CSSYB Exam
Which of the following is a linear equation representing a straight line?
y=a+bx
When should the team review their project status and communicate with major stakeholders?
At the end of each major step in their project or work plans
Which of the following items should be included in a meeting agenda?
Discussion topics Agendas should include - Purpose of the meeting; topics; lead person for each topic; time estimates
When an identical item is measured many times, measurement consistency or repeatability is best known as:
Precision - "closeness" of repeated readings to each other
A Six Sigma team has formed to address increasing wait times in a hospital's emergency room services. One of the types of data the team has decided to collect is customer feedback. Which of the following techniques would be the best method for collecting this data?
Survey
Which of the following is an example of attribute data?
Cleanliness Attribute data is also known as discrete data. Discrete data result from counting the occurrence of events.
The DMAIC model stands for:
Define, measure, analyze, improve, and control
Multivoting can be used with the following tool:
Fishbone diagram Multivoting is used to determine the most likely cause
The binomial distribution is used to model which of the following types of data?
Discrete data
Which of the following tools is used to predict what could happen if something goes wrong in a process?
FMEA
Which of the following is the formula for constructing the upper control limits of the X and R chart?
A + A2R X and R control charts show how the process average changes, along with corresponding changes in process variation.
In a gage R&R study, bias is similar to which of the following?
Accuracy -- closeness of agreement between the average of one or more measured results and a reference value
What is the standard definition of power?
By reducing the B-risk, you increase the power of the experiment.
A quality tool closely aligned with assessing the financial impact of poor quality is:
Cost/benefit analysis Many things that are worked on throughput the shop can be classified into one of four categories: prevention costs, appraisal costs, internal failure costs, or external failure costs
In creating the risk priority number, the three scales are calculated using which mathematical function?
Multiply
A type 1 error occurs when the:
null hypothesis is rejected when it is true. There are two types of errors possible when formulating a conclusion regarding a population based on observations from a small sample. Type 1 error results when the null hypothesis is rejected when it is actually true (Also referred to as alpha error or as the producer's risk for sampling). Type II error results when the null hypothesis is not rejected when it actually should have been rejected (also known as beta error or consumer's risk for sampling)
Which of the following would indicate a strong positive linear relationship between two variables?
.80
The correlation coefficient "r" is expressed as a number between _______ and _______.
1.00, -1.00 The correlation coefficient r provides both the strength and the direction of the relationship between the independent and dependent variables. When r is positive, the relationship between x and y is positive, and when r is negative, the relationship is negative. A correlation coefficient close to zero is evidence that there is no relationship between x and y.
Which of the following is a standard process specification error percentage for MSA?
40% to 50% When conducting a measurement systems analysis, it is not uncommon to find an error of 40% to 50% in the measurement system.
Which of the following tools is used to reduce problems arising from poor housekeeping or organization?
5S A workplace organization method that can help improve the efficiency and management of operations. A process is impacted by its environment, as is the ability of personnel to respond to process change. Improvements in the general state of the work area, including access to hand tools, and so on, are an aid to process control. Especially critical here are the cleanliness, lighting, and general housekeeping status of any area where measurements are conducted since process control data are filtered through the measurement system.
When first learning to use the cause-and-effect diagram, many teams will use which of the following approaches to label the major "fishbones," or categories, on the diagram?
6 M's Besides using the five W's and one H in creating the cause-and-effect diagram, many people start with the six M's: Man (people/operator); Machine (equipment); Methods (operating procedures); Materials; Measurement; Mother nature (environment)
What is benchmarking?
A reference point for an organization to compare its position with others in the industry
5S
A workplace organization system comprised of the following steps: sort, set in order, shine, standardize, and sustain.
In a gage R&R study the __________ is used to assess the sources of variation that are statistically significant.
ANOVA table -- Analysis of variance, table for a gage R&R study is used to assess which sources of variation are statistically significant. It is used to analyze the study as a designed experiment. The factors are instruments, operators, and samples. This analysis is done with computer software. The results will include interactions between instruments and operators.
Which of the following is a technique for gathering and organizing large numbers of ideas or facts?
Affinity diagram Taps the team's creativity and intuition Created in the 1960s by Japanese anthropologist Jiro Kawakita
A banking company implemented a Six Sigma strategy with a goal of improving performance over the next 3-5 years. An initial step was to obtain cycle time data from multiple sites. The data existed in the data warehouse but needed to be extracted through an ad hoc report. Which type of data collection method is best for obtaining this data?
Automatic data capture -- real-time data capture This may be expensive to set up due to interfacing the hardware and software with the source where the data are generated. This prevents errors in the data and the associated cost of correcting the errors, and also prevents wrong decisions made from erroneous data. One of the main advantages of automatic data capture is the availability of the data when taking action. There is no time lag between data collection and availability. This may be important when risks are high such as in finance, healthcare, and security management. (E.g. alerting a customer when fraud has been detected on account)
Which level of Six Sigma Belts is responsible for facilitating Six Sigma methodologies, statistical tools, basic financial tools, change management, risk assessment, and project management activities?
