Question 1

If a sample of parts is measured and the mean of the measurements is outside the control limits, the process is
A) in control, but not capable of producing within the established control limits.
B) out of control and the process should be investigated for assignable variation.
C) within the established control limits with only natural causes of variation.
D) monitored closely to see if the next sample mean will also fall outside the control limits.
E) within the acceptable range.

Accepted Answer

When the mean of a sample of parts is outside the control limits, the process is considered out of control and should be investigated for assignable variation. This means that there may be a specific cause for the variation that needs to be addressed in order to bring the process back into control.

Question 2

Which of the following is false regarding control charts?
A) Values above the upper control limits always imply that the product's quality is exceeding expectations.
B) Control charts are built so that new data can be quickly compared to past performance data.
C) Control charts graphically present data.
D) Control charts plot data over time.
E) None of the above are false.

Accepted Answer

Values above the upper control limit may indicate that the process is not under control and that there is a problem with the product's quality. It does not necessarily mean that the quality is exceeding expectations.

Question 3

The process improvement technique that sorts the "vital few" from the "trivial many" is
A) Taguchi analysis.
B) Pareto analysis.
C) benchmarking.
D) Deming analysis.
E) Yamaguchi analysis.

Accepted Answer

Pareto analysis is a process improvement technique that aims to identify the most critical issues or problems that need to be addressed first. It is based on the Pareto principle, which states that 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes. Thus, by identifying the vital few causes that contribute the most to the problem or issue, resources can be focused on addressing them first to achieve significant improvement.

Question 4

The "four Ms" of cause-and-effect diagrams are
A) material, machinery/equipment, manpower, and methods.
B) material, methods, men, and mental attitude.
C) named after four quality experts.
D) material, management, manpower, and motivation.
E) material, movement, motion, and methods.

Accepted Answer

The four Ms of cause-and-effect diagrams are material, machinery/equipment, manpower, and methods. They are used to identify the potential causes of a problem in an organization's processes or systems.

Question 5

Members of quality circles are
A) paid according to their contribution to quality.
B) external consultants designed to provide training in the use of quality tools.
C) always machine operators.
D) management only.
E) trained in group planning, problem solving, and statistical process control.

Accepted Answer

Quality circles are made up of employees who work in the same area or department and voluntarily come together to identify and solve problems related to quality. They are trained in group planning, problem-solving, and statistical process control in order to improve the quality of their work processes. The other options are incorrect as quality circle members are not paid based on their contributions, not always machine operators, and not external consultants hired to provide training. While there may be management representation in a quality circle, the members are primarily front-line employees.

Question 6

A production manager at a pottery factory has noticed that about 70% of defects result from impurities in raw materials, 15% result from human error, 10% from machine malfunctions, and 5% from a variety of other causes. This manager is most likely using a
A) Pareto chart.
B) scatter diagram.
C) Taguchi loss function.
D) cause-and-effect diagram.
E) flowchart.

Accepted Answer

A Pareto chart is a type of chart that contains both bars and a line graph, where individual values are represented in descending order by bars, and the cumulative total is represented by the line. The scenario described fits the use of a Pareto chart because it is focusing on identifying the major causes of defects in a process, which is exactly what Pareto charts are designed to do: prioritize problems or causes of a problem to focus efforts on the most significant issues.

Question 7

Pareto charts are used to
A) identify inspection points in a process.
B) outline production schedules.
C) organize errors, problems, or defects.
D) show material flow.
E) do all of the above.

Accepted Answer

Pareto charts are specifically designed for organizing errors, problems, or defects in order to identify the most common issues and prioritize them for improvement. While Pareto charts may be used in conjunction with other tools such as inspection points or production schedules, their primary purpose is to analyze and improve quality control processes.

Question 8

Which of the following statements regarding Six Sigma is true?
A) The term has two distinct meanings-one is statistical; the other is a comprehensive quality system.
B) Six Sigma means that about 94% of a firm's output is free of defects.
C) The Six Sigma program was developed by Toyota in the 1970s.
D) The Six Sigma program is for manufacturing firms, and is not applicable to services.
E) Six Sigma certification is granted by the International Standards Organization (ISO).

