Question 1

Scatter diagrams are a graphical way of identifying the few critical items from the many less important ones.

Accepted Answer

Scatter diagrams are used to visualize the relationship between two variables, showing how one variable is affected by the other, not to identify critical items from less important ones.

Question 2

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

Accepted Answer

Pareto analysis is a technique used to identify the most significant causes contributing to a problem. It sorts the vital few causes from the trivial many. This technique is widely used in continuous improvement initiatives such as Six Sigma and Lean Six Sigma. Taguchi analysis is a statistical method that aims to improve product quality by optimizing the design and process parameters. Benchmarking is a process of comparing one's business processes and performance metrics to industry best practices or competitors. Deming analysis is a quality management approach emphasizing the use of statistical methods to improve quality and reduce defects. Yamaguchi analysis is not a commonly known process improvement technique.

Question 3

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

Accepted Answer

The four Ms of cause-and-effect diagrams typically refer to material, machinery/equipment, manpower, and methods. These four elements are typically considered the key factors that can influence a process or outcome, and are often used in quality control efforts to identify potential sources of problems or inefficiencies. Other variations of the four Ms may exist, but this is the most common and widely recognized version.

Question 4

What is the quality loss function (QLF)?

Accepted Answer

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Question 5

Explain how just-in-time processes relate to the quality of an organization's outputs.

Accepted Answer

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Question 6

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

Accepted Answer

Flowcharts are used to illustrate the sequence of events in a process, making it easier to identify areas for improvement and potential sources of errors. Pareto charts are used to identify the most frequent sources of problems, check sheets are used to collect data, Taguchi maps are used to identify optimal settings for a process, and poka-yoke is a mistake-proofing technique.

Question 7

A fish-bone chart is also known as a(n):

Accepted Answer

A fish-bone chart is also known as an Ishikawa diagram, named after its creator, Kaoru Ishikawa. It is a tool used in root cause analysis to identify the potential causes of a problem or defect. The diagram resembles a fish skeleton, hence the name "fish-bone chart."

Question 8

What is the difference between conformance-oriented quality and target-oriented quality?

Accepted Answer

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Question 9

A quality circle holds a brainstorming session and attempts to organize factors most responsible for the flaws in a product to help focus on problem-solving efforts. Which tool do you suggest they use to organize their findings?

Accepted Answer

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Question 10

Pareto charts are used to:

Accepted Answer

Pareto charts are most commonly used to organize errors, problems, or defects by displaying the frequency of occurrence of each type of issue. The chart helps to identify the most significant issues so that the team can focus on addressing those first.

Question 11

A cause-and-effect diagram shows the relationship between two measurements.

Accepted Answer

A cause-and-effect diagram, also known as a fishbone diagram or Ishikawa diagram, is used to identify, explore, and display the possible causes of a specific problem or effect, not the relationship between two measurements.

Question 12

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

Accepted Answer

If the mean of the measurements is outside the control limits, it indicates that there is a special cause of variation and the process is out of control. Therefore, the process should be investigated for assignable variation.

Question 13

What steps can be taken to develop benchmarks?

Accepted Answer

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Question 14

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.

Accepted Answer

Organizing customer complaints into a small number of sources or factors is part of the cause-and-effect diagram tool of TQM, which helps identify the root causes of problems and their effects. The other tools mentioned (quality loss function, scatter diagram, histogram, process control chart) are not directly related to organizing customer complaints in this manner.

Question 15

A cause-and-effect diagram helps identify the sources of a problem.

Accepted Answer

A cause-and-effect diagram, also known as a fishbone diagram, identifies the possible causes of a specific problem. It helps analyze and categorize the various factors that contribute to the issue and helps in finding the root cause of the problem.

Question 16

Flowcharts are graphic presentations of data over time that show upper and lower limits for the process.

Accepted Answer

Flowcharts are diagrams that depict the steps of a process or a system, not graphic presentations of data over time with upper and lower limits; those are more accurately described as control charts.

Question 17

Which of the following is FALSE regarding control charts?

Accepted Answer

Values above the upper control limits imply that the product's quality is not meeting expectations, rather than exceeding them.

Question 18

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

Accepted Answer

The given percentages indicate that the production manager is likely using a Pareto chart, which is used to identify and prioritize the most frequent or important causes of defects. Pareto charts display the relative frequency or size of each cause as a bar graph, with the causes listed in decreasing order of importance on the x-axis and the cumulative percentage of defects caused by those factors on the y-axis. This allows managers to focus their efforts and resources on addressing the most significant sources of defects.

Question 19

When sample measurements fall inside the control limits, it means that:

Accepted Answer

When sample measurements fall inside the control limits, it indicates that the process is in control, meaning that the process is predictable and stable. It does not necessarily mean that every unit manufactured is good enough to sell or that the process output exceeds the requirements. Additionally, it does not imply that the process output fulfills the requirements. Control limits are determined statistically based on process data, and falling within those limits indicates that the process is operating within the expected range.

Question 20

Identify the seven major concepts of TQM.

Accepted Answer

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Quiz 6: Managing Quality