into equal intervals and then shows the count of occurrences in each interval.
How much variance you expect around the prediction; two SEs gives you a 95% confidence interval.
Supplier - input - process - output - customer.

22. What is a Gantt chart?
Shows the temporal flow of activities in a project network.
Represents the behavior of a process
Fishbone - cause-and-effect diagram.
Sort - Set in Order - Shine - Standardize - Sustain

23. What is Kaizen?
Quality planning - design review - education and training - process control - IS costs - quality reporting - improvement project costs - working with suppliers before production.
Rapid improvement process.
Attribute.
Workers - machines - materials.

24. Affinity Diagrams
Data reduction to put a large number of qualitative inputs into a smaller number of major dimensions
The degree to which a product meets pre-established standards.
The secondary characteristics of a product; "bells and whistles."
A chart that breaks the range of data into equal intervals and then shows the count of occurrences in each interval.

25. What is written on the "spines" of a fishbone diagram?
The primary operating characteristics of a product.
Causes that lead to a particular effect.
Lower skill requirements - faster - less chance for error.
Quality planning - design review - education and training - process control - IS costs - quality reporting - improvement project costs - working with suppliers before production.

26. When either attribute or variable measures could be used for SPC - why might attribute measurement be preferred?
Complaint adjustment - returned material - warranty charges - allowances - loss of future business.
Lower skill requirements - faster - less chance for error.
Scrap - rework - retest - downtime - yield losses - disposition costs.
Incoming materials inspection - inspection and testing - maintaining test equipment - materials/services consumed

27. What is FMEA?
100%
The process of ranking opportunities to determine which of many potential opportunities should be pursued first.
Failure Modes and Effects Analysis
Mean time to replacement.

28. Residual
A tool that shows the physical flows through a space.
Represent the errors which are random variables with an assumed normal distribution with mean zero and a constant variance σ2.
Mean time to failure.
10 if Almost impossible to detect

29. Define performance quality.
The gap between what management thinks customers want and the process specifications.
A descending order-sorted bar chart with a cumulative percentage line.
The primary operating characteristics of a product.
Before production starts

30. What is Type II Error?
Can't tell without a Range chart.
Concluding there has not been an effect/change when there has.
Deming.
Reliability - Assurance - Responsiveness - Tangibles - Empathy

31. In your major - courses are pass-fail. Would you monitor performance using attribute or variable SPC?
Speed - courtesy - competence - and ease of repair.
Reliability - Assurance - Responsiveness - Tangibles - Empathy
Variable.
Attribute

32. List two components of internal failure.
The target number of standard deviations from the mean for specifications.
Scrap - rework - retest - downtime - yield losses - disposition costs.
Taguchi
Complaint adjustment - returned material - warranty charges - allowances - loss of future business.

33. What is DMADV?
Scrap - rework - retest - downtime - yield losses - disposition costs.
To mentor/coach (and sometimes train) black belts.
Define - measure - analyze - design - verify.
p-bar - the long-run percent defective.

34. In the Service Quality Gap Model - what is Gap 2?
X-bar-bar
The gap between what management thinks customers want and the process specifications.
To monitor a process when measurement by attribute is used.
Stratify a particular defect type according to logical criteria

35. Define takt time.
1) Plot a Line chart of the data in time sequence 2) Draw a line at the median
To monitor a process when measurement by attribute is used.
The cycle time required to meet demand.
Defects Per Million Opportunities

36. What does Crosby say about benchmarking?
Look to your customer - not to other firms. "You can always find someone shorter - fatter and balder!"
Technical quality is the "what" of the service; functional quality is the "how."
Kaoru Ishikawa.
Assigns scores to weighted criteria for each project under consideration.

37. Does it ever make sense to accept a job when a process is incapable?
Conformance to specifications.
The amount of variation in the dependent variable that is explained by the variation in the independent variable(s).
Yes - when there are opportunities to improve - when contribution margin is adequate - when achieving market share is important.
1) Plot a Line chart of the data in time sequence 2) Draw a line at the median

38. Explain the difference between technical and functional service quality.
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).
Define - measure - analyze - design - verify.
Technical quality is the "what" of the service; functional quality is the "how."
They move closer to the center line.

39. What is a histogram?
3.4 (assuming 1.5 sigma shift in the mean)
5%
Workers - machines - materials.
A chart that breaks the range of data into equal intervals and then shows the count of occurrences in each interval.

40. Failure effect
Is the consequence of the failure.
Financial - customer - internal process - innovation and learning.
0.9^3 or 72.9%
Before production starts

41. What is the formula for the standard deviation of a proportion?
A descending order-sorted bar chart with a cumulative percentage line.
Studying firms with the best performance in a particular area.
=sqrt((p*(1-p)/n)
Look for the assignable cause of non-random variation.

42. What is the role of a green belt?
To be a member of a Six Sigma project team.
Scrap - rework - retest - downtime - yield losses - disposition costs.
An assertion or conjecture concerning one or more populations
The cycle time required to meet demand.

43. What are the three main categories of assignable cause?
Workers - machines - materials.
Initiated before or at design concept finalization
Sort - Set in Order - Shine - Standardize - Sustain
Linearity - normality - homoscedasticity - independence.

44. What graphical tool is used to show the relationship between two numerical variables?
Because the mean and standard deviation are independent of each other.
Financial - customer - internal process - innovation and learning.
A scatterplot.
To mentor/coach (and sometimes train) black belts.

45. Defect check sheets
Different types of defects are listed (used for Pareto chart)
Rapid improvement process.
Controlling quality at the source.
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

46. What is the role of a black belt?
To manage the Six Sigma project.
The primary operating characteristics of a product.
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
It's good -- but it's still out of control!

47. Based on what principal can we use the normal distribution assumptions for SPC?
Central Limit Theorem
50%
Stratify a particular defect type according to logical criteria
The Japanese national quality award.

48. In the Service Quality Gap Model - what is Gap 3?
Performance - features - conformance - reliability - durability - serviceability - aesthetics - perceived quality
Concluding there has not been an effect/change when there has.
System to reduce waste and optimize productivity through maintaining an orderly workplace and using visual cues to achieve more consistent operational results.
The gap between specifications and how service is performed.

49. What are two other names for an Ishikawa diagram?
To mentor/coach (and sometimes train) black belts.
The process of ranking opportunities to determine which of many potential opportunities should be pursued first.
System to reduce waste and optimize productivity through maintaining an orderly workplace and using visual cues to achieve more consistent operational results.
Fishbone - cause-and-effect diagram.

50. Who developed the fishbone diagram?
Method developed by Ishikawa to graphically display the causes of any given problem
The secondary characteristics of a product; "bells and whistles."
Kaoru Ishikawa.
p-bar - the long-run percent defective.