Accepted Answer

Six Sigma indeed has two distinct meanings: statistically, it refers to a process that produces 3.4 defects per million opportunities, and it is also known as a comprehensive quality management system aimed at reducing defects, improving processes, and increasing customer satisfaction. The other statements are incorrect: B) Six Sigma aims for a much higher quality level than 94% defect-free; C) Six Sigma was developed by Motorola in the 1980s, not Toyota; D) Six Sigma can be applied to both manufacturing and service sectors; E) Six Sigma certifications are typically granted by private organizations or companies, not the ISO.

Question 9

A manager tells her production employees, "It's no longer good enough that your work fall anywhere within the specification limits. I need your work to be as close to the target value as possible." Her thinking is reflective of
A) internal benchmarking.
B) Six Sigma.
C) ISO 9000.
D) Taguchi concepts.
E) process control charts.

Accepted Answer

The manager's focus on not just meeting specification limits but aiming for work to be as close to the target value as possible reflects Taguchi concepts. Taguchi methods are about improving the quality of manufactured goods by identifying and eliminating sources of variation in processes, aiming for consistent and targeted outcomes.

Question 10

A quality loss function includes all of the following costs except
A) the cost of scrap and repair.
B) the cost of customer dissatisfaction.
C) inspection, warranty, and service costs.
D) sales costs.
E) costs to society.

Accepted Answer

Sales costs are not directly related to quality loss. The other options reflect various costs associated with poor quality such as defects, customer complaints, and service/warranty expenses. Cost to society is also impacted by poor quality in terms of environmental impact or safety hazards. However, sales costs are related to marketing and promotional activities and not directly related to quality loss.

Question 11

A customer service manager at a retail clothing store has collected numerous customer complaints from the forms they fill out on merchandise returns. To analyze trends or patterns in these returns, she has organized these complaints into a small number of sources or factors. This is most closely related to the ________ tool of TQM.
A) Taguchi loss function
B) cause-and-effect diagram
C) scatter diagram
D) histogram
E) process control chart

Accepted Answer

The cause-and-effect diagram, also known as a fishbone or Ishikawa diagram, is a tool used in TQM to analyze potential causes of a problem. The customer service manager is using this tool to organize the customer complaints into common sources or factors. The Taguchi loss function is used to evaluate the quality of a product design, a scatter diagram is used to show the relationship between two variables, a histogram is used to show the distribution of a set of data, and a process control chart is used to monitor a process over time.

Question 12

The process of identifying other organizations that are best at some facet of your operations and then modelling your organization after them is known as
A) continuous improvement.
B) employee empowerment.
C) benchmarking.
D) copycatting.
E) patent infringement.

Accepted Answer

The process described is benchmarking, which involves identifying best practices in other organizations and adapting them for your own organization. Continuous improvement is focused on making incremental improvements to existing processes within the organization. Employee empowerment refers to giving employees more autonomy and decision-making authority. Copycatting and patent infringement are not legitimate business practices.

Question 13

A fishbone diagram is also known as a
A) cause-and-effect diagram.
B) poka-yoke diagram.
C) Kaizen diagram.
D) Kanban diagram.
E) Taguchi diagram.

Accepted Answer

A fishbone diagram is also known as a cause-and-effect diagram, as it is a visual tool used to identify the causes of a specific problem or effect. The diagram resembles a fish skeleton, hence also known as a fishbone diagram. The other options listed are all different tools or approaches used in lean manufacturing or quality management but are not synonymous with a fishbone diagram.

Question 14

Costs of dissatisfaction, repair costs, and warranty costs are elements of cost in the
A) Taguchi Loss Function.
B) Pareto chart.
C) ISO 9000 Quality Cost Calculator.
D) process chart.
E) prevention costs.

Accepted Answer

The Taguchi Loss Function includes not only the cost of repairing or replacing defective products, but also the costs associated with customer dissatisfaction and warranty claims. Therefore, costs of dissatisfaction, repair costs, and warranty costs are elements of cost in the Taguchi Loss Function.

Question 15

Techniques for building employee empowerment include
A) building communication networks that include employees.
B) developing open, supportive supervisors.
C) moving responsibility from both managers and staff to production employees.
D) building high-morale organizations.
E) all of the above.

