OPM160-01

Final Exam

Version B

Use a Scantron Form 886-E to record your choice of the best answer to each of the following questions. You have the full period to answer the questions. The following questions are worth three (3) points each.

  1. Electronic data interchange is a system that aids customer and supplier communication by linking together supplier and customer information systems.
  1. True
  2. False
  1. The center of the quality system model is the customer
  1. True
  2. False
  1. An attribute is a continuous measurement such as weight, height, or volume.
  1. True
  2. False
  1. The p-chart is a process chart that is used to graph the proportion of items in a sample that are defective.
  1. True
  2. False
  1. Concept design is the process of examining competing technologies to produce a product.
  1. True
  2. False
  1. The scope of a process improvement team is local or a single department.
  1. True
  2. False
  1. Quality improvement requires the interactions on a contingency basis of many different disciplines to create products, processes, and systems that effectively serve customers.
  1. True
  2. False
  1. One of the most significant aspects of the value chain is the ______between a series of suppliers and consumers.

A. Cycle

B. Epicycle

C. Linkage

  1. Coproduction
  2. Colloid

  1. ______is the technique used to verify that incoming goods from a supplier adhere to quality standards.

A. Acceptance sampling

B. Exception sampling

C. Variety sampling

D. Reception sampling

E. Receiving sampling

  1. During the ______, a team of auditors visits the supplier and then provides the results of the audit to the customer.
  1. Sole source filter
  2. Single sourcing
  3. Dual sourcing
  4. Supplier development program
  5. Supplier audit
  1. ______are used to determine whether a process will produce a product or service with consistent measurable properties.
  1. Scatter diagrams
  2. Control charts
  3. Process mappings
  4. Cause and effect diagrams
  5. Histograms
  1. A diagram designed to help workers focus on the causes of a problem rather than the symptoms is called a(n):
  1. Cause and effect diagram
  2. Pareto chart
  3. Flow chart
  4. Interrelationship chart
  5. Affinity diagram
  1. When we are interested in monitoring a measurement for a particular product in a process, there are two primary variables of interest:
  1. The mode of the process and the distribution of the process
  2. The range of the process and the diffusion of the process
  3. The mean of the process and the dispersion of the process
  4. The average of the process and the stability of the process
  5. The range of the process and the distribution of the process
  1. The ______aides us in monitoring the process mean or average.
  1. X-bar chart
  2. R chart
  3. C chart
  4. Y chart
  5. A chart
  1. When a point is found to be outside of the control limits, we call this an ______situation.
  1. Out of bounds
  2. Off limits
  3. Out of control
  4. Out of range
  5. Out of reach
  1. A producer of contact lenses regularly takes a sample of 100 lenses and inspects them for scratches. If a lens has a single scratch, it cannot be sold. The results of 10 samples are here:

Sample #12345678910

# scratched320122101 2

What is the average proportion defective?

  1. 0.012
  2. 0.014
  3. 0.020
  4. 0.028
  5. 0.035
  1. The object of using process charts is:
  1. To monitor your process
  2. To continually improve your process
  3. To increase mean time to repair
  4. To increase the beta
  5. To increase the alpha
  1. Six Sigma translates to a defect rate of:
  1. 233 parts per million
  2. 23 parts per million
  3. 3.4 parts per million
  4. 0.2 parts per million
  5. None of these answers is the correct defect rate
  1. DMAIC is an acronym for:
  1. Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control
  2. Deviation, Measurement, Attributes, Improve, and Count
  3. Define, Master black belt, Analyze, Invest, and Champion
  4. Decision, Model, Analyze, Improve, and Correlate
  5. Deming, Maker, Anthony, Ishikawa, and Crosby
  1. The process of developing specification limits is known as:
  1. Robust design
  2. Concept design
  3. Parameter design
  4. Tolerance design
  5. Finish design

  1. ______means giving power to team members who perhaps had little control over their jobs.
  1. Needs analysis
  2. Implicit promises
  3. Empowerment
  4. Trust
  5. Quality improvement
  1. ______work to improve processes and customer service.
  1. Process improvement teams
  2. Cross functional teams
  3. Tiger teams
  4. Natural work teams
  5. Virtual teams
  1. ______enlist people from a variety of functional groups within the firm.
  1. Process improvement teams
  2. Cross functional teams
  3. Tiger teams
  4. Natural work groups
  5. Virtual teams
  1. Which of the following building blocks are included in a system for quality improvement?
  1. Processes
  2. Information and finance
  3. Closeness to customers
  4. People
  5. All off the above

The following questions are worth ten (10) points each. Choose any THREE for your exam!

  1. What is the difference between a variable and an attribute?

A variable is a continuous measurement such as weight, height, or volume. In contrast, an attribute is the result of a binomial process that results in an either-or situation. Here are examples of attributes: The motor is either starting or not starting, or either the inspector is bald or he is not.

  1. Enumerate the advantages and disadvantages of cross-functional teams

Advantages: Sometimes that is a natural work group for a product, customer or service. The scope can be wider. Better able to address higher level, strategic issues.

Disadvantage: The scope can be wider Natural source of conflict.

  1. What are attribute charts used for and how do they work?

Attribute charts deal with binomial and Poisson processes that are not measurements; rather, they are defects and defectives. Defects are irregularities in a larger unit that do not necessarily render the entire unit unusable. A defective is a unit that as a whole is not acceptable or does not meet performance requirements.

To make a process chart you first identify critical product characteristics and select the appropriate attribute chart from the many types. For constant sample sizes, a p, np, c, or u chart may be used, with the first two types being used for defectives and the latter used for defects. For variable sample sizes, p or u charts should be used. Data should be collected, statistics computed, and the original data should be plotted on the chart.

  1. What distinguishes Six Sigma from traditional continuous improvement?

Six Sigma represents a well thought out packaging of quality tools and philosophies in an honest effort to provide rigor and repeatability to quality improvement efforts. Second, Six Sigma is much more cost reduction-oriented than traditional continuous improvement. While this makes it popular with CEO’s, many quality practitioners are uncomfortable with the focus on results since it violates several of Deming’s points. The third fundamental nuance of Six Sigma is the way it is organized around creating champions, black belts, green belts and in some situations, yellow belts.