C207 WGU - Section 4 - Quality Management Basics
Lean Practices
"Eliminating all processes, steps and materials that do not add value."
cause and effect diagram
A decomposition technique that helps trace an undesirable effect back to its root cause. Process Identification - Why (also called a fishbone diagram)
Flowchart
A diagram that shows step-by-step progression through a procedure or system especially using connecting lines and a set of conventional symbols. Process identification - Where
tree diagram (CTQ tree)
A diagram used to show the total number of possible outcomes
Plan-Do-Check-Act Cycle
A four-step method that practitioners use to create plans to solve a problem (Plan), run an experiment to see if the plan will work (Do), check the experiment results (Check), and implement changes to processes or policies (Act). focused on continuous improvement.
Histogram
A graph that displays continuous data. Depicted utilizing vertical bars representing the frequency distribution of a set of data. (distribution - Centered)
Control Chart
A graphic display of process data over time and against established control within limits, which has a centerline that assists in detecting a trend of plotted values toward either control limit.
Quality Control (QC)
A process, such as statistical sampling, that monitors the quality of operations (reactive)
Weighted score
A score calculated by multiplying a weighting factor by an option ranking; weighted scores for each option in a prioritization matrix are added together to help team prioritize options.
Rolled Throughput Yield
A statistical calculation that shows the probability of something passing completely through a process with no rework or defects.
Check Sheet
A structured form or table that lets practitioners collect and record data in a simple format; by putting marks on a table or image, team members can track and record information about the number, time, and location of events or problems. (Collect)
Affinity Diagram
A tool that helps teams sort verbal data or ideas into categories for further investigation or evaluation.
Quality management
A total commitment by everyone in an organization to improve the quality of procedures and products by reducing waste, errors, and defects.
CTQ Tree
A tree diagram that shows how customer needs or Critical to Quality characteristics can be quantified and measured.
How do you determine the early finish date for an activity in a network diagram?
Add the duration of the activity to the early start date.
weighting factor
An indicator of how important a criterion is to the completion of an objective
Option ranking
An indicator that explains how well an option will satisfy a criterion in a prioritization matrix.
Just-in-time (JIT)
An inventory-management approach in which supplies arrive just when needed for production or resale (reduce inventory)
A variation that is not part of the process?
Assignable cause variation
Which quality tool is an organized method for collecting data?
Check Sheet
A manufacturer initiates a 5 year program of analysis and process improvement to improve product quality and reduce lead-time to customers.
Continual Improvement
Which two statements describe how a process approach and a commitment to continuous improvement enhance quality?
Creates the best possible product and Efficiently achieving results
Principle that focuses on understanding current and future customer needs.
Customer focus
DMAIC framework
Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control (the part of Six Sigma that employs a five-step framework to analyze an existing process)
After collecting data and performing statistical analysis in a company's assembly department, a quality team recommends processing changes to reduce defects. The team proposes a pilot program to evaluate the effectiveness of their recommendations. Which step of the Plan-Do-Check-Act model does the pilot program represent?
Do
Kai's team is running an experiment to see if their ideas will work before they implement them company-wide. What step of the PDCA cycle are they in?
Do
Activities do not have to be completed in order. (True / False)
False
Metrics can help expose trends, but teams must use statistics—not metrics—to uncover root causes. (True / False)
False
Principle that seeks the efforts of people at all levels of the organization to achieve quality objectives.
People Involvement
Principle that lowers cost and shortens cycle times through the effective use of resources.
Process Approach
A car manufacturer installs a training program for a air bag assembly, this is an example of which type of quality management?
Quality Assurance
Process of selecting participants or gathering data from a population?
Sampling
Supplier-input-process-output-customer (SIPOC) diagram
Shows the boundaries of a process and defines suppliers - (high level of focus on the overall process)
Design of Experiments (DOE)
a statistical methodology to determine cause-and-effect relationships between process variables and output
making a chart to determine how defects are distributed among the different teams is an example of a ______?
histogram (distribution)
Six Sigma
is a highly disciplined, data-driven approach for improving quality focused intently on facts and statistics to reduce variation - (striving for perfection)
Work in Progress (WIP)
items, such as components or assemblies, needed for a final product in manufacturing
Attribute Data
measures qualitative dimensions or conditions (meets yes/no, pass/fail)
Statistical process control relies on _________ to analyze results.
metrics
Where would you find control limits?
on a control chart
continuous improvement
ongoing small, incremental improvements in all parts of an organization
a descriptive analysis technique used to identify the category of inventory that represents a company's highest inventory in dollars?
pareto chart
Which type of quality activity would assess capabilities and recommend process design changes as preventive action?
quality assurance
Chester is showing his team how to uncover and fix the defects that their process has produced. What is he helping his team do?
quality control - reviewing the process
you make a chart to determine if defects are reducing over time is an example of ___________?
run chart (over time)
ISO certification
verifies an organization meets international quality standards
Sampling
The process of selecting representative units from a total population
Statistical Process Control (SPC)
The process of testing statistical samples of product components at each stage of the production process and plotting those results on a graph. Any variances from quality standards are recognized and can be corrected if beyond the set standards.
