Test your basic knowledge |

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 does Crosby say about benchmarking?
Financial - customer - internal process - innovation and learning.
Look to your customer - not to other firms. "You can always find someone shorter - fatter and balder!"
Inventory = throughput x flow time.
= yij - y(bar)i --> value minus sum of that treatment (of row)

2. What is the role of a master black belt?
To mentor/coach (and sometimes train) black belts.
Attribute.
Data reduction to put a large number of qualitative inputs into a smaller number of major dimensions
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).

3. Failure cause
The degree to which a product meets pre-established standards.
System to reduce waste and optimize productivity through maintaining an orderly workplace and using visual cues to achieve more consistent operational results.
Is what induces the failure
The amount of variation in the dependent variable that is explained by the variation in the independent variable(s).

4. What is Type II Error?
Not necessarily.
Mean time to failure.
Concluding there has not been an effect/change when there has.
Mistake-proofing.

5. The data points on an SPC p-chart of defective percent plot below the mean. Is this good or bad?

6. For your SPC sample you weigh bags of potatoes. Is this variable or attribute SPC?
Variable.
To mentor/coach (and sometimes train) black belts.
Fewer good units to sell - increased variable cost/unit.
The secondary characteristics of a product; "bells and whistles."

7. 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 is promised and what is delivered.
The process of ranking opportunities to determine which of many potential opportunities should be pursued first.
The amount of variation in the dependent variable that is explained by the variation in the independent variable(s).

8. What is muda
Taguchi
Used to create frequency distribution tally sheets
Waste.
Fishbone - cause-and-effect diagram.

9. 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
Large enough to find two of the attribute - on average.
3.4 (assuming 1.5 sigma shift in the mean)
Outside.

10. In the Service Quality Gap Model - what is Gap 3?
Walter A. Shewhart
Is the consequence of the failure.
It's good -- but it's still out of control!
The gap between specifications and how service is performed.

11. What do you do when a process is out of control?
Represent the errors which are random variables with an assumed normal distribution with mean zero and a constant variance σ2.
To manage the Six Sigma project.
An interaction is defined as a dependence relationship between the response and the levels of two or more variables
Look for the assignable cause of non-random variation.

12. If you can only collect categorical data - what type of SPC charting can you do?
A brainstorming tool that shows the connections between ideas.
It looks to minimize the probability of a failure - or to minimize its effects
The ability of a process to consistently meet customer specifications.
Attribute.

13. Complete this quality phrase: 'Fix the process - not the _____.'
A descending order-sorted bar chart with a cumulative percentage line.
Variable.
Blame.
= yij - y(bar)i --> value minus sum of that treatment (of row)

14. Define benchmarking.
The House of Quality.
Studying firms with the best performance in a particular area.
Look to your customer - not to other firms. "You can always find someone shorter - fatter and balder!"
Initiated before or at design concept finalization

15. In the Service Quality Gap Model - what is Gap 1?
System to reduce waste and optimize productivity through maintaining an orderly workplace and using visual cues to achieve more consistent operational results.
It's good -- but it's still out of control!
To do a capability study for a non-centered process.
The gap between what management thinks customers want and what customers really want.

16. Risk Priority Number RPN
To be a member of a Six Sigma project team.
Linearity - normality - homoscedasticity - independence.
= S x O x D S--> Severity O--> Occurrence D--> Detection Higher the number the worse it is
The gap between what management thinks customers want and what customers really want.

17. Failure Mode
Is the way in which the failure is manifested.
Concluding there has been an effect/change when there has not.
5%
X-bar-bar

18. When yields decrease - what are the two effects on contribution?
Scrap - rework - retest - downtime - yield losses - disposition costs.
Fewer good units to sell - increased variable cost/unit.
The amount of variation in the dependent variable that is explained by the variation in the independent variable(s).
Performance - features - conformance - reliability - durability - serviceability - aesthetics - perceived quality

19. Which quality guru developed the concept of loss to society?
The process of ranking opportunities to determine which of many potential opportunities should be pursued first.
Taguchi
The ability of a process to consistently meet customer specifications.
Large enough to find two of the attribute - on average.

20. What is a Gantt chart?
Observed variation in response is caused by the input
Shows the temporal flow of activities in a project network.
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
Different types of defects are listed (used for Pareto chart)

21. What are the 5 Ss?
Mistake-proofing.
The process of ranking opportunities to determine which of many potential opportunities should be pursued first.
Conformance to specifications.
Sort - Set in Order - Shine - Standardize - Sustain

22. Affinity Diagrams
Prevention and appraisal costs are balanced against internal and external failure.
Organize ideas into meaningful categories by recognizing their underlying similarity
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
95%

23. Statistical Hypothesis
Is the way in which the failure is manifested.
No -- if it is not the same - it can only be worse!
The ability of a process to consistently meet customer specifications.
An assertion or conjecture concerning one or more populations

24. List two components of prevention cost.
The target number of standard deviations from the mean for specifications.
3.4 (assuming 1.5 sigma shift in the mean)
Quality planning - design review - education and training - process control - IS costs - quality reporting - improvement project costs - working with suppliers before production.
Data reduction to put a large number of qualitative inputs into a smaller number of major dimensions

25. ANOVA

26. FMEA
Rapid improvement process.
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
The target number of standard deviations from the mean for specifications.
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

27. What quality guru emphasizes management as a system?
Supplier - input - process - output - customer.
A tool that shows the physical flows through a space.
Deming.
Yes - when there are opportunities to improve - when contribution margin is adequate - when achieving market share is important.

