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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. What is Jidoka?
Controlling quality at the source.
A tool that shows where there is waste in a process.
=sqrt((p*(1-p)/n)
A time series plot.

2. For your SPC sample you weigh bags of potatoes. Is this variable or attribute SPC?
3.4 (assuming 1.5 sigma shift in the mean)
Variable.
If the Response vs. Levels graph if the response lines are not parallel (crossing)
Stratify a particular defect type according to logical criteria

3. What is the Baldrige Award?
The US national quality award.
Incoming materials inspection - inspection and testing - maintaining test equipment - materials/services consumed
10 for Hazardous without warning 1 for none
= yij - y(bar)i --> value minus sum of that treatment (of row)

4. What is the center line of an X-bar chart?
Technique used to relate through a model - one or more independent variables and a dependent variable (response)
The gap between what management thinks customers want and what customers really want.
X-bar-bar
A simple graph between two variables - visualize the type - degree of strength and shape of the relationship between two variables

5. What are the four perspectives of the Balanced Scorecard?
To obtain a certain desirable outcome from the process
Financial - customer - internal process - innovation and learning.
100%
Reliability - Assurance - Responsiveness - Tangibles - Empathy

6. What are the four categories of costs in Juran's framework?
Kaoru Ishikawa.
Prevention - appraisal - internal failure - external failure.
An assertion or conjecture concerning one or more populations
Method developed by Ishikawa to graphically display the causes of any given problem

7. Define perceived quality (Garvin's framework).
A chart that breaks the range of data into equal intervals and then shows the count of occurrences in each interval.
Brand image.
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
Is what induces the failure

8. Presence of interaction effect
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.
Rank of 10 if there is >= 100 per 1000 piece Rank of 1 if there is <=.01 per 1000 pieces
The gap between what management thinks customers want and the process specifications.
If the Response vs. Levels graph if the response lines are not parallel (crossing)

9. Your production process meets customer specifications. Is your process in control?
Not necessarily.
Kaoru Ishikawa.
Rapid improvement process.
Observed variation in response is caused by the input

10. 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.
No -- the variation also has to be random and "expected."
Mistake-proofing.
A tool that shows where there is waste in a process.

11. Stratified defect check sheets
The amount of variation in the dependent variable that is explained by the variation in the independent variable(s).
Stratify a particular defect type according to logical criteria
To be a member of a Six Sigma project team.
Lean is waste reduction - Six Sigma is variation reduction.

12. What is the difference between the way sampling is done for SPC and for acceptance sampling?
The gap between what management thinks customers want and the process specifications.
Sampling for SPC is done real time.
Performance - features - conformance - reliability - durability - serviceability - aesthetics - perceived quality
Lean (or JIT).

13. In the Service Quality Gap Model - what is Gap 3?
Large enough to find two of the attribute - on average.
Concluding there has not been an effect/change when there has.
Kaoru Ishikawa.
The gap between specifications and how service is performed.

14. What is the formula for the standard deviation of a proportion?
=sqrt((p*(1-p)/n)
Walter A. Shewhart
Observed variation in response is caused by the input
Inventory = throughput x flow time.

15. Creating a Run Chart
1) Plot a Line chart of the data in time sequence 2) Draw a line at the median
Used to create frequency distribution tally sheets
A chart that breaks the range of data into equal intervals and then shows the count of occurrences in each interval.
Attribute.

16. When either attribute or variable measures could be used for SPC - why might attribute measurement be preferred?
Lower skill requirements - faster - less chance for error.
10 for Hazardous without warning 1 for none
Shifts - Trends - Repeating patterns - Correlation with known events
An assertion or conjecture concerning one or more populations

17. What does a project prioritization matrix do?
The secondary characteristics of a product; "bells and whistles."
Assigns scores to weighted criteria for each project under consideration.
To monitor a process when measurement by variables is used.
To mentor/coach (and sometimes train) black belts.

18. What type of risk is associated with Type 1 Error?
Producer risk.
System to reduce waste and optimize productivity through maintaining an orderly workplace and using visual cues to achieve more consistent operational results.
10 if Almost impossible to detect
A descending order-sorted bar chart with a cumulative percentage line.

19. What is the role of a black belt?
Inventory = throughput x flow time.
To manage the Six Sigma project.
Lower skill requirements - faster - less chance for error.
Variable.

20. List Garvin's eight dimensions of product quality.
Performance - features - conformance - reliability - durability - serviceability - aesthetics - perceived quality
A tool that shows the physical flows through a space.
Deming.
Critical to quality.

21. What does the abbreviation LCL stand for?
Lower control limit.
10 for Hazardous without warning 1 for none
3.4 (assuming 1.5 sigma shift in the mean)
Pleasing to the senses.

22. What inventory approach contributes to process quality by "lowering the river to find the rocks?"
Conformance to specifications.
Hold all input variables constant except one. Observe the response as you vary the single input.
Lean (or JIT).
They move closer to the center line.

23. What is FMEA?
Defects Per Million Opportunities
Linearity - normality - homoscedasticity - independence.
Failure Modes and Effects Analysis
It looks to minimize the probability of a failure - or to minimize its effects

24. Define conformance quality.
Rapid improvement process.
The gap between what management thinks customers want and the process specifications.
The degree to which a product meets pre-established standards.
Can't tell without a Range chart.

25. What is Value Stream Mapping?
False - because each machine will have different natural tolerances.
=sqrt((p*(1-p)/n)
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.
A tool that shows where there is waste in a process.