Black
Which of the following should select team members and ensure that improvements are sustained?
Black Belt -- responsible and accountable for the execution and results of a given process: Selecting team members Allocating resources for projects Providing process knoweledge Reviewing process changes Approving changes/supporting change management Implementing change Ensuring that improvements are sustained
Which of the following is defined as "the drift in the average over time"?
Calibration -- drift in avergae measurements of an absolute value
A Six Sigma team designed a quality survey containing five questions. One of the questions has two responses: "Yes" or "No". Which of the folowing represents this type of data?
Categorical variables -- represent a type of data that may be divided into groups Qualitative and can be expressed in descriptive words Certain process measures are expressed only in qualitative data, such as consumer experience and perceptions
In the _______ stage of the Deming cycle, the team evaluates the effects of implementation.
Check At the do stage, the team implements the solution. At the check stage, the team evaluates the effects of the implementation. At the act stage, the team takes appropriate actions as to whether to continue the cycle by going back to the plan stage or to standardize the learning to ensure sustainability of the actions
When collecting data on the frequency or patterns of events, problems, defects, defect locations, or defect causes, which of the following tools should be employed
Check sheet -- structured, prepared form for collecting and analyzing data When to use: When data can be observed and collected repeatedly by the same person or at the same location When collecting data on the frequency or patterns of events, problems, defects, defect location, defect causes, and so forth When collecting data from a production process
Which of the following is true regarding control charts?
Control charts are essentially run charts to which two horizontal lines are added Both have a central line for the average and are time ordered. Where the two charts differ is that the control chart has an upper line for the upper control limit, and a lower line for the lower control limit.
A Six Sigma project team is in the analyze phase and is ready to collect data to determine what types of errors are occuring during the admission process in a local emergency room. A simple random sample of applications has been collected for review of missing or incorrect fields. Which of the following is the best data collection method for this review?
Checklist -- has a standard set of items/questions that are required to be verified/answered for a process or product As an example, an equipment technician uses a maintenance checklist to go over a list of items and confirm each item's fitness for use.
Effective project planning requires several qualitative, or behavorial, skills. Which of the folloiwng is one of those skills?
Communication Effective project planning requires skills in the following areas: information processing, communication, resource negotiations, securing commitments, incremental and modular planning, assuring measurable milestones, facilitating top management involvement
Which of the following describes an update protocol (what, who, where, when, how, and how frequently), escalation procedure, escalation threshold (when to escalate), and feedback effectiveness verification for a Six Sigma process team?
Communication plan A simple project may require daily or weekly meetings with project members meeting face-to-face or through virtual media to update the status of the project and discuss any new risks encountered A complex project may require a formal communication plan
A company that strives to reduce toxic emissions from its vehicles is directly addressing the needs of which customer group?
Community Stakeholders are those who have a vested interest in the process and/or its products/outputs. Generally, stakeholders of an organization include customers, suppliers, employees, investors, and communities. Stakeholder interest and involvement with the process may change over time depending on economic, contractual, and other influences
Voice of the customer data gathering might include which of the following?
Complaint logs VOC might include gathering and integrating survey data, focus group findings, lost customer analysis, lost bids analysis, warranty data, complaint logs and field reports and any other data and info that affect customer's purchasing and relationship decisions
The team assigned to the gourmet cupcake store discovered that customers experienced inconsistency in the ordering process. To better understand this variation, the team decided to construct an XmR chart. Which of the following types of data is required to create an XmR control chart?
Continuous data The chart of indiviudals (XmR) is a pair of control charts used to study variable data that are not generated frequently enough for an X and R chart and that form a normal distribution. Continuous data in time order are used for this chart. Data are not subgrouped. Individual data points are plotted on one chart, and the differences between successive points - the moving ranges - are plotted on the second.
A team that collaborates and shares responsibility to reengineer a process with members from a variety of functions or the same function describes what kind of team?
Continuous improvement (CI) team -- works directly with each team member in a collaborative manner to focus on improving processes
Which of the following tools is used to identify special cause variation?
Control charts A process is considered to be in statistical control when special causes have been removed and only common causes remain.
Which of the following indicates on a control chart what a process should be capable of doing?
Control limits -- determined from historical data using +-3 standard deviations from the mean and allow one to draw conclusions about whether the process variation is consistent (in control) or is unpredictable (out of control, affected by special causes of variation)
The following steps would be used to create which document that ensures the correct monitoring and measurement of required actions and process outcomes? 1. Specify those variables with direct or indirect impact to the remedy and customer 2. Establish the control limits and standards for when to take action 3. Measure and set baselines for the different control variables 4. Specify the timing and location for measurements, and determine that appropriate control chart 5. Assign and delegate those who will review and analyze monitoring and measurement results to identify when processes are out of control, and diagnose the assignable causes 6. Put troubleshooting and corrective actions in place to restore the process quickly, incorporating adaptations to this document as part of ongoing improvement
Control plan A document summarizing all the key information that an operator needs to know to manage, control, and monitor the process. It includes the following elements: what to measure, when to measure, how to measure, how often to measure, and what to do and who to contact if something is not right.
