System Analysis & Design: Project Management - CH 8: Project Quality Management -- QUIZ 9

Which statement is one of Deming's 14 Points for Management? Answers: a. An organization should increase dependence on inspection to achieve quality. b. Award business based on price tag alone rather than on other considerations. c. Minimize total cost by working with multiple suppliers rather than a single supplier. d. Eliminate the annual rating or merit system.

Eliminate the annual rating or merit system. Feedback: Dr. W. Edwards Deming is known primarily for his work on quality control in Japan. One of Deming's 14 Points for Management states that an organization should remove barriers that rob people of workmanship and eliminate the annual rating or merit system.

A run chart is a bar graph that depicts data points and their order of occurrence. Answers: True False

False Feedback: A run chart displays the history and pattern of variation of a process over time. It is a line chart that shows data points plotted in the order of occurrence.

The term sigma means median. Answers: True False

False Feedback: An important concept in Six Sigma is improving quality by reducing variation. The term sigma means standard deviation.

DeMarco and Lister's study on organizations and productivity found direct correlations between productivity and programming language, years of experience, and salary. Answers: True False

False Feedback: DeMarco and Lister found no correlation between productivity and programming language, years of experience, or salary. Furthermore, the study showed that providing a dedicated workspace and a quiet work environment were key factors in improving productivity.

The design of experiments technique cannot be applied to project management issues such as cost and schedule trade-offs. Answers: True False

False Feedback: Design of experiments is a technique that helps identify which variables have the most influence on the overall outcome of a process. You can also apply design of experiments to project management issues such as cost and schedule trade-offs.

Gantt charts cannot be used to aid project quality management. Answers: True False

False Feedback: Gantt charts can be created using project management software to help plan and track work related to project quality management.

Only in-house auditors can perform quality audits. Answers: True False

False Feedback: In-house auditors or third parties with expertise in specific areas can perform quality audits; these quality audits can be scheduled or random.

Integration testing involves testing of each individual component to ensure that it is as defect-free as possible. Answers: True False

False Feedback: Integration testing occurs between unit and system testing to test functionally grouped components. It ensures that a subset or subsets of the entire system work together.

Reliability is the ability of a product or service to perform as expected under unusual conditions. Answers: True False

False Feedback: Reliability is the ability of a product or service to perform as expected under normal conditions.

Testing as a stage is important only at the end of an information technology product development. Answers: True False

False Feedback: Testing needs to be done during almost every phase of the systems development life cycle, not just before the organization ships or hands over a product to the customer.

Frameworks for helping organizations improve their processes and systems are called Six Sigma charts. Answers: True False

False Feedback: These frameworks are maturity models which describe an evolutionary path of increasingly organized and systematically more mature processes.

Products that are accepted by project stakeholders are considered to be validated deliverables. Answers: True False

True Feedback: Acceptance decisions determine if the products or services produced as part of the project will be accepted or rejected. If they are accepted, they are considered to be validated deliverables.

Change requests and verified deliverables are the outputs of the controlling quality process. Answer: True False

True Feedback: Controlling quality involves monitoring specific project results to ensure that they are complete, correct, and meet customer expectations. Change requests and verified deliverables are the outputs of the process.

During which phase of the DMAIC process is the fishbone or Ishikawa diagram used? Answers: a. analyze b. measure c. define d. improve

analyze Feedback: An important tool used in the analyze phase of the DMAIC process is the fishbone or Ishikawa diagram.

What cost is the price of evaluating processes and their outputs to ensure that a project is error-free or within an acceptable error range? Answers: a. prevention cost b. appraisal cost c. internal failure cost d. external failure cost

appraisal cost Feedback: Appraisal cost is the cost of evaluating processes and their outputs to ensure that a project is error-free or within an acceptable error range. Activities such as inspection and testing of products, maintenance of inspection and test equipment, and processing and reporting inspection data all contribute to appraisal costs of quality.

