Question 1

A kaizen event is an approach for mistake-proofing processes, using automatic devices or methods to avoid simple human error.

Accepted Answer

A kaizen event is a short-term improvement project that involves teams of employees working together to identify and solve problems within a specific process or system. While mistake-proofing may be a part of the methodology used in a kaizen event, it is not the sole focus. The goal of a kaizen event is to create sustainable improvements in the process or system being examined, rather than simply avoiding errors.

Question 2

_____ concept characterizes quality performance by defects per million opportunities.

Accepted Answer

The concept that characterizes quality performance by defects per million opportunities is Six Sigma. It is a data-driven approach to quality management that aims to reduce defects in a process to no more than 3.4 per million opportunities, resulting in improved efficiency and cost savings. The other options (poka-yoke, ISO 9000:2000, and Gap model) are quality management concepts, but they do not specifically use the metric of defects per million opportunities to measure performance.

Question 3

In the context of SERVQUAL, _____ is the knowledge and courtesy of service providers and their ability to convey trust and confidence.

Accepted Answer

Assurance refers to the knowledge and courtesy of service providers and their ability to convey trust and confidence. Responsiveness refers to the willingness of service providers to help customers and provide prompt service. Reliability refers to the ability of service providers to perform the promised service dependably and accurately. Competence refers to the possession of the required skills and knowledge to perform the service.

Question 4

In General Electric's Six Sigma problem-solving approach (DMAIC), the__________phase involves determining the most likely causes of defects.

Accepted Answer

The analyze phase in Six Sigma involves identifying the root cause(s) of the problem, identifying and testing possible solutions, and analyzing data to determine the most likely causes of defects. This phase builds on the data collected in the previous measure phase and helps to identify the key areas that require improvement.

Question 5

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is a specialized agency for standardization that was founded in 1946, and it is composed of representatives from the national standards bodies of 91 nations.

Accepted Answer

This is the correct statement about the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).

Question 6

Identify a true statement about the GAP model.

Accepted Answer

The GAP model emphasizes the need to identify and minimize the gaps between customer expectations and perceptions, and failure to do so may lead to a loss of customer loyalty. Option A is incorrect because the model does not define quality system standards based on the premise of generic characteristics of management practices. Option B is incorrect because minimizing gaps 4 and 5 (the gaps between service delivery and external communications) will actually result in higher customer satisfaction. Option D is incorrect because it describes the principles of Total Quality Management (TQM), which is a separate framework from the GAP model.

Question 7

The managers at Blyrie Corp. think that their company's products are of higher quality than the products of other companies in the market. However, contrary to their perception, the customers rate the company's products as below average. This is due to the inferior process design specifications in the company. This is an example of _____ in the GAP model.

Accepted Answer

Gap 2 in the GAP model refers to the difference between management's perception of customer expectations and the actual specifications of service quality. In this case, the managers' perception of product quality does not align with the actual process design specifications, leading to lower customer ratings.

Question 8

Identify a true statement about International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 9000:2000.

Accepted Answer

ISO 9000:2000 is a family of standards that emphasizes on the implementation of Quality Management System (QMS) in a company. Its standards apply to all types of businesses, including electronics and chemicals. Option A is incorrect as ISO 9000:2000 indeed provides guidelines for standardizing generic management practices. Option B is incorrect because the ISO 9000:2000 standards can be applied to services in various sectors. Option C is incorrect because ISO 9000:2000 is not the first version of the ISO family of standards; it is simply an updated version of the earlier standards.

Question 9

Six Sigma cannot be applied to service processes.

Accepted Answer

Six Sigma can be applied to service processes, as it was originally developed in the manufacturing industry but has since been adapted to various service industries such as healthcare and banking.

Question 10

At Scorla Automobiles, a few machines in the assembly section were faulty and had to be shut down till they were repaired. This reduced the output of automobiles for the quarter. In this case, the costs incurred by Scorla Automobiles for repairing the machines are an example of _____.