Which of the following concepts describes costs incurred because things are not done right the first time and every time?
Cost of poor quality -- way of studying a process's flowchart to identify potential problems When to use: When flowcharting a process, to be sure that cost-of-poor-quality activities are included After flowcharting a process, to identify a process, to identify problems, potential causes, and areas in which to concentrate improvement efforts
Generating a large number of ideas surrounding an issue or a problem is performed during which stage of brainstorming?
Creative Brainstorming has two phases: The creative phase, in which a large number of ideas are generated, and the evaluation phase, in which the ideas generated are looked at for usefulness or applicability. The two phases should be seperated by a time break, as different parts of the brain are used in each phase.
The main benefit of creating an activity network diagram is the calculation of the:
Critical path An activity network diagram displays the sequential order in which tasks are carried out in a project. The diagram illustrates the efficiency of the schedule for the entire project. It can also reveal any potential scheduling and resource problems in the sequence planned. The "Critical Path" is the flow of critical steps in which a delay in any of the steps will affect the duration of the entire project. A project manager looks at the critical path closely to ensure that resources are adequately planned to help make up for any delays in the project
Disney World management asking attendees how Disney World could improve their visiting experience would be an example of:
Customer research Goal of VOC is to achieve customer loyalty and to build customer relationships.
When a task is taking longer than the customer or downsteam process expects, which of the following activities should the team employ to resolve the issue?
Cycle time reduction Cycle time is the elapsed time that it takes to complete a process from start to end.
One of the things a team leader should do in a team's first meeting is:
Define roles and responsibilities
A team has been formed to determine the reason for the decrease in customer satisfaction in its gourmet cupcake store. The team would like to better understand the reason for the decline in customer satisfaction. Which of the following is the next step for the team?
Develop a data collection plan A data collection plan is used to organize and provide rigor in the data collection process. Most data collection plans contain the following information: 1. What to measure 2. How to measure 3. When to measure 4. Where to measure 5. Who will measure 6. A sampling plan
Run charts differ from control charts because they:
Do not have statistical control limits to monitor variation Run chart is used to identify patterns in process data. All of the individual observations are plotted in a time sequence, and horizontal reference line is drawn at the median. Typically used when the subgroup size is 1 When subgroup size is greater than 1, the subgroup means or medians are caluclated and connected with a line, similarly to a control chart Run charts do not have statistical control limits to monitor variation
Which of the following is a data collection tool used when collecting qualitative data?
Face-to-face interviews This method provides highly reliable data but the data are expensive to collect. The interviewee should be willing to commit time and provide honest feedback.
In which stage of the Deming cycle is a plan implemented on a trial basis?
Do: Record/observe/collect data; examine/prioritize/analyze; justify/evaluate cost; investigate/determine most likely solutions; test and verify/determine cost and benefits; develop/test most likely causes Plan: Select project; define problem and aim; clarify/understand; set target/schedules; inform and register project; solve/come up with most suitable recommendation Check (study): Consolidate ideas; select next project; seek approval from management Act: Plan installation/implementation plan; install/implement approved project/training; maintain/standardize
The process during the control phase required to control document changes and communication to stakeholders is called:
Document control Under the section for document control, organizations with ISO 9001 or equivalent management systems implemented have a process to control document changes and communication to stakeholder. It is important to identify the appropriate stakeholders for change review, approval, and communication. Sometimes the stakeholders may be outside the organization, such as customers, suppliers, and the regulating body. Those with authority to make changes in the organization should also pay attention to retrieve obsolete communications and discard them. It is very easy in an organization to leave old information at various process locations if there is no system for controlled distribution and retrieval. This may cause major confusion and inconsistency in operations where one area is following the old process and another area is using newly implemented changes. Change management also involves training personnel and mistake-proofing the system so that employees do not regress to the old ways.
The _________ combines necessary information into one document to help plan, monitor, control, study, and maintain your process.
Dynamic control plan (DCP) -- Some of the documents include standard operating procedures (SOPs), control plans, FMEA, gage control plan, and quality planning sheets (QPSs).
A Six Sigma project team is planning to conduct a survey to collect customer satisfaction information for service received while dining at the company's seafood restaurant chain. The population is somewhat hard to reach, and it is known that people visiting this restaurant are Internet savvy and prefer to receive information via e-mail. Which of the following data collection tools should the team use?
E-survey -- sophisticated Internet-based surveys Can be structured with interactive features such as graphics or programming that triggers alternate questions based on previous responses More convenient and enjoyable for respondents, leading to higher response rates Carried out faster, provide almost instant analysis, cost less than traditional mail or phone surveys, and sometimes allow better targeting of respondents
Which of the following stakeholders would be most directly impacted by a reduction of internal failures in a rental car call center?
Employees Internal failure costs are costs incurred to remedy defects discovered before the product or service is delivered to the customer
If the Six Sigma improvement team wishes to gather direct feedback from someone who uses their product in their own home, which of the following would they interview?
