AP Section 4 Part C
Which of the following is the best way to begin changing employee behavior? Change the performance measurement and reward system. Provide more timely and explicit management directives. Simplify and flatten the organizational structure. Implement a human resource information system.
Change the performance measurement and reward system.
In order to reduce process variability, a company should first Conduct a process capability study Tighten up the tolerances Use statistical sampling to find defects Determine the cost of quality
Conduct a process capability study
Which of the following methods would be most effective for monitoring a process in a state of control? Perform analysis of variance (ANOVA) Conduct periodic audits Incorporate a process capability index Conduct frequent sampling
Conduct periodic audits
Group members engaged in continuous improvement activities often encounter which of the following obstacles? Meeting schedules Training requirements Conflicting goals Management involvement
Conflicting goals
An important criteria for measuring a group's process is that the measurements should be Chart the individual progress of each team member Consistent with company objectives Be linked to bonus compensation Be based on standard operating procedures
Consistent with company objectives
A good problem-solving team for solving complex business problems is Cross functional Virtual Departmental Self-directed
Cross functional
Which of the following is awarded to organizations, initially in Japan only, that successfully apply statistical quality control? ISO 9000 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. EFQM Excellence Model Deming Prize
Deming Prize
Using nominal group technique to generate ideas is similar to: A3. brainstorming. mind-mapping. force field analysis.
brainstorming.
Which of the following tools would be most appropriate to use in the measure phase of the six sigma improvement methodology? Regression and correlation Cost of poor quality analysis Implementation plan Process map
Process map
The basic requirement of the design of a manufacturing process is to meet Product specifications Management cost objectives Production schedules Line balancing
Product specifications
The role of upper management in a quality organization is to a. Hire outside resources to provide quality oversight b. Supervise the quality functions and activities c. Facilitate the quality teams d. Provide resources and training for quality activities
Provide resources and training for quality activities
A successful employee involvement (EI) program EXCEPT a. is a stand-alone event b. invests production personnel with the power to improve operations c. is good for emplyee morale, but seldom results in significant improvements d. meticulously follows management directives
invests production personnel with the power to improve operations
The process known as PDCA stands for: plan, do, check, action. plan, develop, check, accept. plan, decide, coordinate, act. prepare, do, check, accept.
plan, do, check, action.
Which of the following will have the greatest influence on an employee's evaluations and promotions? performance to standard setup time problem-solving skills product output
problem-solving skills
A flowchart that is useful for identifying areas of waste in the process is a: mind map. process map. cause and effect diagram. control chart.
process map.
When a company is pursuing a program to achieve manufacturing excellence, which of the following objectives should receive the highest priority? volume flexibility quality improvement cost reduction delivery reliability
quality improvement
When a strategy for continuous improvement is initiated, policies on which of the following areas are usually established first? quality improvement delivery dependability cost reduction flexibility
quality improvement
A design for a product or service that plans for intended performance in harsh environments is called: robust design. protective design. environmental design. sustainable design.
robust design.
The process analysis tool used to identify correlations between data points is a: p-chart. cause and effect diagram. gantt chart. scatter diagram.
scatter diagram.
A group of people who independently work to manage their actions to achieve a defined output is a: middle management group. self-directed work team. quality circle. work cell.
self-directed work team.
Which of the following may be used as a measure of flexibility? machine efficiency output per employee reduction of burden rate skills per employee
skills per employee
The A in the DMAIC process stands for: assign. analyze. act. assess.
analyze.
Introducing incremental improvements to an existing system is known as: heijunka. andon. kaizen. hoshin.
kaizen.
All of the following factors are required to implement effective cross-functional teams EXCEPT: employee empowerment. total quality management. change management. shared vision.
total quality management.
