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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 you can only collect categorical data - what type of SPC charting can you do?
An interaction is defined as a dependence relationship between the response and the levels of two or more variables
The amount of variation in the dependent variable that is explained by the variation in the independent variable(s).
Attribute.
Producer risk.

2. Daniel Test
Large enough to find two of the attribute - on average.
68%
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:
The House of Quality.

3. Simple Regression Analysis (one factor regression model)
Lean is waste reduction - Six Sigma is variation reduction.
Represents the behavior of a process
Mean time to failure.
= 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

4. If a three-stage process has 90% yields at each stage - what is the overall yield?
Lean is waste reduction - Six Sigma is variation reduction.
0.9^3 or 72.9%
Through producer/consumer negotiation.
= yij - y(bar)i --> value minus sum of that treatment (of row)

5. Residual
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)
To be a member of a Six Sigma project team.
3.4 (assuming 1.5 sigma shift in the mean)

6. What are the three main categories of assignable cause?
Attribute
A scatterplot.
Workers - machines - materials.
Fewer good units to sell - increased variable cost/unit.

7. DOE
An experiment where one or more variables believed to have an effect on an experimental outcome are identified and manipulated according to a plan
Someone who is consistently against virtually everything.
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).
What the value of the dependent variable is when the independent variable is zero.

8. A process is operating "in control." Does this mean the customer's requirements are met?
No -- only if the process is also capable.
Prevention and appraisal costs are balanced against internal and external failure.
Observed variation in response is caused by the input
Yes - when there are opportunities to improve - when contribution margin is adequate - when achieving market share is important.

9. What is Value Stream Mapping?
Shows the temporal flow of activities in a project network.
No -- only if the process is also capable.
A tool that shows where there is waste in a process.
The ratio of outputs to inputs; 1-scrap.

10. When yields decrease - what are the two effects on contribution?
The gap between what management thinks customers want and the process specifications.
Rank of 10 if there is >= 100 per 1000 piece Rank of 1 if there is <=.01 per 1000 pieces
10 if Almost impossible to detect
Fewer good units to sell - increased variable cost/unit.

11. Who first studied randomness in industrial processes
Rapid improvement process.
Variable.
Walter A. Shewhart
Concluding there has been an effect/change when there has not.

12. Failure Mode
95%
Define - measure - analyze - design - verify.
Is the way in which the failure is manifested.
The gap between what is promised and what is delivered.

13. Complete this quality phrase: 'Fix the process - not the _____.'
A tool that shows the physical flows through a space.
The Japanese national quality award.
Blame.
An experiment where one or more variables believed to have an effect on an experimental outcome are identified and manipulated according to a plan

14. FMEA
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
Prevention - appraisal - internal failure - external failure.
5%
To monitor a process when measurement by variables is used.

15. Your production process meets customer specifications. Is your process in control?
Assigns scores to weighted criteria for each project under consideration.
Pleasing to the senses.
Not necessarily.
How much variance you expect around the prediction; two SEs gives you a 95% confidence interval.

16. Define durability.
QFD
Mean time to replacement.
Lean (or JIT).
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

17. Effect ranking (Severity of the Defect)
Rank of 10 if there is >= 100 per 1000 piece Rank of 1 if there is <=.01 per 1000 pieces
Performance - features - conformance - reliability - durability - serviceability - aesthetics - perceived quality
Actual drawings - layouts - maps - etc which show where a defect occurs
10 for Hazardous without warning 1 for none

18. DFMEA
Someone who is consistently against virtually everything.
F_alpha - df(tr) - df (error)
To obtain a certain desirable outcome from the process
Initiated before or at design concept finalization

19. What is Kaizen?
Rapid improvement process.
The manager in charge of a process being improved in a Six Sigma project.
Consumer risk.
Large enough to find two of the attribute - on average.

20. Definition of Interaction
1) Plot a Line chart of the data in time sequence 2) Draw a line at the median
Hold all input variables constant except one. Observe the response as you vary the single input.
To mentor/coach (and sometimes train) black belts.
An interaction is defined as a dependence relationship between the response and the levels of two or more variables

21. Risk Priority Number RPN
Workers - machines - materials.
The gap between what management thinks customers want and what customers really want.
How much variance you expect around the prediction; two SEs gives you a 95% confidence interval.
= S x O x D S--> Severity O--> Occurrence D--> Detection Higher the number the worse it is

22. What does the abbreviation UCL stand for?
Consumer risk.
The primary operating characteristics of a product.
Upper control limit.
Sort - Set in Order - Shine - Standardize - Sustain

23. Defect location check sheets
Shifts - Trends - Repeating patterns - Correlation with known events
To obtain a certain desirable outcome from the process
Actual drawings - layouts - maps - etc which show where a defect occurs
A tool that shows where there is waste in a process.

24. An SPC chart shows no points outside the control limits. Does this mean the process is in control?
The gap between specifications and how service is performed.
Through producer/consumer negotiation.
No -- the variation also has to be random and "expected."
Initiated before or at design concept finalization

25. In a Z table - what is Z?
Is what induces the failure
The number of standard deviations some value is from the mean.
A diagram that shows the relationships between activities in a project network.
To obtain a certain desirable outcome from the process

26. What is muda
False - because each machine will have different natural tolerances.
Yes - when there are opportunities to improve - when contribution margin is adequate - when achieving market share is important.
No -- the variation also has to be random and "expected."
Waste.