28. What type of risk is associated with Type 1 Error?
=sqrt(Σ(x-x-bar)^2)/(n-1))
QFD
Producer risk.
100%

29. For what is an x-bar chart used?
To monitor a process when measurement by variables is used.
No -- the variation also has to be random and "expected."
Is the consequence of the failure.
An experiment where one or more variables believed to have an effect on an experimental outcome are identified and manipulated according to a plan

30. If a Cp shows that a process is not capable - should you calculate Cpk?
It's good -- but it's still out of control!
Variable.
A simple graph between two variables - visualize the type - degree of strength and shape of the relationship between two variables
No -- if it is not the same - it can only be worse!

31. In your major - courses are pass-fail. Would you monitor performance using attribute or variable SPC?
Attribute
Prevention and appraisal costs are balanced against internal and external failure.
Define - measure - analyze - improve - control.
p-bar - the long-run percent defective.

32. Where should specifications fall in relation to ± 3 sigma for the process in order for a process to be capable.
The secondary characteristics of a product; "bells and whistles."
Outside.
Causes that lead to a particular effect.
A time series plot.

33. Define durability.
Mean time to replacement.
QFD
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).
Fishbone - cause-and-effect diagram.

34. What is the difference between the way sampling is done for SPC and for acceptance sampling?
Variable.
Sampling for SPC is done real time.
No -- only if the process is also capable.
The Japanese national quality award.

35. In a regression - what does the standard error of the estimate tell you?
How much variance you expect around the prediction; two SEs gives you a 95% confidence interval.
Rapid improvement process.
Controlling quality at the source.
The degree to which a product meets pre-established standards.

36. Define serviceability.
No -- if it is not the same - it can only be worse!
Pleasing to the senses.
Observed variation in response is caused by the input
Speed - courtesy - competence - and ease of repair.

37. Definition of Interaction
They move closer to the center line.
An interaction is defined as a dependence relationship between the response and the levels of two or more variables
Can't tell without a Range chart.
Defects Per Million Opportunities

38. What is a dashboard?
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 tool that shows performance along key dimensions all at once.
Shifts - Trends - Repeating patterns - Correlation with known events
A simple graph between two variables - visualize the type - degree of strength and shape of the relationship between two variables

39. Define performance quality.
Prevention - appraisal - internal failure - external failure.
The primary operating characteristics of a product.
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
The ability of a process to consistently meet customer specifications.

40. When Crosby said - "Quality is free -" what dimension of quality was he referring to?
Fishbone - cause-and-effect diagram.
Large enough to find two of the attribute - on average.
Conformance to specifications.
Defects Per Million Opportunities

41. Uses of regression - Control
A time series plot.
An experiment where one or more variables believed to have an effect on an experimental outcome are identified and manipulated according to a plan
To obtain a certain desirable outcome from the process
Not necessarily.

42. What is the Baldrige Award?
Inventory = throughput x flow time.
The US national quality award.
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).
Prevention and appraisal costs are balanced against internal and external failure.

43. What is a run chart?
A time series plot.
Look for the assignable cause of non-random variation.
Supplier - input - process - output - customer.
The target number of standard deviations from the mean for specifications.

44. What is the 5S model?
Prediction and estimation. based on an unknown x value - estimation is based on a known x value
System to reduce waste and optimize productivity through maintaining an orderly workplace and using visual cues to achieve more consistent operational results.
Lean is waste reduction - Six Sigma is variation reduction.
It looks to minimize the probability of a failure - or to minimize its effects

45. What type of risk is associated with Type II Error?
Outside.
Consumer risk.
Incoming materials inspection - inspection and testing - maintaining test equipment - materials/services consumed
Conformance to specifications.

46. In the Service Quality Gap Model - what is Gap 2?
Complaint adjustment - returned material - warranty charges - allowances - loss of future business.
A chart that breaks the range of data into equal intervals and then shows the count of occurrences in each interval.
The manager in charge of a process being improved in a Six Sigma project.
The gap between what management thinks customers want and the process specifications.

47. Based on what principal can we use the normal distribution assumptions for SPC?
Sampling for SPC is done real time.
Mistake-proofing.
99.73%
Central Limit Theorem

48. To what does the Six in Six Sigma relate?
An interaction is defined as a dependence relationship between the response and the levels of two or more variables
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
The target number of standard deviations from the mean for specifications.
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:

49. Failure effect
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
Method developed by Ishikawa to graphically display the causes of any given problem
Is the consequence of the failure.
Technical quality is the "what" of the service; functional quality is the "how."

50. A process is operating "in control." Does this mean the customer's requirements are met?
No -- only if the process is also capable.
A random variable that summarizes the information from the sample(s).
Scrap - rework - retest - downtime - yield losses - disposition costs.
A chart that breaks the range of data into equal intervals and then shows the count of occurrences in each interval.