End user External customers who purchase products/services for their own use
The primary purpose of stakeholder identification and analysis is to:
Enlist key resource support from those who can significantly influence project success
A cause-and-effect diagram is also known as a:
Fisbone diagram Cause-and-effect diagram graphically illustrates the relationship between a given outcome and all the factors that influence the outcome (sometimes called Ishikawa diagram)
Root cause analysis depends on an accurate map of the process under study. Another term for process mapping is:
Flowcharting Some of the RCA methodologies in use include 8 disciplines (8D) methodology, 5 whys, Six Sigma-DMAIC, and drill deep and wide (DDW) (Ford Motor Company. Some techniques used to uncover the root cause include: - Value-added and non-value-added analysis - Comparison of the as-is processes and the should-be processes (flowcharts define processes) - Failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA) - Change analysis (evaluating changes made that could potentially affect the outcome) - Barrier analysis (errors in prevention - why did the inspection fail to capture the defect?) - Prediction analysis (why did the organization fail to predict the problem?)
A large insurance company is designing a new online application process. The assigned project team would like to gather input from existing and future customers. Which of the following would be the best method for collecting this data?
Focus groups In this method, a group of individuals is assembled to obtain perceptions, thoughts, beliefs, and opinions about a product or service. It is similar to the face-to-face interview in that the interview may be able to obtain direct feedback. However, the interactions between the focus group participants may be skewed by the dominant participants. Having an experenced moderator will help obtain unbiased feedback.
Which of the following tools is the best choice in collecting data to identify potential causes during a root cause analysis?
Force-field analysis -- used to offer a counterpoint for every point that favors an issue or decision. This tool is useful in understanding root causes by reviewing the forces "for" and "against". Some other techniques useful for collecting data to help identify potential causes: Brainstorming, cause-and-effect diagram, and flowchart
Incremental improvement, or kaizen, is achieved by:
Frontline employees Incremental improvement, or kaizen, is achieved by the people who work on the process every day. By challenging themselves to improve quality and productivity without incurring significant capital investment, employees provide small, steady improvements in their work. Kaizen from day-to-day work is submitted by employees for review and approval. There needs to be management support and recognition of the efforts to institute kaizen improvements. Management needs to empower the employees to propose and make incremental changes to the products and processes.
Which of the following is a control plan that provides for a written method to describe the system that controls the proper usage of the equipment to help ensure that measurement variation is as low as possible given the current set of conditions?
Gage Gage control plan is followed to look at the tools for monitoring and checking the process. It can be a type of FMEA for the tools you use; it should look at maintenance, calibration, and proper handling of instruments. It also provides for a written method to describe the system that controls the proper usage of the equipment to help ensure that measurement variation is as low as possible given the current set of conditions. The gage control plan is not meant to replace the gage or test equipment instruction sheets, but to guide the operator in what to do if certain circumstances occur.
A graphical method for monitoring key activities and their duration is called a(n):
Gantt chart In addition to key activities and duration, it shows task milestones and task relationships between predecessor and successor tasks.
The Six Sigma team is developing a chart to schedule and monitor their project tasks. Which of the following tools should they employ?
Gantt chart -- bar chart that show the tasks of a project, when each must take place, and how long each will take. As the project progresses, bars are shaded to show which tasks have been completed. When to use: - When scheduling and monitoring tasks within a project - When communicating plans or status of a project - When the steps of the project or process, their sequence, and their duration are known - When it is not necessary to show which tasks depend on completion of previous tasks
Which of the following is representative of a two-tailed hypothesis test?
H (Null): u=0; H(hypothesis): u does not equal 0
A Six Sigma Green Belt would like to view the distribution and central tendency of the points in a given data set. Which one of the following would be the best tool for this task?
Histogram -- displays the patterns and range of variables, and also suggest a central tendency
Which of the following tools is the most useful for viewing the frequency or number of observations of a specific set of data?
Histogram -- graphic representation (bar chart) used to plot the frequency with which different values of a given variable occur; used to examine existing patterns, identify range of variables, and suggest a central tendency in variables
A Pareto chart is used for what?
Identifying the vital few types of defects -- these charts sort occurence by order of frequency Can be used to select a Six Sigma project; used to illustrate significance of an issue
Cost/benefit analysis is used in the _______ phase of a Six Sigma project.
Improve Cost of improvement actions may involve design, development, deployment, sustaining people, equipment, material, environmental controls, software, communication, transport, security, and so on. These costs are compared with cost prevention or reduction of scrap, errors, defects, failures, accidents, violations, nonconformance, cost avoidance of repair, regrade, rework, recall, reinstall, and/or rehire. There are also costs that are difficult to measure, for example, loss of customer confidence and customer dissatisfaction. A typical cost/benefit analysis involves calculating both the applicable measurable costs that will be incurred and the benefits of the costs avoided.
A sponsor would assign an improvement activity to a Six Sigma project team if the problem involved which of the following characteristics?
Intense data analysis Problems involving extensive data analysis and improvements using designed experiments would likely be assigned to a Six Sigma team, while process improvement involving waste reduction might be assigned to a lean manufacturing team.