What process is used to generate ideas for quality improvements by comparing specific project practices or product characteristics to those of other projects or products within or outside the performing organization? Answers: a. mind mapping b. benchmarking c. systems thinking d. prototyping

benchmarking Feedback: Benchmarking generates ideas for quality improvements by comparing specific project practices or product characteristics to those of other projects or products within or outside the performing organization.

Which term is used when the project's processes and products meet written specifications? Answers: a. project feasibility b. benchmarking c. fitness for use d. conformance to requirements.

conformance to requirements Feedback: Conformance to requirements means that the project's processes and products meet written specifications. For example, if the project scope statement requires delivery of 100 computers with specific processors and memory, you could easily check whether suitable computers had been delivered.

Which graphic display of data illustrates the results of a process over time? Answers: a. statistical sampling chart b. control chart c. Pareto chart d. Six Sigma chart

control chart Feedback: A control chart is a graphic display of data that illustrates the results of a process over time. Control charts allow you to determine whether a process is in control or out of control.

Validated changes and validated deliverables are the outputs of the ____ subprocess of project quality management. Answers: a. closing b. initiating c. executing d. controlling

controlling Feedback: Validated deliverables are an output of the project quality management controlling process.

Six Sigma's target for perfection is the achievement of no more than _____ defects, errors, or mistakes per million opportunities. Answers: a. 34 b. 1.34 c. 13.4 d. 3.4

3.4 Feedback: Six Sigma's target for perfection is the achievement of no more than 3.4 defects, errors, or mistakes per million opportunities.

Which statement is one of Juran's ten steps to quality improvement? Answers: a. An organization should build awareness of the need and opportunity for improvement. b. An organization should entrust improvement to individual employees rather than appointing teams or facilitators. c. An organization should avoid "keeping score" in order to achieve an overall atmosphere of quality improvement. d. An organization should minimize top management involvement in the achievement of individual employee goals.

An organization should build awareness of the need and opportunity for improvement. Feedback: Joseph M. Juran wrote the first edition of the Quality Control Handbook in 1974, stressing the importance of top management commitment to continuous product quality improvement. One of Juran's ten steps states that an organization should build awareness of the need and opportunity for improvement.

Which process helps integrate traditionally separate organizational functions, set process improvement goals and priorities, provide guidance for quality processes, and provide a point of reference for appraising current processes? Answers: a. CMMI b. MTBI c. OPM3 d. SQFD

CMMI Feedback: The Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) is "a process improvement approach that provides organizations with the essential elements of effective processes. It can be used to guide process improvement across a project, a division, or an entire organization."

Who wrote Quality Is Free in 1979 and is best known for suggesting that organizations strive for zero defects? Answers: a. Crosby b. Ishikawa c. Juran d. Deming

Crosby Feedback: Philip B. Crosby wrote Quality Is Free in 1979 and is best known for suggesting that organizations strive for zero defects.17 He stressed that the costs of poor quality should include all the costs of not doing the job right the first time, such as scrap, rework, lost labor hours and machine hours, customer ill will and lost sales, and warranty costs.

Which five-phase improvement process do projects that use Six Sigma principles for quality control normally follow? Answers: a. use case modeling b. DMAIC c. weighted scoring model d. configuration management

DMAIC Feedback: Projects that use Six Sigma principles for quality control normally follow a five-phase improvement process called DMAIC.

Which system involves a three-part, continuous cycle of planning, controlling, and documenting quality in an organization? Answers: a. Seven run rule b. Six Sigma c. ISO 9000 d. ASQ

ISO 9000 Feedback: ISO 9000, a quality system standard developed by the ISO, is a three-part, continuous cycle of planning, controlling, and documenting quality in an organization.

Which chart helps users identify the vital few contributors that account for most quality problems in a system? Answers: a. control b. Gantt c. Pareto d. tracking Gantt

Pareto Feedback: A Pareto chart is a histogram that can help you identify and prioritize problem areas. The variables described by the histogram are ordered by frequency of occurrence. Pareto charts help you identify the vital few contributors that account for most quality problems in a system.