Accepted Answer

The costs incurred by Scorla Automobiles for repairing the faulty machines are an example of internal failure costs. These costs are associated with defects that are identified before products leave the facility. In this case, the faulty machines caused a reduction in the output of automobiles, which would have to be rectified before they left the facility.

Question 11

According to Philip B. Crosby's Absolutes of Quality Management philosophy, _____.

Accepted Answer

According to Philip B. Crosby's Absolutes of Quality Management philosophy, one of the key principles is that there is no such thing as a quality problem, suggesting that issues often attributed to quality are actually failures in processes that can be managed and corrected.

Question 12

Dr. W. Edwards Deming defined quality as "fitness for use" and sought to improve quality by working within the system familiar to managers.

Accepted Answer

Dr. W. Edwards Deming defined quality as "meeting customer needs" and emphasized improving quality through systemic changes and statistical methods, not just working within existing management systems.

Question 13

Service quality is consistently meeting or exceeding customer expectations (external focus) and service-delivery system performance criteria (internal focus) during all service encounters.

Accepted Answer

Service quality is defined as meeting or exceeding both customer expectations and internal performance criteria during all service encounters, thus making the statement true.

Question 14

Which of the following is a core philosophy of Six Sigma?

Accepted Answer

Achieving cycle time reduction is a core philosophy of Six Sigma, focusing on improving efficiency and reducing waste in processes.

Question 15

Using color-coded wires to reduce mistakes associated with assembling complex electronic products is an example of an application of the kaizen concept.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Using color-coded wires to reduce mistakes associated...

Question 16

Daniel is a front-desk manager at Refington Hotel, a mid-market hotel. During Daniel's shift last week, he received 29 customer complaints. A total of 428 guests had stayed in the hotel that week. Given this information, find out the errors per million opportunities.

Accepted Answer

To find the errors per million opportunities, we need to first calculate the total number of opportunities for errors. In this case, that would be the total number of guests who stayed at the hotel during Daniel's shift, which is 428. Therefore, the total number of opportunities for errors is 428 x 1,000,000 = 428,000,000.

Next, we need to calculate the actual number of errors, which is 29.

Finally, we can calculate the errors per million opportunities using the formula: (Number of errors / Number of opportunities) x 1,000,000. Plugging in our numbers, we get: (29 / 428,000,000) x 1,000,000 = 0.067757 errors per million opportunities.

Therefore, the answer is C, which is the closest option to 0.067757.

Question 17

The GAP model helps managers analyze goods and services and the processes that make and deliver them to identify and close the largest gaps and improve performance.

Accepted Answer

The GAP model is a widely accepted tool used by managers to analyze and improve the delivery of goods and services. It focuses on identifying the largest gaps between customer expectations and the actual experience and performance of the company. By addressing these gaps, managers can make improvements and enhance overall performance.

Question 18

Identify a true statement about the poka-yoke concept.

Accepted Answer

The statement "Many applications of poka-yoke are deceptively simple" is true. Poka-yoke is a concept of mistake-proofing and often involves simple and low-cost solutions to prevent errors. Some examples include placing stickers or color-coding to prevent mistakes in assembly or labeling. While some applications may be expensive to implement, this is not a characteristic that applies to many or all poka-yoke solutions. Additionally, poka-yoke is not a manufacturing process but rather a quality control concept, and while Deming did advocate for quality control, he did not specifically invent or endorse poka-yoke.

Question 19

Harlose Suits faced a lot of complaints from customers when its recent batch of goods was dispatched. The employees at Harlose Suits, hence, had to rework on the returned items, and in some cases, the company had to even replace the faulty goods. In this case, the costs incurred by Harlose Suits are an example of _____.

Accepted Answer

The costs incurred by Harlose Suits due to reworking on returned items and replacing faulty goods are examples of external failure costs. These costs arise when products fail to meet quality standards after they are delivered to the customer.

Question 20

A__________is a line graph in which data are plotted over time.

Accepted Answer

A run chart is a type of line graph that is used to plot data over time. It is commonly used in quality improvement processes to track performance and identify trends. Flow charts, checksheets, and histograms are different types of quality improvement tools that serve different purposes.

Quiz 15: Quality Management