What are the three factors that should be assessed during a stakeholder analysis for a Six Sigma project?
Interest, influence, and importance
When a system is affected only by common cause variation, that system:
Is in control
A data set that reflects a bimodal shape
Is one in which there are two very large concentrations of numbers while the rest of the data set shows low numbers
A diagram that graphically illustrates the relationship between a given outcome and all the factors that influence the outcome is referred as a:
Ishikawa diagram Sometimes called the fishbone diagram. This type of diagram displays the factors that are thought to affect a particular output or outcome in a system. The factors are often shown as groupings of related sub-factors that act in concert to form the overall effect of the group.
Which of the following is a reason why multivoting is preferrable to straight voting when making a decision?
It allows an item that is favored by all, but not the top choice of any, to rise to the top Multivoting narrows a large list of possibilities down to a smaller list of the top priorities or to a final selection. Multivoting is preferrable to straight voting.
An advantage of value analysis is that:
It identifies continuous improvement opportunities Purpose of value analysis is to uncover and remove wastes within an organization
Which of the following describes "a production strategy promoted by Toyota, and now applied to many organizations, that strives to improve business return on investment by reducing in-process inventory and associated carrying costs"?
Just-in-time (JIT)
A Japanese term that means gradual, unending improvement by doing little things better and setting and achieving increasingly higher standards is what?
Kaizen
When a team must address a critical problem, they often schedule an intense, short time frame (typically 3-5 consecutive days) to apply the concepts and techniques of continual improvement (for example, to reduce cycle time, increase throughput, and reduce waste). What is this intense improvement activity called?
Kaizen blitz
________ is a system of sending delivery signals from downstream to upstream activities where the upstream supplier does not produce until the downstream customer signals the need.
Kanban/pull
Which of the following is a "systematic approach in identifying and elminating waste (non-value added activities) through continuous improvement by flowing the product at the pull of the customer in pursuit of perfection?
Lean -- focuses on value-added expenditure of resources from the customer's viewpoint
A measurement system is acceptable when the contribution to overall system variation by the measurement system is
Less than 10 percent A measurement system between 1 percent and 9 percent is acceptabe depending on the cost of application, device, repair, etc.
According to Genichi Tauchi, compromising on target quality and imparting the same to customer represents which of the following?
Loss to society Taguchi's famous research work on quality loss to society. According to Taguchi, compromising on product quality results in a loss for everyone in the supply chain including further losses for the manufacturer as their market share falls.
The individual attributed with making the practice of kaizen popular is:
Masaaki Imai
Which of the following would be involved in the project selection process?
Master Black Belt, Black Belts, organization Champion, key executives -- develops criteria and assignments
Which of the following tools is used to discover and illustrate relationships between two groups of items?
Matrix diagram Items in one group are listed across the top chart and the items in the other group are listed down one side. Team then examines each square in the matrix and enters one of three symbols or leaves it blank depending on the relationship between the items in the row and column represented by the square. The team examines the completed matrix and discusses possible conclusions.
The ________ is a good tool for prioritizing the potential root causes of a problem.
Matrix diagram The cause-and-effect diagram used to prioritize causes is a type of matrix diagram. During a root cause analysis, 30-50 causes may emerge from brainstorming. Teams often don't have the resources and time to investigate all of them. Prioritization tools can be used to focus on the top causes.
Another term for the centerline of a control chart is the:
Mean -- measure of central tendency
A Six Sigma process improvement team wishes to graphically display on a map the locations of sales of a particular project. Which data collection tool might be most appropriate for this task?
Measles chart -- a special ty
A data collection plan is used during the _______ phase of a Six Sigma project.
Measure
A Six Sigma project team has reached a point during the define phase where they must seek sponsor approval for additional resources. Which of the following should they request from the sponsor?
Milestone review Purpose of this periodic review is to ensure that project follows the necessary structure, deliverables are met, risks are anticipated and mitigated, project cost and time are closely monitored, and customers and other stakeholders are not negatively impacted.
Which of the following is an effective way to ensure that key decisions made and actions agreed to in team meetings are formally recorded?
Minutes Meeting minutes are essential to ensure that key decisions made and the actions agreed on by the team members are formaly recorded, and to keep team members accountable Should indicate the date/time of the completed meeting, meeting host, attendees, topics covered, decisions made, actions assigned (what, who, when), minutes reviewed and approved, and scribe name One might also include "parking lot" items that are pending detailed discussions Meeting minutes are important to project continuity
The quality concept of Six Sigma was initiated by which company in the 1980s?
Motorola -- After Motorola started promoting their Six Sigma methodology in the late 1980s, there have been many skeptical of its true value. Even Jack Welch of General Electric (GE) initially dismissed the idea of Six Sigma as a passing fad in the early 1990s. Once GE had a successful launch in one of its divisions though, Six Sigma quickly became a driving force in the mid to late 1990s spreading across various industries.
Given that a list of seven acceptable software tools has been researched for a new project implementation, which of the following tools should the team use to select the most desirable choice?