Three of the broad areas necessary to address how well the strategy execution process is performing are a. 1. Operations 2. Financial. 3. Schedule b. 1. Customer 2. Backorder / backlog. 3. Critical ratio c. 1. Quality, 2. Financial 3. Employee turnover d. 1. Financial 2. Customer 3. Employees
1. Financial 2. Customer 3. Employees
An example of using the poka-yoke technique in process design is A coupling is designed to eliminate incorrect insertion A rack system is designed to only go one direction Setup time is reduced by standardizing tooling The number of types of fasteners is reduced from 20 to 5
A coupling is designed to eliminate incorrect insertion
A benefit of cross-training employees is a. More consistent salary levels b. Additional problem-solving ideas generated due to cross-trained knowledge c. Retaining proprietary knowledge in-house d. Reduced need to hire from outside
Additional problem-solving ideas generated due to cross-trained knowledge
Which of the following costs of quality is addressed by the use of statistical process control? External failure Prevention Internal failure Appraisal
Appraisal
Which of the following types of costs of quality include inspecting materials? Prevention External failure Appraisal Internal failure
Appraisal
Which of the following tools typically relies on a facilitator to ensure that all team members have a chance to contribute? Brainstorming Pareto chart Affinity diagram Force field analysis
Brainstorming
A labor-intensive production line that requires specific skills is trying to increase its flexible capacity. This can best be achieved by a. Automating the equipment to do some of the work b. Hiring temporary staff with the necessary skills c. Establishing a focused factory d. Cross-training workers in various skills
Cross-training workers in various skills
The process that targets reducing defects and errors in existing products and services is B7. DMAIC. DOE. SPC.
DMAIC.
The first step in the problem solving cycle is to Determine the cause Evaluate the training Define the problem Assign a management team
Define the problem
In group consensus-building, which of the following actions takes place? a. There was 100% participation in the agreement b. Each member supports the decision, whether or not they agree with it c. The majority of the members agreed with the decision d. The members have reached 100% agreement on the decision
Each member supports the decision, whether or not they agree with it
An effective approach for Implementing a continuous improvement program is to a. Hire a continuous improvement consulting firm b. Incorporate quality circles throughout the company c. Institute a management by walking around philosophy d. Educate a cross-functional team in problem-solving technique
Educate a cross-functional team in problem-solving technique
Warranty claims and repair costs would be which of the following costs of quality? Prevention Internal failure External failure Appraisal
External failure
Cross-trained workers are an important part of lean principles for which of the following reasons? a. Skills are developed for internal hiring b. Cross-training eliminates competition among workers c. Flexibility is increased because personnel can be moved around d. Compensation levels are flattened for easier management
Flexibility is increased because personnel can be moved around
Design for manufacturability is supposed to result in which of the following? Delayed market introductions Reduced product features Improved product quality Reduced training needs
Improved product quality
Employee non-production time in a continuous improvement environment is acceptable for which of the following reasons? a. It is not acceptable, as 100% utilization should be the goal b. It allows employees to utilize flex time c. It shows management's trust that they will find something to do d. It allows time for employees to work on improvements
It allows time for employees to work on improvements
A three-pronged approach to managing quality is the: triple bottom line. Juran trilogy. A3 problem solving technique. continuous improvement trilogy.
Juran trilogy.
The group responsible for defining and creating a corporate culture is Management Board of directors Each individual department Human resources
Management
Which of the following engineering groups is most involved with a process design quality initiative? Manufacturing Quality Design Industrial
Manufacturing
Which of the following actions can be used to design out potential fail points? Increasing the ability to recover. Building in redundancy Developing corrective action plans. Mapping processes.
Mapping processes.