27. Presence of interaction effect
If the Response vs. Levels graph if the response lines are not parallel (crossing)
100%
99.73%
Supplier - input - process - output - customer.

28. What are two other names for an Ishikawa diagram?
Performance - features - conformance - reliability - durability - serviceability - aesthetics - perceived quality
Fishbone - cause-and-effect diagram.
50%
p-bar - the long-run percent defective.

29. When Crosby said - "Quality is free -" what dimension of quality was he referring to?
Conformance to specifications.
Causes that lead to a particular effect.
Waste.
Deming.

30. Based on what principal can we use the normal distribution assumptions for SPC?
Central Limit Theorem
To mentor/coach (and sometimes train) black belts.
Fitness for use.
Pleasing to the senses.

31. What is the difference between the way sampling is done for SPC and for acceptance sampling?
System to reduce waste and optimize productivity through maintaining an orderly workplace and using visual cues to achieve more consistent operational results.
The number of standard deviations some value is from the mean.
The gap between what management thinks customers want and the process specifications.
Sampling for SPC is done real time.

32. Detection Criteria Ranking
The ratio of outputs to inputs; 1-scrap.
Shifts - Trends - Repeating patterns - Correlation with known events
10 if Almost impossible to detect
If the Response vs. Levels graph if the response lines are not parallel (crossing)

33. List two appraisal costs.
Incoming materials inspection - inspection and testing - maintaining test equipment - materials/services consumed
Large enough to find two of the attribute - on average.
Observed variation in response is caused by the input
Supplier - input - process - output - customer.

34. In a regression - what does the p value of F tell you?
The number of standard deviations some value is from the mean.
To monitor a process when measurement by attribute is used.
Attribute
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).

35. Failure cause
Brand image.
If the Response vs. Levels graph if the response lines are not parallel (crossing)
Is what induces the failure
Upper control limit.

36. Residual(eij)
Can't tell without a Range chart.
A chart that breaks the range of data into equal intervals and then shows the count of occurrences in each interval.
Causes that lead to a particular effect.
= yij - y(bar)i --> value minus sum of that treatment (of row)

37. What is Type 1 Error?
Concluding there has been an effect/change when there has not.
To mentor/coach (and sometimes train) black belts.
A random variable that summarizes the information from the sample(s).
To be a member of a Six Sigma project team.

38. Affinity Diagrams
99.73%
Organize ideas into meaningful categories by recognizing their underlying similarity
A brainstorming tool that shows the connections between ideas.
Because the mean and standard deviation are independent of each other.

39. Does it ever make sense to accept a job when a process is incapable?
Blame.
Defects Per Million Opportunities
100%
Yes - when there are opportunities to improve - when contribution margin is adequate - when achieving market share is important.

40. What is DMADV?
Fractional factorial designs (orthogonal arrays)
Define - measure - analyze - design - verify.
Concluding there has been an effect/change when there has not.
The gap between specifications and how service is performed.

41. Regression
Outside.
Is the consequence of the failure.
Variable.
Represents the behavior of a process

42. What happens to control limits on an SPC chart when sample size is increased?
Attribute
Actual drawings - layouts - maps - etc which show where a defect occurs
They move closer to the center line.
Blame.

43. 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?
False - because each machine will have different natural tolerances.
The gap between what management thinks customers want and what customers really want.
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
Variable.

44. What percentage of a normal distribution lies above the mean?
50%
Concluding there has been an effect/change when there has not.
Lower skill requirements - faster - less chance for error.
10 if Almost impossible to detect

45. FMEA
Look for the assignable cause of non-random variation.
Is what induces the failure
If the Response vs. Levels graph if the response lines are not parallel (crossing)
It looks to minimize the probability of a failure - or to minimize its effects

46. Define benchmarking.
Fishbone - cause-and-effect diagram.
The manager in charge of a process being improved in a Six Sigma project.
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
Studying firms with the best performance in a particular area.

47. Failure effect
Is the consequence of the failure.
1) Obtain Residuals 2) Fill out table --> y coordinates: F = 100 (i-.5)/N x coordinates: Ordered Residual 3) Plot on Normal Probability Paper
Can't tell without a Range chart.
Conformance to specifications.

48. What does SIPOC stand for?
Prevention and appraisal costs are balanced against internal and external failure.
False - because each machine will have different natural tolerances.
Data reduction to put a large number of qualitative inputs into a smaller number of major dimensions
Supplier - input - process - output - customer.

49. For your SPC sample you weigh bags of potatoes. Is this variable or attribute SPC?
Rapid improvement process.
Observed variation in response is caused by the input
Look for the assignable cause of non-random variation.
Variable.

50. For what is an x-bar chart used?
A tool that shows performance along key dimensions all at once.
To monitor a process when measurement by variables is used.
Defects Per Million Opportunities
Used to create frequency distribution tally sheets