Nominal Group Technique (NGT) -- structured process that identifies and ranks major problems or issues that need addressing. It can be used to identify the major strengths of a department or to make decisions by consensus when selecting problem solutions in a business.
During which stage of team development do members reconcile competing loyalties and responsibilities?
Norming -- During this stage, members accept the team, the team ground rules or "norms", their roles and individual
The time it takes to recoup the investment made in a project (the shorter the period, the better) is referred to as:
Payback period
A Six Sigma project team wants to determine whether there is a linear relationship between the tenure of call center representatives and customer satisfaction. Which of the following would indicate there is a linear relationship between these two variables?
Pearson correlation coefficient Correlation coefficient r tells whether the relationship is linear, how strong it is, and whether the correlation is positive or negative.
Flowcharts are most effectively developed by:
People involved in the process being studied This includes those who do work in the process: suppliers, customers, and supervisors Involve them in the actual flowcharting sessions by interviewing them before the sessions and/or by showing them the developing flowchart between work sessions and obtaining their feedback
Control _____ provide a structured approach for the design, selection, and implementation of value-added control methods for the total system.
Plans
A team wishing to mistake-proof the assembly of a new piece of equipment might choose which of the following?
Poka-yoke -- A Japanese term for mistake-proofing or error-proofing; method used to prevent errors
What best describes the shape of a distribution with its curve on the left side?
Positive skew The positive, or right-skewed, distribution is one in which the tail is on the right side. Cycle time, where smaller is better, is often a right-skewed distribution.
Quality planning -- creation of plans for quality, reliability, operations, production, and inspection -- is an example of which cost of quality category?
Prevention Quality-related activities that incur costs may be divided into prevention costs, appraisal costs, and internal/external failure costs. Prevention costs are incurred to prevent or avoid quality prolems. They are planned and incurred before actual operation.
Company ABC has just partnered with company HAL to provide a new online information service. Which of the following would be the best team structure to assure success?
Project -- project team is formed to achieve a specific mission. The project team's objective may be to create something new, such as a facility, product or, service.
Which of the following Six Sigma stakeholders is responsible for interfacing with senior management concerning a Six Sigma project?
Project champion Champion, typically an upper-level manager: - Liaises with senior management - Allocates resources for projects - Determines project selection criteria - Removes barriers hindering the success of the project - Approves completed projects - Implements change
Which of the following is a component of the project charter?
Project scope -- provides project limitations in terms of budget, time, and other resources
To which of the following should the team leader speak to free up financial resources for a required software upgrade?
Project sponsor: Believes in the concept/idea Has sound business acumen Is willing to take risk and responsibility for outcomes Has authority to approve needed resources Will be listened to by upper management
Any acceptable project variances and risks should be addressed early in the project by reviewing ________ and taking appropriate actions.
Project status report -- created by project manager or team leader and circulated to all team members and management that lists the status of the project, upcoming milestones, risks, and mitigation plans
Which of the following is an advantage of using a control chart?
Provide consistency between operators, shifts, and facilities Advantages of control charts include: - allow operators to collect data at the process - increase yield by revealing and containing problems at the stage the problem is identified - help provide consistency between operators - used to determine whether problems require local or management action
A check sheet was designed to track the frequency of occurrence of the use of three colors of paint in an automotive paint shop. Which of the following best represents this type of data and the measurement scale?
Qualitative, nominal Nominal measurement scale (pg. 99)
The quality department is offering a three-hour course on statistical process control with a focus on capability analysis. Which of the following types of data was used to conduct this analysis?
Quantitative data This type of data is grouped into two types, continuous (variables) and discrete (attributes)
Measures of dispersion are used to understand the spread or variation in a process. Which of the following uses the extreme values of minimum and maximum to describe variability?
Range -- measure of dispersion and calculated by subtracting the lowest value in the data set from the highest value.
A ___________ is a sample set that is sufficient to determine common-cause scenarios.
Rational subgroup An A and R control chart is constructed using a rational subgroup. Normally, the average of a subgroup is used. In rational subgrouping: 1. The division of observations into rational subhroups is key 2. Success of control charting depends on the selectionof subgroups (size and frequency of sampling) 3. Selection should result in groups as homogenous as possible
Which of the following is a common action exhibited during the norming stage of team growth?
Reconciling competing loyalties and responsibilities -- accept the team, the team ground rules or "norms", their roles in the team, and the individuality of fellow member
If a project team wants to assess the amount of appraiser variation in a gage R&R study, which of the following elements would the team be measuring?
Reproducibility Variation in a measurement when measured by two or more appraisers multiple times. Reviewing reproducibility during the measure phase helps process owners understand the variability due to human inability to reproduce the same measurement trial after trial.
Quantitative measurements can be gained from which of the following information gathered by a company's supplier relations department?
Results from formal, ongoing supplier surveys Quantitative measures can be obtained from a number of sources, including product data, corrective actions (quality), cost, and service (delivery). Surveys are deisgned to translate customer opinion into a quantitative number that can be used as a measure of satisfaction.
