Six Sigma and Lean: Foundations and Principles

In which situations is Kanban-pull being used?

*A light in the paper room flashes when more paper is required in the print room *An automated e-mail message is sent to a glass company when supplies at a bottling company are getting low

Which options are examples of poka-yoke?

*An alarm rings and light blinks if any product on the line is defective or missing *An online form has a drop-down box so that users will choose an acceptable value *After each step in a task, a worker pushes a button to signal it is complete

n which of these situations is Kanban-pull being employed?

*An automated voice instructs the next person in line to advance to a free customer service agent *A sensor detects when a parts bin is getting too light and sends a signal for a worker to refill the bin

You are considering Six Sigma for your organization. Which questions should you ask to assess whether your organization is ready for Six Sigma?

*Are our current improvement approaches and change management structures working well? *Is our organization strong enough to apply full-blown Six Sigma? Will Six Sigma help our organization develop a change culture? Is it critical that the organization makes changes now, based on key business needs?

Which situations are examples of the just-in-time method in use?

*As a worker finishes hand-painting one doll's face, the next doll arrives to be painted *Network cable is ordered and delivered to a site only after the installation crew has been scheduled

What are some of the benefits experienced by organizations that implement Six Sigma?

*Better understanding of what customers want and don't want, which leads to customer loyalty *Increased market share through reduced costs

Which activities represent the main stages of a Lean Six Sigma deployment?

*Prioritize improvements that will be implemented *Use control tools to ensure improvements are sustained *Identify what constitutes value for your customers

Which information could you obtain from studying a future state value stream map?

*Process improvements that will remove obstacles to good flow *Activities that may be causing waste

Which statements highlight the differences between Lean and Six Sigma?

*The objective of Lean is to remove or reduce waste within a process *Six Sigma uses mainly statistical tools

Brainstorming is a process that helps to generate ideas and solutions for project issues.Place the steps of a brainstorming session in the correct order.

1.Write down a problem statement for all to see 2Give background information so everyone understands the issue 3.Generate ideas or solutions 4Discuss and assess the ideas 5.Keep the best ideas and eliminate the weak ones 6Present the solution to stakeholders

Protects the interests of a Six Sigma project within the organization

A:Champion

May be a CEO or other top executive in the company

A:Executive leadership

Members are committed to making big changes in a short period of time

A:Process improvement team

Value-added

A:Rapid delivery

Requires little supervision and may use agile methods

A:Self-managed team

Helps the team get the resources they need for the project

A:Sponsor

Carries out the project work

A:Team member

What are the main stages of the Lean Six Sigma methodology?

Add new processes to supplement the ones identified as wasteful or ineffective *Identify the opportunity for your organization to improve processes or eliminate waste *Plan the solution for improving processes or eliminating nonvalue-add activities

As a project nears its completion, a team leader decides that some team members are no longer needed and assigns other tasks to them. What stage in a team's development best fits this description?

Adjourning

Consider an online gift shop and match each activity to its value type. More than one activity may match to a value type. A:Rapid delivery B:Answering telephones C:Workplace safety inspection D:Invoicing customers E:Gift wrapping

Adjourning

Which questions should you ask to determine if your organization is ready to adopt Six Sigma?

Are our current improvement approaches and change management structures sufficient? Is change a critical business need now, based on bottom-line, cultural, or competitive needs? Is our level of performance low enough to justify the cost of implementing Six Sigma?

May lead several small teams in getting certain tasks and mini projects done

B: Green Belt

Required nonvalue-added

B:Answering telephones D:Invoicing customers

Mentors and trains Green Belts

B:Black Belt

Works closely with the employees who will be implementing the process improvement, providing functional expertise

B:Process owner

Works directly with the Six Sigma team providing functional expertise

B:Process owner

Drives efficiencies over a long period

B:Quality team

Tends to be formed around repeating processes that occur on a routine basis

B:Self-managed team

A Six Sigma team is working on a project to improve patient admin at a hospital. The team leader meets with medical staff to discuss their requirements.How does the communication flow in this example?

Bottom-up Top-down Two-way

Has a short life span, but tackles a specific large problem

C:Ad-hoc team

Pulls people together from across departmental boundaries to solve a big issue

C:Ad-hoc team

Helps the team understand the tools and methodologies to be used; could be the Master Black Belt

C:Coach

Responsible for the overall vision and implementation of Six Sigma

C:Executive leadership

Organizes discussions and meetings to keep team focused on project goals

C:Facilitator

Key in assessing projects and determining what needs to be improved

C:Master Black Belt

Options

C:Workplace safety inspection

What are typical characteristics of the multivoting technique?

Consensus is reached by voting on ideas and tallying up the scores The level of interaction among participants is high

Able to secure resources necessary to carry out the project

D:Champion

Team leader who works on projects directly related to his function or job role

D:Green Belt

Focuses on quick activities that will generate high-impact change

D:Process improvement team

Generates many possible solutions to improve the quality of a process

D:Quality team

Ensures the project plan aligns with the business case

D:Sponsor

Offers Six Sigma expertise to help team members understand tools and methodologies

E:Coach

Works with team leader to carry out project tasks and functions

E:Team member

The nominal group technique can help a Six Sigma team generate and prioritize solutions to problems. What are guidelines for using this technique?