Which of the following techniques are the best indicators of where to concentrate efforts to solve a quality problem? Histograms Pareto analysis Run charts Fishbone diagram
Pareto analysis
Major improvements are sometimes known as breakthrough improvements and a. Depend typically on one or two highly skilled people b. Are rarely inexpensive c. Are generally not successful d. Should be quick to implement
Are rarely inexpensive
Job analysis includes which of the following actions? a. identifying and communicating what is required b. Job description and selection c. Determination of skills, ability and responsibilities of the person doing the job d. Recruitment, selection, compensation and performance appraisal
Determination of skills, ability and responsibilities of the person doing the job
Management can show their support for small group improvement activities by a. Encouraging ownership of the task by empowering the group with authority b. Rewarding individual results c. Providing management intervention when needed d. Highlighting the group's success in the annual report
Encouraging ownership of the task by empowering the group with authority
The PDCA cycle of quality improvement can be illustrated by which of the following situations? a. Exploring a range of solutions to a problem and piloting them in a controlled way before selecting one for implementation b. Working toward a decision that satisfies all participants c. Planning quality concurrently with production planning d. Prioritizing changes by identifying the problems that will be resolved by making these changes
Exploring a range of solutions to a problem and piloting them in a controlled way before selecting one for implementation
The responsibility of a leader of a small group improvement activity is to Report the team's decisions to management Facilitate the group's activities Make decisions when there is not consensus Give the team a project name
Facilitate the group's activities
Cross-functional project teams should receive training in Group dynamics Microsoft Project Project management Dealing with difficult people
Group dynamics
Which of the following methods encourages employee involvement within an organization? I. Implementing ideas quickly II. Recognizing employees for their ideas III. Promoting competition among employees a. I only b. III only c. I and II only d. I, II, and III
I and II only
Machine operators at XYZ Company are paid on an incentive system. Production is reported by the operator, including scrap. No adjustment is made for parts found defective at final inspection. Verification of parts counts is not routinely done. Which of the following outcomes would be expected in this environment? I, II, and IIII. Reported parts counts would tend to be higher than actual. II. The value of work-in-process inventory would be understated. III. Scrapped parts would tend not to be reported. a. I and II only b. I and III only c. II and III only d. I, II, and III
I and III only
Which of the following objectives typically characterize an employee involvement program? I. Solving problems II. Providing a forum for communication III. Implementing job sharing IV. Decentralized decision making a. I and II only b. I, II, and IV only c. I, III, and IV only d. II, III, and IV only
I, II, and IV only
The first step in the A3 process is to Research the possible solutions Identify the required outcome Identify the root cause and importance of the issue Map out the follow-up process
Identify the root cause and importance of the issue
Utilizing simulation in manufacturing is most beneficial for Prototyping new technology Training new employees Improving data collection Identifying potential continuous improvement areas
Identifying potential continuous improvement areas
The next step efforts to mitigate customer-reported manufacturing problems after a supplier developed "plan, do, check, act, repeat" strategy would be to a. Encourage more involvement by cost accounting directly with shop floor supervisors b. Hire black belt certified associates to address the problem c. Implement lean processes starting with Five S projects d. Implement quality processes such as statistical process control
Implement quality processes such as statistical process control
How does the concept of failsafe relate to equipment? a. Defective parts cannot be released to the next operation b. An action that will produce defective parts is prevented c. Equipment shuts down automatically if a defect is detected d. Improper internal setup actions cannot be taken
Improper internal setup actions cannot be taken
Which of the following actions by a company is most likely to lead to job enrichment and increased employee satisfaction? Divide jobs into specialized subtasks. Control quality by inspection. Increase employee control over the process. Separate planning from execution.
Increase employee control over the process.
Sometimes, a company's electro-mechanical products are used heavily in sometimes unanticipated ways thus leading to emergency service outages. The on-site repair team suggested the products be made to automatically assess, diagnose and report status. The cross functional product review team saw this as an opportunity to increase overall product value. The most impactful outcome of implementing this strategy would likely be to a. Increase the product's order winning features b. Become a potential union problem if machine diagnostics replace something a person could do c. Provide data for continuous improvement d. Facilitate upstream integration
Increase the product's order winning features
To demonstrate support for a quality improvement process, management should provide Financial backing Discipline Leadership Consultants
Leadership
Which of the following limitations applies to the number of levels in a cause and effect diagram? Limited by the number of causes and sub-causes Limited by the length of the brainstorming session Limited to 2-3 based on a significant few principles Limited by the physical dimensions of the paper
Limited by the number of causes and sub-causes
Which of the following concepts support an employee involvement initiative? a. Employees should act as facilitators, not problem solvers b. Management should provide the vehicle to allow employees to solve problems themselves when possible c. Individual incentive schemes encourage improvement to the process d. Workers must have access to their supervisors when discussing improvements, and accept their word is final.