26. Failure Mode
To obtain a certain desirable outcome from the process
Waste.
3.4 (assuming 1.5 sigma shift in the mean)
Is the way in which the failure is manifested.

27. What are the four regression assumptions?
Linearity - normality - homoscedasticity - independence.
Mean time to replacement.
1) Obtain Residuals 2) Fill out table --> y coordinates: F = 100 (i-.5)/N x coordinates: Ordered Residual 3) Plot on Normal Probability Paper
3.4 (assuming 1.5 sigma shift in the mean)

28. Statistical Hypothesis
How much variance you expect around the prediction; two SEs gives you a 95% confidence interval.
95%
An assertion or conjecture concerning one or more populations
The ratio of outputs to inputs; 1-scrap.

29. 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?
To do a capability study for a non-centered process.
False - because each machine will have different natural tolerances.
A tool that shows performance along key dimensions all at once.
A simple graph between two variables - visualize the type - degree of strength and shape of the relationship between two variables

30. Residual(eij)
Define - measure - analyze - improve - control.
=sqrt((p*(1-p)/n)
= yij - y(bar)i --> value minus sum of that treatment (of row)
False - because each machine will have different natural tolerances.

31. Approximately what percent of a normal distribution falls between ± 3 standard deviations from the mean?
The US national quality award.
99.73%
Attribute.
Not necessarily.

32. What quality guru emphasizes management as a system?
Deming.
Brand image.
Reliability - Assurance - Responsiveness - Tangibles - Empathy
A descending order-sorted bar chart with a cumulative percentage line.

33. Uses of regression - Control
An assertion or conjecture concerning one or more populations
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
To obtain a certain desirable outcome from the process
Deming.

34. DOE
The manager in charge of a process being improved in a Six Sigma project.
Look for the assignable cause of non-random variation.
Causes that lead to a particular effect.
An experiment where one or more variables believed to have an effect on an experimental outcome are identified and manipulated according to a plan

35. Process occurance ranking
Is the consequence of the failure.
Shifts - Trends - Repeating patterns - Correlation with known events
Rank of 10 if there is >= 100 per 1000 piece Rank of 1 if there is <=.01 per 1000 pieces
The process of ranking opportunities to determine which of many potential opportunities should be pursued first.

36. Which quality guru developed the concept of loss to society?
Lean (or JIT).
Taguchi
Large enough to find two of the attribute - on average.
Stratify a particular defect type according to logical criteria

37. In a Z table - what is Z?
10 for Hazardous without warning 1 for none
The number of standard deviations some value is from the mean.
Incoming materials inspection - inspection and testing - maintaining test equipment - materials/services consumed
How much variance you expect around the prediction; two SEs gives you a 95% confidence interval.

38. If you have calculated a Cpk - should you also calculate a Cp?
The degree to which a product meets pre-established standards.
No; if the process is centered - Cp will be the same; if not - Cpk is what you need to determine capabilty.
Supplier - input - process - output - customer.
System to reduce waste and optimize productivity through maintaining an orderly workplace and using visual cues to achieve more consistent operational results.

39. DFMEA
Initiated before or at design concept finalization
Before production starts
Prevention and appraisal costs are balanced against internal and external failure.
0.9^3 or 72.9%

40. Design of Experiments (DOE) approach
Vary two or more variables simultaneously - Multiple measurements are obtained under the same experimental conditions
System to reduce waste and optimize productivity through maintaining an orderly workplace and using visual cues to achieve more consistent operational results.
Rank of 10 if there is >= 100 per 1000 piece Rank of 1 if there is <=.01 per 1000 pieces
Studying firms with the best performance in a particular area.

41. If a Cp shows that a process is not capable - should you calculate Cpk?
No -- if it is not the same - it can only be worse!
To monitor a process when measurement by variables is used.
Mistake-proofing.
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

42. What is an affinity diagram?
Someone who is consistently against virtually everything.
Fitness for use.
A brainstorming tool that shows the connections between ideas.
Consumer risk.

43. Test for Independence
Initiated before or at design concept finalization
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
A scatterplot.
Hold all input variables constant except one. Observe the response as you vary the single input.

44. Regression
How much variance you expect around the prediction; two SEs gives you a 95% confidence interval.
Represents the behavior of a process
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).

45. Define benchmarking.
Defects Per Million Opportunities
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
Studying firms with the best performance in a particular area.
Scrap - rework - retest - downtime - yield losses - disposition costs.

46. What is a dashboard?
Lower skill requirements - faster - less chance for error.
An assertion or conjecture concerning one or more populations
0.9^3 or 72.9%
A tool that shows performance along key dimensions all at once.

47. A process is operating "in control." Does this mean the customer's requirements are met?
Sort - Set in Order - Shine - Standardize - Sustain
Waste.
Vary two or more variables simultaneously - Multiple measurements are obtained under the same experimental conditions
No -- only if the process is also capable.

48. What quality tool formally incorporates the voice of the customer?
Outside.
Variable.
QFD
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.

49. Defect check sheets
To manage the Six Sigma project.
The target number of standard deviations from the mean for specifications.
Different types of defects are listed (used for Pareto chart)
Producer risk.

50. FMEA
To obtain a certain desirable outcome from the process
Attribute
Concluding there has not been an effect/change when there has.
It looks to minimize the probability of a failure - or to minimize its effects