In TQC, product quality is more important than production rates, and workers are allowed to stop production whenever a quality problem occurs. Answers: True False

True Feedback: In Total Quality Control, product quality is more important than production rates, and workers are allowed to stop production whenever a quality problem occurs.

Project managers are ultimately responsible for quality management on their projects. Answers: True False

True Feedback: It is important for all project stakeholders to work together to balance the quality, scope, time, and cost dimensions of the project. Project managers, however, are ultimately responsible for quality management on their projects.

Managing quality includes all of the quality assurance activities plus product design and process improvements. Answers: True False

True Feedback: Performing quality assurance involves periodically evaluating overall project performance to ensure that the project will satisfy the relevant quality standards. The quality assurance process involves taking responsibility for quality throughout the project's life cycle.

Customer requirements are an important aspect of the quality planning process. Answers: True False

True Feedback: Quality planning involves communicating the correct actions for ensuring quality in a format that is understandable and complete. In quality planning for projects, it is important to describe key factors that directly contribute to meeting the customer's requirements.

The Six Sigma approach works best for a project where a quality problem is identified between the current and desired performance. Answers: True False

True Feedback: The Six Sigma approach works best for a project where a quality problem is identified between the current and desired performance.

Using Six Sigma principles is an organization-wide commitment and all employees must embrace its principles. Answers: True False

True Feedback: Using Six Sigma principles is an organization-wide commitment. CEOs, top managers, and all levels of employees in an organization that embraces Six Sigma principles have seen remarkable improvements due to its use.

Which is a measure of quality control equal to one fault in one million opportunities problems? Answers: a. six 9s of quality rule b. seven run rule c. ISO 9000 d. Six Sigma rule

a. six 9s of quality rule Feedback: Six 9s of quality is a measure of quality control equal to 1 fault in 1 million opportunities. In the telecommunications industry, it means 99.9999 percent service availability or 30 seconds of downtime a year.

What term is used for any instance where the product or service fails to meet customer requirements? Answers: a. yield b. variance c. defect d. deliverable

defect Feedback: A defect is any instance in which the product or service fails to meet customer requirements. Because most products or services have multiple customer requirements, there can be several opportunities to have a defect.

Which phase of the DMAIC process includes tools such as a project charter, a description of customer requirements, process maps, and Voice of the Customer (VOC) data? Answers: a. measure b. analyze c. improve d. define

define Feedback: Important tools used in define phase include a project charter, a description of customer requirements, process maps, and Voice of the Customer (VOC) data.

Which technique helps identify variables that have the most influence on the overall outcome of a process? Answers: a. crashing b. activity-on-arrow c. backward pass d. design of experiments

design of experiments Feedback: Design of experiments is a technique that helps identify which variables have the most influence on the overall outcome of a process. Understanding which variables affect outcome is a very important part of quality planning.

Which term is used for a cost that relates to all errors not detected and not corrected before delivery to the customer? Answers: a. appraisal cost b. external failure cost c. prevention cost d. internal failure cost

external failure cost Feedback: External failure cost is a cost that relates to all errors not detected and corrected before delivery to the customer. Items such as warranty cost, field service personnel training cost, product liability suits, complaint handling, and future business losses are examples of external failure costs.

What are the system's special characteristics that appeal to users? Answers: a. outputs b. yields c. metrics d. features

features Feedback: Features are the system's special characteristics that appeal to users. It is important to clarify what functions and features the system must perform, and what functions and features are optional.

Which term is used for the ability of a product to be used as it was intended? Answers: a. critical chain scheduling b. fitness for use c. free slack d. conformance to requirements

fitness for use Feedback: Fitness for use means that a product can be used as it was intended.