Accepted Answer

All of the above techniques are important for building employee empowerment. Building communication networks that include employees, developing open and supportive supervisors, and moving responsibility to production employees can all help increase employee empowerment. Building a high-morale organization can also contribute to employees feeling empowered and engaged in their work. Therefore, the best choice is E (all of the above).

Question 16

When a sample measurement falls inside the control limits, it means that
A) each unit manufactured is good enough to sell.
B) the process limits cannot be determined statistically.
C) the process output exceeds the requirements.
D) if there is no other pattern in the samples, the process is in control.
E) the process output does not fulfil the requirements.

Accepted Answer

When a sample measurement falls inside the control limits, it indicates that the process is producing outputs within the acceptable range and there is no other pattern in the samples that suggest the process is out of control. It does not necessarily mean that each unit is good enough to sell or that the process output exceeds the requirements.

Question 17

ISO 9000 seeks standardization in terms of
A) products.
B) production procedures.
C) suppliers' specifications.
D) procedures to manage quality.
E) all of the above.

Accepted Answer

ISO 9000 seeks to standardize procedures for managing quality, not just for products, production procedures, or suppliers' specifications. While these may be part of the overall quality management system, the primary focus is on ensuring consistent and effective management of quality across all aspects of the organization.

Question 18

A quality circle holds a brainstorming session and attempts to identify the factors responsible for flaws in a product. Which tool do you suggest they use to organize their findings?
A) Ishikawa diagram
B) Pareto chart
C) process chart
D) control charts
E) activity chart

Accepted Answer

An Ishikawa diagram (also known as a fishbone diagram) is a tool used to identify and organize the various causes and sub-causes of a particular problem. It is commonly used in quality control circles to identify the root causes of product flaws or defects. The Ishikawa diagram allows the team to visually map out the possible causes of a problem and provides a framework for organizing their findings.

Question 19

Among the tools of TQM, the tool ordinarily used to aid in understanding the sequence of events through which a product travels is a
A) Pareto chart.
B) flowchart.
C) check sheet.
D) Taguchi map.
E) poka-yoke.

Accepted Answer

A flowchart is used to illustrate the sequence of events in a process or system. This tool helps to identify inefficiencies and areas for improvement in the process. Pareto charts are used to identify the most common causes of problems, check sheets are used to collect data, Taguchi maps are used in design of experiments, and poka-yoke is a mistake-proofing technique.

Question 20

Building high-morale organizations and building communication networks that include employees are both elements of
A) ISO 9000 certification.
B) Six Sigma certification.
C) employee empowerment.
D) Taguchi methods.
E) the tools of TQM.

Accepted Answer

Building high-morale organizations and building communication networks that include employees are both elements of employee empowerment. ISO 9000 certification, Six Sigma certification, Taguchi methods, and TQM all focus on quality management practices rather than specifically addressing employee morale and communication.

Quiz 6: Managing Quality

If a sample of parts is measured and the mean of the measurements is outside the control limits, the process is

Which of the following is false regarding control charts?

The process improvement technique that sorts the "vital few" from the "trivial many" is

The "four Ms" of cause-and-effect diagrams are

Members of quality circles are

A production manager at a pottery factory has noticed that about 70% of defects result from impurities in raw materials, 15% result from human error, 10% from machine malfunctions, and 5% from a variety of other causes. This manager is most likely using a

Pareto charts are used to

Which of the following statements regarding Six Sigma is true?

A manager tells her production employees, "It's no longer good enough that your work fall anywhere within the specification limits. I need your work to be as close to the target value as possible." Her thinking is reflective of

A quality loss function includes all of the following costs except

The process of identifying other organizations that are best at some facet of your operations and then modelling your organization after them is known as

A fishbone diagram is also known as a

Costs of dissatisfaction, repair costs, and warranty costs are elements of cost in the

Techniques for building employee empowerment include

When a sample measurement falls inside the control limits, it means that

ISO 9000 seeks standardization in terms of

A quality circle holds a brainstorming session and attempts to identify the factors responsible for flaws in a product. Which tool do you suggest they use to organize their findings?

Among the tools of TQM, the tool ordinarily used to aid in understanding the sequence of events through which a product travels is a

Building high-morale organizations and building communication networks that include employees are both elements of