Management should provide the vehicle to allow employees to solve problems themselves when possible
Two examples of fringe benefit motivational tools for wholehearted employee commitment are a. On site workout facilities and sharing executive financial packages b. Sharing sales associates goals and commissions and flex time c. Personal travel services and sharing top management's personal goals & objectives d. On site child daycare and sharing company financial data
On site child daycare and sharing company financial data
Top management's role in implementing total quality management (TQM) includes a. Participating in self-directed work teams b. Aligning the corporate vision with individual needs c. Overcoming cultural barriers to employee involvement d. Hiring outside individuals to drive the implementation process
Overcoming cultural barriers to employee involvement
Which of the following tools would most likely be used to identify negative variances that must be reviewed by senior management? a. Force field analysis of negative variance b. Histogram showing changes over time c. Pareto analysis of the top 5% variance d. Any negative variance must be reviewed
Pareto analysis of the top 5% variance
Which of the following performance measures of a distribution network best lends itself to continuous improvement initiatives? Quality Asset utilization Operating costs Cycle time
Quality
A company produces a household appliance in a highly competitive market. Which of the following quality commitments is the customer most interested in? Quality of conformance Product features Product warranty Quality of design
Quality of design
Which of the following benefits is considered to be the best motivator? Recognition Additional responsibility Self-worth Compensation
Recognition
Product positioning refers to a product's Relationship to other products based on total sales Relationship in the marketplace based on its features Relationship in the distribution network based on its customer base Relationship in the production facility based on similar products
Relationship in the marketplace based on its features
An information system implementation project is six months behind schedule because many people involved with the project are working on a serious problem with product quality. Which of the following actions should the executive steering committee take in this situation? a. Let the project manager handle the problem and get the project back on schedule. b. Contract with an outside systems and consulting group to implement the system. c. Cancel the system implementation because it is adversely affecting product quality. d. Reschedule implementation efforts based on the resources currently available.
Reschedule implementation efforts based on the resources currently available.
When a company seeks to measure the success of a change from breakthrough as contrasted with a continuous improvement change they should see a. The company's gross income improves from both improvement task completions b. The company's ROI improve from both improvement task completions c. Results in profit vs. better process results d. Results in better process vs. better employee morale
Results in profit vs. better process results
A closed loop approach for measuring the success of problem solving is Root cause analysis and corrective action Training and performance improvement Data gathering and Control charting Benchmarking and implementation
Root cause analysis and corrective action
Which of the following documents is an integral part of the continuous improvement process in a pull production environment? Actual production to plan Scrap report Direct labor report Product capability analysis
Scrap report
Which of the following is an example of an internal failure cost of quality? a. Scrapping products that do not meet specifications b. Processing customer complaints c. Warranty field repair d. Testing products before shipment to customers
Scrapping products that do not meet specifications
A company's customer is implementing lean initiatives, and have asked that the order receipt to ship time be reduced by 50%. This will have a significant impact on production and supporting departments. Which functional area should take the lead in evaluating this request and taking action? Production Senior management Sales Quality
Senior management
Strategic continuous improvement activities facilitated by management includes Affinity groups where a variety of products are assessed Setting direction, developing resources, and deploying resources Pure market research Finding opportunities, acquiring capabilities, and delivering product
Setting direction, developing resources, and deploying resources
To develop a team-based environment, a first step is to develop a Company hierarchy Project plan Measurement plan Shared vision
Shared vision
The A3 methodology is used as a tool for which of the following? Tracking statistical process control Documenting manufacturing costs Solving problems Replacing the plan-do-check-act (PDCA) process
Solving problems
One-hundred percent inspection is most appropriate for an incoming part used in a complex product assembly when a. The inspection cost is less than the cost of loss resulting from failure of the part b. There is a high probability of one or more failures within the inspection batch c. The high cost of inspection is justified by the high cost of the part itself d. There is a high cost of failure to the customer in normal usage of the product
The inspection cost is less than the cost of loss resulting from failure of the part
The role of the quality department in implementing total quality management (TQM) includes Serve as team leads for self-directed work teams Train employees on quality concepts and techniques Evaluate suppliers based on quality of material received Test products for conformance to specification
Train employees on quality concepts and techniques
When a temporary underload of capacity is experienced, a company should consider Training production personnel Taking annual physical inventory Laying off personnel Selling off surplus equipment
Training production personnel
Process maps can be powerful tools to a. Generate ideas on a particular subject. Each person on the team is asked to think creatively and write down as many ideas as possible. b. Prioritizing changes by identifying the problems that will be resolved by making these changes. c. Visualize processes and improve them, such as streamlining processes to reduce unnecessary steps. d. Determine the root cause of an issue or problem.
