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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. Explain the difference between technical and functional service quality.
Attribute.
Technical quality is the "what" of the service; functional quality is the "how."
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
Consumer risk.

2. List Garvin's eight dimensions of product quality.
Blame.
Performance - features - conformance - reliability - durability - serviceability - aesthetics - perceived quality
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
Lower control limit.

3. How does Juran define quality?
Inventory = throughput x flow time.
Fitness for use.
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
Fewer good units to sell - increased variable cost/unit.

4. What is the formula for standard deviation?
The House of Quality.
Linearity - normality - homoscedasticity - independence.
Concluding there has not been an effect/change when there has.
=sqrt(Σ(x-x-bar)^2)/(n-1))

5. List two components of internal failure.
Variable.
Vary two or more variables simultaneously - Multiple measurements are obtained under the same experimental conditions
Scrap - rework - retest - downtime - yield losses - disposition costs.
To obtain a certain desirable outcome from the process

6. What is a CAVE man?
Controlling quality at the source.
Defects Per Million Opportunities
X-bar-bar
Someone who is consistently against virtually everything.

7. Name the structure associated with Quality Function Deployment.
A tool that shows the physical flows through a space.
Failure Modes and Effects Analysis
The House of Quality.
How much variance you expect around the prediction; two SEs gives you a 95% confidence interval.

8. Which type of SPC measurement is more precise - variable or attribute?
Shifts - Trends - Repeating patterns - Correlation with known events
Variable.
Prevention and appraisal costs are balanced against internal and external failure.
Is the way in which the failure is manifested.

9. List two components of prevention cost.
A diagram that shows the relationships between activities in a project network.
Fishbone - cause-and-effect diagram.
Quality planning - design review - education and training - process control - IS costs - quality reporting - improvement project costs - working with suppliers before production.
The gap between specifications and how service is performed.

10. Define durability.
The ratio of outputs to inputs; 1-scrap.
To monitor a process when measurement by variables is used.
System to reduce waste and optimize productivity through maintaining an orderly workplace and using visual cues to achieve more consistent operational results.
Mean time to replacement.

11. What is Kaizen?
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
Someone who is consistently against virtually everything.
Rapid improvement process.
Assigns scores to weighted criteria for each project under consideration.

12. List two appraisal costs.
Yes - when there are opportunities to improve - when contribution margin is adequate - when achieving market share is important.
Incoming materials inspection - inspection and testing - maintaining test equipment - materials/services consumed
Studying firms with the best performance in a particular area.
QFD

13. What is a Gantt chart?
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.
68%
Large enough to find two of the attribute - on average.
Shows the temporal flow of activities in a project network.

14. Approximately what percent of a normal distribution falls between ± 1 standard deviations from the mean?
68%
To mentor/coach (and sometimes train) black belts.
The degree to which a product meets pre-established standards.
Consumer risk.

15. Cause and Effect Diagrams
A random variable that summarizes the information from the sample(s).
To manage the Six Sigma project.
The Japanese national quality award.
Method developed by Ishikawa to graphically display the causes of any given problem

16. When yields decrease - what are the two effects on contribution?
Fewer good units to sell - increased variable cost/unit.
The primary operating characteristics of a product.
A tool that shows the physical flows through a space.
They move closer to the center line.

17. An SPC chart shows no points outside the control limits. Does this mean the process is in control?
Represent the errors which are random variables with an assumed normal distribution with mean zero and a constant variance σ2.
The gap between what customers expect and the service they receive.
No; if the process is centered - Cp will be the same; if not - Cpk is what you need to determine capabilty.
No -- the variation also has to be random and "expected."

18. With Six Sigma capability - how many defects per million opportunities would you see?
Fishbone - cause-and-effect diagram.
Waste.
= 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
3.4 (assuming 1.5 sigma shift in the mean)

19. If a three-stage process has 90% yields at each stage - what is the overall yield?
0.9^3 or 72.9%
The manager in charge of a process being improved in a Six Sigma project.
Represents the behavior of a process
The ratio of outputs to inputs; 1-scrap.

20. Approximately what percent of a normal distribution falls between ± 2 standard deviations from the mean?
5%
95%
The secondary characteristics of a product; "bells and whistles."
A random variable that summarizes the information from the sample(s).

21. In the Service Quality Gap Model - what is Gap 3?
The gap between specifications and how service is performed.
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
F_alpha - df(tr) - df (error)
Is the consequence of the failure.

22. What does Crosby say about benchmarking?
Look to your customer - not to other firms. "You can always find someone shorter - fatter and balder!"
The process of ranking opportunities to determine which of many potential opportunities should be pursued first.
Assigns scores to weighted criteria for each project under consideration.
Attribute.

23. Define perceived quality (Garvin's framework).
A random variable that summarizes the information from the sample(s).
A simple graph between two variables - visualize the type - degree of strength and shape of the relationship between two variables
Brand image.
A diagram that shows the relationships between activities in a project network.

24. 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
Initiated before or at design concept finalization
Rapid improvement process.
Controlling quality at the source.

25. What is a Pareto chart?
Represent the errors which are random variables with an assumed normal distribution with mean zero and a constant variance σ2.
QFD
A descending order-sorted bar chart with a cumulative percentage line.
Technical quality is the "what" of the service; functional quality is the "how."