Which term is used for the degree to which a system performs its intended function? Answers: a. validity b. functionality c. maintainability d. reliability

functionality Feedback: Functionality is the degree to which a system performs its intended function. Features are the system's special characteristics that appeal to users. It is important to clarify what functions and features the system must perform, and what functions and features are optional.

Which addresses the ease of performing maintenance on a product? Answers: a. functionality b. reliability c. performance d. maintainability

maintainability Feedback: Maintainability addresses the ease of performing maintenance on a product.

Performing quality assurance is a subprocess of which project quality management stage? Answers: a. closing b. managing c. initiating d. benchmarking

managing Feedback: Managing quality includes all of the quality assurance activities plus product design and process improvements.

Which term is used for a standard of measurement in quality management? Answers: a. milestone b. metric c. merge d. matrix

metric Feedback: A metric is a standard of measurement. Examples of common metrics include failure rates of products, availability of goods and services, and customer satisfaction ratings.

What term is used for a bell-shaped curve that is symmetrical regarding the average value of the population (the data being analyzed)? Answers: a. bimodal distribution b. degenerate distribution c. normal distributiond. skewe d distribution

normal distributions Feedback: A normal distribution is a bell-shaped curve that is symmetrical regarding the mean or average value of the population (the data being analyzed).

Which addresses how well a product or service performs the customer's intended use? Answers: a. functionality b. performance c. reliability d. maintainability

performance Feedback: Performance addresses how well a product or service performs the customer's intended use.

The main outputs of which process are a quality management plan, quality metrics, project management plan updates, and project documents updates? Answers: a. controlling quality b. quality certification c. performing quality assurance d. planning quality management.

planning quality management Feedback: The main outputs of planning quality management are a quality management plan, a process improvement plan, quality metrics, quality checklists, and project documents updates.

Which process correct(s) or prevent(s) quality problems based on quality control measurements? Answers: a. process adjustments b. decomposition c. rework d. acceptance decisions

process adjustments Feedback: Process adjustments correct or prevent further quality problems based on quality control measurements. Process adjustments often result in updates to the quality baseline, Organization process assets, and the project management plan.

Which process is often associated with the technical tools and techniques of quality management, such as Pareto charts, quality control charts, and statistical sampling? Answers: a. quality certification b. quality control c. quality assurance d. quality planning

quality control Feedback: Controlling quality involves monitoring specific project results to ensure that they comply with the relevant quality standards while identifying ways to improve overall quality. This process is often associated with the technical tools and techniques of quality management, such as Pareto charts, quality control charts, and statistical sampling.

What term is used for the ability of a product or service to perform as expected under normal conditions? Answers: a. performance b. functionality c. reliability d. maintainability

reliability Feedback: Reliability is the ability of a product or service to perform as expected under abnormal conditions. In discussing reliability for IT projects, many people use the term IT service management.

Which process is an action taken to bring rejected items into compliance with product requirements or specifications or other stakeholder expectations? Answers: a. process adjustment b. acceptance decision c. validation d. rework

rework Feedback: Rework is action taken to bring rejected items into compliance with product requirements, specifications, or other stakeholder expectations. Rework often results in requested changes and validated defect repair, and it results from recommended defect repair or corrective or preventive actions.

Which process involves choosing part of a population of interest for inspection? Answers: a. conformance b. system testing c. statistical sampling d. fitness for use

statistical sampling Feedback: Statistical sampling is a key concept in project quality management.Statistical sampling involves choosing part of a population of interest for inspection.

Which test is done to test each individual component (often a program) to ensure that it is as defect-free as possible? Answers: a. unit b. integration c. system d. user acceptance

unit Feedback: A unit test is done to test each individual component (often a program) to ensure that it is as defect-free as possible. Unit tests are performed before moving on to the integration test.

Which testing involves an independent test performed by end users prior to accepting the delivered system? Answers: a. system b. unit c. user acceptance d. integration

user acceptance Feedback: User acceptance testing is an independent test performed by end users prior to accepting the delivered system. It focuses on the business fit of the system to the organization, rather than technical issues.