A mortgage lending company wanted to know the percentage of applications that made it through the entire process defect free. Which of the following is used to calculate this metric?
Rolled throughput yield (RTY) -- applies to the yield from a series of processes and is found by multiplying the individual process yields
Which of the following tools would be used to study observed data for trends or patterns over a specified period of time?
Run chart -- reveals patterns in data over time such as cycles, trends, or changes in the average
A Six Sigma Yellow Belt member has been asked to develop a high-level description of a process, including the inputs and outputs. Which of the following tools should she employ?
SIPOC When identifying the process, it is important to recognize that processes usually affect multiple departments and organizations. Crossing functional areas (departments) and organizations (suppliers, intercompany) can add challenges to an improvement project. The first step in recognizing the challenges is to understand the organizations and functional areas involved with the process. As noted, the SIPOC process can help in identifying these organizations and functional areas as process suppliers and customers.
Which of the following is used when it is not clear what the outputs of a process are?
SIPOC When to use SIPOC: - At the beginning of a project to help define the important elements of the project - When it is not clear what the process inputs are, who supplies them, what the outputs are, or who the customers are - When there are many suppliers, inputs, outputs, and/or customers
When selecting a Six Sigma project, which of the following is the most critical characteristic?
Saving the most bottom-line dollars
Which of the following is a graphical component of regression analysis?
Scatter diagram A regression analysis is a statistical tool used to find a model for the relationship between pairs (x, y) of numerical data. These pairs are plotted graphically in a scatter plot to provide a visual for determining if there is a linear relationship. The linear regression identifies the best straight line through a scatter diagram of the data.
Which of the following basic quality tools is used to display what happens to one variable when another variable is changed?
Scatter diagram -- chart in which one variable is plotted against another to determine whether there is a correlation between two variables Used to plot the distribution of information in two dimensions and useful in rapidly screening for relationship To display what happens to one variable when another variable is changed; to test a theory that two variables are related Slope of the diagram indicates the type of relationship that exists
Which of the following types of team structures involves a broader spectrum of process responsibility and ownership?
Self-directed (self-managed) -- groups of employees authorized to make a wide range of decisions about how they will handle issues. Often called high-performance work teams, these teams offer employees a broader spectrum of responsibility and ownership of a process
The plan stage of the PDCA cycle includes which of the following activities?
Set targets and schedules
In creating a risk priority number, what are the three scales that are calculated together?
Severity, occurrence, and detection
The concept of increasing productivity by reducing special causes of variation was developed by:
Shewhart
Process mapping can help to identify the root cause of the problem by:
Showing handoffs between participants Handoffs can identify wastes such as redundancy, wait times, missed or unnecessary steps
The facilitator of a brainstorming session should do which of the following?
Solicit involvement from group members
A(n) _________ is a step-by-step description of how to complete a task.
Standard operating procedure (SOP) To ensure consistency in the process, whether manufacturing or service This is one of the methodologies under the lean enterprise organization approach to standard work.
What is a charter?
States purposes of project Serves as an informal contract that helps the team stay on track with the goals of the organization.
Frustration and resistance to the assigned task are a symptom of what stage of team growth?
Storming -- most difficult stage for the team; storming includes these feelings - frustration and resistance to tasks and methods of work different from what each individual member is comfortable using
When creating SIPOC for a process under study, inputs are identified that come from _______.
Suppliers It begins with defining the process of interest and listing on the right side the outputs that the process creates that go to customers, who are also listed. Suppliers and what they provide to enable the process (Inputs) are similarly shown on the left side.
Which of the following is a data collection method considered to have a low response rate?
Survey -- used when a large sample of data needs to be collected. Inputs are quick and often the first instinct from the input provider. Response rates are usually low, but the data are inexpensive to collect. The quality of the survey feedback can vary significantly based on how the survey was created.
Which of the following would be used to select a project?
Systems thinking -- using tools and methods to understand an operation in terms of tasks leading to it and its effect on subsequent operations in the process
______ is a process analysis tool used to understand the rate of customer demand.
Takt time -- the available production time divided by the rate of customer demand. Operating to takt time sets the production pace to customer demand.
A more experienced cross-functional Six Sigma team will likely be assigned a project with a high level of _______.
Technical complexity and stakeholder risk
Which of the following is accurate for the normal distribution?
The mean of the sampling distribution of means is equal to the mean of the population. The normal distribution is a continuous distribution used for variable data like measurements of length, mass, and time, and is one most frequently used by various professionals. The area under the curve between any two points, expressed in standard deviation units (Z-scores), can be determined from the statistical tables. The Z-score is the number of standard deviations that the measurement is from the mean. The standard normal distribution has mean = 0 and standard deviation =1.
What is the purpose of lean?
The purpose of lean is to reduce waste in the value stream and to provide maximum value to our customers.
What is a significant value of Six Sigma?
The real power of Six Sigma is the use of many parts or elements of other methods that have been proven to work, in tandem with managerial focus, to create an organizational network of activities that support the efforts to continually improve all aspects of the organization, in conjunction with standard accounting practices that demonstrate the impact of continual improvement and variation reduction on the organization's bottom line.