26. What is the Deming Prize?
Someone who is consistently against virtually everything.
Waste.
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
The Japanese national quality award.

27. What is a run chart?
Mean time to failure.
To monitor a process when measurement by attribute is used.
A time series plot.
Method developed by Ishikawa to graphically display the causes of any given problem

28. Stratified defect check sheets
Someone who is consistently against virtually everything.
= yij - y(bar)i --> value minus sum of that treatment (of row)
Stratify a particular defect type according to logical criteria
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

29. For what is an x-bar chart used?
To monitor a process when measurement by variables is used.
= 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
Is the way in which the failure is manifested.
It's good -- but it's still out of control!

30. Statistical Hypothesis
The ability of a process to consistently meet customer specifications.
An experiment where one or more variables believed to have an effect on an experimental outcome are identified and manipulated according to a plan
An assertion or conjecture concerning one or more populations
Represent the errors which are random variables with an assumed normal distribution with mean zero and a constant variance σ2.

31. Affinity Diagrams
Kaoru Ishikawa.
A chart that breaks the range of data into equal intervals and then shows the count of occurrences in each interval.
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

32. Daniel Test
=sqrt(Σ(x-x-bar)^2)/(n-1))
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:
99.73%
1) Obtain Residuals 2) Fill out table --> y coordinates: F = 100 (i-.5)/N x coordinates: Ordered Residual 3) Plot on Normal Probability Paper

33. Taguchi's experimental designs are of this type.
Fractional factorial designs (orthogonal arrays)
Vary two or more variables simultaneously - Multiple measurements are obtained under the same experimental conditions
3.4 (assuming 1.5 sigma shift in the mean)
Someone who is consistently against virtually everything.

34. What are two other names for an Ishikawa diagram?
A scatterplot.
Fishbone - cause-and-effect diagram.
Central Limit Theorem
The cycle time required to meet demand.

35. Who is a process owner?
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).
Shows the temporal flow of activities in a project network.
Linearity - normality - homoscedasticity - independence.
The manager in charge of a process being improved in a Six Sigma project.

36. Define takt time.
The cycle time required to meet demand.
How much variance you expect around the prediction; two SEs gives you a 95% confidence interval.
Speed - courtesy - competence - and ease of repair.
A brainstorming tool that shows the connections between ideas.

37. Non-random patterns (Run Charts)
Shifts - Trends - Repeating patterns - Correlation with known events
Used to create frequency distribution tally sheets
Causes that lead to a particular effect.
1) Plot a Line chart of the data in time sequence 2) Draw a line at the median

38. Definition of Interaction
Kaoru Ishikawa.
An interaction is defined as a dependence relationship between the response and the levels of two or more variables
Vary two or more variables simultaneously - Multiple measurements are obtained under the same experimental conditions
Before production starts

39. What do you do when a process is out of control?
The target number of standard deviations from the mean for specifications.
Is what induces the failure
Look for the assignable cause of non-random variation.
The manager in charge of a process being improved in a Six Sigma project.

40. One factor at a time (OFAT)
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
= S x O x D S--> Severity O--> Occurrence D--> Detection Higher the number the worse it is
Hold all input variables constant except one. Observe the response as you vary the single input.

41. One factor at a time (OFAT)
No -- only if the process is also capable.
Fractional factorial designs (orthogonal arrays)
An assertion or conjecture concerning one or more populations
Observed variation in response is caused by the input

42. What inventory approach contributes to process quality by "lowering the river to find the rocks?"
Lean (or JIT).
Observed variation in response is caused by the input
The US national quality award.
It's good -- but it's still out of control!

43. For your SPC sample you weigh bags of potatoes. Is this variable or attribute SPC?
Variable.
Central Limit Theorem
Represents the behavior of a process
What the value of the dependent variable is when the independent variable is zero.

44. What is muda
A tool that shows the physical flows through a space.
Performance - features - conformance - reliability - durability - serviceability - aesthetics - perceived quality
68%
Waste.

45. In a Z table - what is Z?
Look for the assignable cause of non-random variation.
68%
Variable.
The number of standard deviations some value is from the mean.

46. What are the four perspectives of the Balanced Scorecard?
Financial - customer - internal process - innovation and learning.
Lower control limit.
The gap between specifications and how service is performed.
Organize ideas into meaningful categories by recognizing their underlying similarity

47. What type of risk is associated with Type II Error?
Consumer risk.
3.4 (assuming 1.5 sigma shift in the mean)
Deming.
Represent the errors which are random variables with an assumed normal distribution with mean zero and a constant variance σ2.

48. Approximately what percent of a normal distribution falls between ± 3 standard deviations from the mean?
99.73%
Lower control limit.
How much variance you expect around the prediction; two SEs gives you a 95% confidence interval.
The gap between what is promised and what is delivered.

49. F value
Outside.
Speed - courtesy - competence - and ease of repair.
F_alpha - df(tr) - df (error)
If the Response vs. Levels graph if the response lines are not parallel (crossing)

50. What is the role of a master black belt?
99.73%
A simple graph between two variables - visualize the type - degree of strength and shape of the relationship between two variables
To mentor/coach (and sometimes train) black belts.
No; if the process is centered - Cp will be the same; if not - Cpk is what you need to determine capabilty.