Each participant must be given an equal voice in the process Questions about ideas are allowed but no criticisms

You must allay the fears of team members as they begin a difficult project. You share information about project goals, provide direction, and delegate tasks.What stage of development is this team in?

Forming

Place the steps of a brainstorming session in the correct order.

Identify the problem Study available information Generate a pool of ideas, suspending all judgment Evaluate the ideas Rank ideas in terms of quality Prepare a report or presentation of findings

Label the characteristics according to whether they apply to Six Sigma, Lean, or both methodologies. Implemented by specialists and teams:

Implemented by specialists and teams:Lean and Six Sigma Delivers significant savings: Lean and Six Sigma Uses DMAIC methodology: Six Sigma Uses kaizen:Lean Uses theory of constraints: Six Sigma

What are the characteristics of a typical Six Sigma project status report?

It contains the planned-to-date progress, actual progress, and projections for all project activities It shows any changes that have been made to the initial project plan

What are the characteristics of an effective agenda?

It lists the topics that will be discussed It indicates the approximate durations for each discussion item The meeting goal is clearly stated with any necessary background information

What are the characteristics of a team that would bring value to its organization?

It quickly adapts to new challenges and maintains flexibility Each person understands the others' roles and responsibilities

What are some characteristics of Six Sigma?

It reduces the number of errors in a process by minimizing variation *The Six Sigma metric equals 3.4 defects per million opportunities

What are the key principles of Lean?

Maximize customer value Improve overall efficiency, quality, and customer satisfaction Reduce waste along the entire value stream

Six Sigma team members are starting to collaborate well and discuss ideas without becoming defensive. They've begun to respect each other's points of view. What stage of development is this team in?

Norming

team members are starting to collaborate well and discuss ideas without becoming defensive. They've begun to respect each other's points of view. What stage of development is this team in?

Norming

A team leader posts a set-up procedure for a new web site on a file server so that team members can access it. What type of communication happens when team members download the procedure document?

One-way

What type of communication happens when team members download the procedure document?

One-way

Which examples demonstrate poka-yoke characteristics?

Orders are given to decrease production if there is a drop in customer demand *An alarm beeps if a sensor detects that a container of product is too heavy or too light

An electronic games manufacturer ramps up production in anticipation of high sales during the holidays. What type of waste is this company in danger of producing?

Overproduction

The just-in-time, or JIT, method is an effective way to control inventory and eliminate wait times. In which examples is JIT being properly applied?

Paint and painting supplies are delivered to a home the afternoon before painters begin their job *Crab, mussels, and lobster are delivered to a seafood restaurant fresh from the boats each morning *

Constant improvement in processes targeting the ideal product or service as required by the customer

Perfection

A team is comfortable making decisions and sharing responsibilities. The team leader stands aside to let the team do the work, offering guidance as needed.What stage is this team's development in?

Performing

Sequence the key developments in the evolution of continuous improvement methodologies.

Plan, Do, Check, Act or PDCA cycle Correct answer. Statistical process control or SPC Correct answer. Quality circles Correct answer. TQM Correct answer. The Baldridge Criteria for Performance Excellence

Create products or services in response to actual customer demand

Pull

When a Six Sigma team needs to generate and prioritize potential solutions to a problem, the nominal group technique can help.What are some guidelines for effective use of the nominal group technique?

Questions should be asked to clarify proposed ideas Participants should generate and assess ideas individually and in private

Question What are some characteristics of a Yellow Belt?

Responsibilities include collecting data and assisting Green Belts and Black Belts Has basic training in Six Sigma tools and is actively involved in a Six Sigma project

What type of quality improvement methodology uses the DMAIC process?

Six Sigma

What are some of the core concepts that form the foundation of the Six Sigma DMAIC methodology?

Studying input variables to determine which ones have the greatest impact on the output of a process *Using statistics to analyze processes with the goal of sustained improvement *Using a cycle of continuous improvement to achieve near-perfection in all processes

How do Six Sigma teams provide value to an organization?

Teams can be formed for short-term or long-term projects, as the need dictates They allow the organization to pull together people who have the right skills for a specific project

It is important to have a record of decisions made and items discussed at a meeting. What are some best practices when it comes to recording the minutes of a meeting?

The minute taker should not be a participant in the discussion Minutes should contain only important points, such as important information or decisions made

What are best practices regarding taking the minutes of a meeting?

The minute taker should record only important points of the discussion The minute taker should flesh out points immediately after the meeting

If you want your meetings to go well, you need to prepare an agenda. What are the characteristics of an effective agenda?

The number of topics fits the allotted time Topics to be covered are clear and concise It states the purpose of the meeting

What are some characteristics of multivoting?

There is a risk of dominant individuals taking over the discussion Discussion and voting are done in a group setting

Yellow Belts hold an important role on a Six Sigma team. What are some of their characteristics?

They have basic training in Six Sigma tools and methods They assist with problem solving and data collection

How do status reports contribute to project success?

They keep everyone informed about project status Selected They contain current performance metrics the team needs

Products or features that meet expectations and that the customer is willing to pay for

Value

All the activities in a process lined up to take a product or service from a customer order until the time of delivery

Value stream