Special Cause Variation
Unexpected variation in performance that results from a non-random event
Control chart used when data is sampled, measured and the mean of the sample plotted
X-bar Chart
Pareto Chart
a bar graph whose bars are drawn in decreasing order of frequency or relative frequency (Distribution - highest to lowest)
Hector has asked his team to collect data to show when and where defects occur. Now he is having problems compiling the information because the people on his team all decided to collect the data in different ways. What tool should Hector have asked his team to use to make this process easier to manage?
a check sheet
the 80/20 rule
a concept that suggests 80% of quality management problems are the result of a small number (about 20%) of causes
Design for Six Sigma (DFSS)
a design approach that balances customer requirements with the constraints and capabilities of the supporting manufacturing and service processes -variation is minimized from the outset of a project
scatter diagram
a graph that shows the degree and direction of relationship between two variables (relationship)
Network diagram
a graphical tool that shows the logical linkages between activities in a project
Value Stream Mapping
a graphical way to analyze where value is or is not being added as material flows through a process
Control Limits
The area composed of three standard deviations on either side of the centerline or mean of a normal distribution of data plotted on a control chart, which reflects the expected variation in the data. See also specification limits.
Specification Limits
The area, on either side of the centerline, or mean, of data plotted on a control chart that meets the customer's requirements for a product or service. This area may be greater than or less than the area defined by the control limits. See also control limits.
Early Start Date (ES)
The earliest dates that activities can start, based on the completion of any predecessor activities
Quality Assurance (QA)
The function responsible for providing assurance that products or services are consistently maintained at a high level of quality. (proactive)
late finish dates
The latest dates that activities can finish without delaying the project, based on the completion of any successor activities.
Your quality management processes should monitor ________.
both the products you make and the processes you use to make them
Six Sigma practices
continually measuring processes and outputs evaluate and control the variation found in processes to help increase reliability and to improve organizational quality.
International Organization for Standardization (ISO)
continually working to ensure that it is producing the highest level of quality possible.
Reliability of a System Series
the success of the whole system relies on the success of each component Example: Reliability of Cake System = (likelihood of oven)×(likelihood of frosting)×(likelihood of sprinkles)
What is the PDCA cycle used for?
to gather information and test options on a small scale before implementing changes on a large scale
run chart
tool for tracking results over a period of over time
Prioritization Matrix
tools used to organize information that can be compared on a variety of characteristics in order to make a comparison, selection, or choice
Lean Six Sigma
focuses on problem solving and performance improvement - speed with excellence - of a well-defined project
Common Cause Variation
the purely random, unidentifiable sources of variation that are unavoidable with the current process
Control Chart used when data meets a requirement or not?
C - Chart
Why is it helpful for an organization to use a process approach in managing its quality activities?
It helps to create consistent, predictable outcomes.
A SIPOC diagram helps you manage quality in which of the following ways?
It helps you understand how process elements fit together.
Variable Data
Measures quantifiable or numerical conditions (shown as a scale or a rating)
Quality management principles
Meeting customers expectations - customer service, constant improvement in employee participation
Critical to Quality (CTQ)
Key measurable characteristics of a product or process that require performance standards or specification limits to satisfy the customer (internal or external) requirements; also called Key Process Output Variable (KPOV).
lean
Management approach that seeks to maximize customer value while minimizing waste.
Process Decision Program Charts (PDPC)
a tree diagram designed specifically to help uncover countermeasures or contingency plans so problems can be solved or avoided
What is quality management?
an approach to uncover customer needs and expectations and to adjust work to meet those needs to the highest extent possible
Stakeholders
any persons or groups who will be affected by an action
JIDOKA
automatically stopping the process when something is wrong and then fixing the problems on the line itself as they occur
A Pareto chart is a type of ________.
bar chart
Assigning a team to reduce the amount of defects is an example of?
six sigma