Visualize processes and improve them, such as streamlining processes to reduce unnecessary steps.
The seven tools that help organizations understand their processes in order to improve them are known as the: ISO9000. 14 Points. A3 problem solving tools. basic seven tools of quality (B7).
basic seven tools of quality (B7).
Defect Info 50 Weld is broken 15 weld is cracked 4 weld seam not ground smooth 1 missing a part 1 improper part alignment 1 part warped 1 part welded on backwards 1 seam incompletely welded The data included was collected for a welding assembly. The Quality team used a Pareto analysis to prioritize the individual decisions that will most improve the situationUsing the Pareto principle, which of these issues should be addressed first? a. Weld is borken plus Weld is cracked b. Weld is borken plus weld is cracked plus weld seam is not ground smooth c. Weld is broken d. Weld is borken plus weld is cracked plus weld seam is not ground smooth and Seam incompletely welded
Weld is borken plus Weld is cracked
A continuous improvement activity such as developing a tool that facilitates quicker setup on a specific machine a. Will likely be completed with two or three people from manufacturing within a work group b. Should involve a cross functional team c. Should be completed by management d. Should fall under the company's program management department and be subject to all the formal controls one would expect within formal project management scope.
Will likely be completed with two or three people from manufacturing within a work group
A fishbone diagram most often is used to identify: a. the organizational flow. b. a problem. c. a process. d. a cause.
a cause.
A prerequisite for effective self-directed teams typically is that the team members: a. are empowered to take responsibility for understanding and performing work. b. are at similar levels in the organization. c. willingly report to a team supervisor. d. have similar work experiences.
are empowered to take responsibility for understanding and performing work.
The goal of a six sigma program is to: decrease process variation improve from a five sigma program improve the Capability Index to a 6 sigma create 3.4 DPMO
decrease process variation
Failure mode effects analysis (FMEA) rates failures based on the probability of their occurrence and their: degree of severity. chance of occurring more than once. likelihood of causing other failures. ease of mitigation.
degree of severity.
The concept of using the experience, creative energy, and intelligence of all employees by treating them with respect and involving them in decision-making is: employee stock ownership plan. employee assistance program. employee empowerment. employee involvement.
employee involvement.
A workforce whose members are cross-trained and who can be assigned to different tasks is a: allocated workforce. floating workforce. modular workforce. flexible workforce.
flexible workforce.
Analyzing the movement of material within a process can be achieved by using a: flowchart. scatter diagram. r-chart. statistical process control chart.
flowchart.
When a person dominates the discussion in a meeting, the individual who requests additional input from other members of the group is the: gatekeeper. extrapolator. sensei. supervisor.
gatekeeper.
Pareto analysis is a method used to: identify causes with the largest impact. categorize corrective actions. determine product quality. summarize possible causes of problems.
identify causes with the largest impact.
A management style of employee empowerment enables workers to hire and fire personnel. make improvements in their work place. perform management evaluations. authorize work orders.:
make improvements in their work place.
A management approach to success through customer satisfaction is: total quality control (TQC). total quality engineering (TQE). total productive maintenance (TPM). total quality management (TQM).
total quality management (TQM).