A problem statement is defined as:
The summation of what needs to be improved Statement of facts observed by the customer Includes what, who, when, where, and how many Also includes the goal of accomplishment or success factors
The purpose of a control plan is:
To explain how to control the workflow in a process
When should you test the significance of a correlation coefficient?
To find out if there is a linear relationship between two variables and how strong the relationship is
Purpose of Six Sigma:
To reduce variability While variability is inherent, organizations strive to keep it as low as possible in order to deliver products and services that meet or exceed customer expectations. Highly variable products and services result in poor quality, and the organization must spend money to correct the defect.
Gage R&R is used for which of the following reasons?
To understand the variation of the measurement system Analyzes variation of a measurement system that uses an instrument or gage. This variation is compared to the observed total variation in the process. The main purpose of gage R&R study is to ensure that measurement variation is low enough that process measurements truly reflect the process. It is impossible to know whether a product is within specifications or to work on reducing process variation if measurement variation is so great that it masks process variation.
Methods used to identify customers include which of the following?
Tracking a product to delivery Methods to identify customers include: Brainstorming, SIPOC, Marketing analysis data
When intentional changes are made in a process, the operator should do which of the following?
Update all related documents
In the first step of a process FMEA - review the design/process - the team does which of the following?
Uses a flowchart to identify the scope and to ensure that every team member understands it in detail It is also recommended that the team perform a walk-through of the process and understand the process steps firsthand.
The ABC Company is studying problems due to delays across a number of different activities. Each activity has been tested and runs perfectly on its own. These delays can most effectively be identified through:
Value analysis Waste can be identified by walking through the process from start to end and looking for any non-value-added activities. This is where value stream analysis is helpful. By closely designating every activity as either value-added or non-value-added, one should be able to identify wastes. Wastes like delays, travel distance, and excess inventory are addressed through tools such as value analysis, one-piece flow, kanban, problem solving, SPC, and so on.
Repeatability in a gage R&R study is defined as which of the following?
Variation in measuring equipment when measured by one appraiser in the same setting at the same time. Reviewing repeatability during the measure phase helps process owners understand the suitability of the equipment.
What kind of team enables people from all over the globe to meet via teleconference and Internet tools?
Virtual
A key advantage value stream mapping (VSM) provides over process mapping is:
Visualization of movement of material and information
The PDSA improvement model was modified to PDCA by which of the following quality gurus?
W. Edwards Deming PDSA is a process intended to be a guiding light for the way we work and do our jobs. Building on the work of Shewhart, Deming changed the improvement model PDCA to PDSA (study instead of check). The latter model is the foundation for various processes such as advanced quality planning, problem solving, Six Sigma, and process improvement.
What is a work breakdown structure?
WBS is a program management planning tool by which a project is decomposed into tasks, subtasks, and units of work to be performed, and displayed as a tree-type chart. WBS is developed by project team members via brainstorming. First, high-level activities are identified, and then the team drills down to the sub-activities for every high-level activity. By identifying these activities, the project manager can accurately know the progress and delays and can assign or reallocate resources to ensure that the project stays on schedule.
Who developed quality control charts in the 1920s to identify special causes affecting processes and their outcomes?
Walter Shewhart -- a young engineer devised a technique of using graphs to monitor a process in order to identify whether that process was acting in a predictable manner or if what he termed special causes were affecting the process. These charts became known as quality control charts (the p-chart was the first to be used). However, today we sometimes call them process behavior charts, as we want to look at what the process is doing in relation to statistical probabilities. Many other tools and techniques have been developed since then, known by a long list of names.
A sampling plan contains _____ , _______ , ________ , and ________.
What, where, when, how many
An effective communications plan contains a communication protocol that addresses the following items:
What, who, where, when, and how frequently
For which of the following reasons might a Six Sigma team wish to use the brainwriting tool rather than the more direct brainstorming approach?
When participants might feel safer contributing ideas anonymously Nonverbal form of brainstorming when team members write down their ideas individually and then shared through an exchange of papers When to use: when a topic is too controversial/emotionally charged; participants feel safer contributing ideas anonymously; encourage equal participation; some members think better in silence; ideas likely to be complex and require detailed explanation
Which of the following is an appropriate indication that it is time to conduct a phase review?
When the team as identified performance gaps and narrowed the focus of the project Phase reviews (Tollgates) are completed to ensure that project follows the necessary structure and deliverables are met. This question indicates that the team is concluding the measure phase and is ready to present to the project sponsors the magnitude of the performance gaps as well as a revised problem statement.
A Six Sigma project team has been formed and the team leader is conducting a brainstorming effort to develop a detailed project plan. Which of the following is a likely output of this brainstorming session?
Work breakdown structure (WBS) -- consists of activities identified from start to finish.
Who is the indiviudal trained to have awareness in Six Sigma methodologies, and understanding of basic statistical tools and process improvement techniques?
Yellow Belt -- not a full-time position. Organizations make this part of an existing job responsibility