Question 1

An effective communication strategy is a must for successful and profitable companies. All of the following are important components of effective communication EXCEPT:

Accepted Answer

Important components of effective communication include speaker credibility, purpose, and audience.
Key Takeaway: In business communication, it is not only the content of the communication alone that counts; it is how they communicate them. With every communication to clients, a professional has to pay close attention to the purpose, audience, and speaker credibility. A company's effective communication strategy develops all facets of communication and provides training and support for those employees who have to continually present their ideas and products to clients.

Question 2

Pharmaceutical companies are often accused of hiding experimental results that do not support their stated marketing campaigns. In ethical terms, what is this practice called?

Accepted Answer

Data cleansing is an unethical practice in research methodology whereby researchers hide experimental results that do not support their desired hypothesis.
Key Takeaway: When conducting research, ethical considerations dictate that all results of the research are presented. Sometimes, data cleansing is done for the purpose of hiding results that do not support the desired hypothesis of the researchers. This dishonest practice has serious and dangerous implications, especially where safety is concerned.

Question 3

Quality control at a software production assembly line chooses samples for study from every 25 units produced within the day shift. At the end of a single production cycle, they are expected to analyze 200 units for defects. What is this type of sampling called?

Accepted Answer

Probability sampling is a sampling methodology whereby an item is chosen based on a known probability.
Key Takeaway: Probability sampling means that participants or items in a sample are chosen out of the population according to some known probability. These probabilities can range from simple to more complicated ways to choose sample participants or items out of a population. In this example, a product has a 1/25 chance of being chosen for quality control.

Question 4

The throughput yields of 5 sub-processes in series to execute in order are: 80%, 82%, 80%, 80%, and 83%, respectively. What is the probability that the order executed through this 5 sub-processes in series is defect free?

Accepted Answer

The probability that the order executed through this 5 sub-processes in series is defect free is 34.85%.
Key Takeaway: To calculate the percent yield of these 5 sub-processes is: YRT = yt1 X yt2 X yt3 X yt4 X yt1. Thus, the calculation is as follows: YRT = 0.80 X 0.82 X 0.80 X 0.80 X 0.83 = 0.3485 = 34.85%.

Question 5

In both manufacturing and business processes in the long-term, the number of sigmas that will fit between a process mean and the desired specification limit will __________.

Accepted Answer

In the long-term, the number of sigmas that will fit between a process mean and the desired specification limit will decrease.
Key Takeaway: Due to a number of factors including machine wear and tear, the number of sigmas that will fit between a process mean and the desired specification limit will decrease. The challenge for managers is to chart this reduction and provide solutions in order to maintain high quality in production standards.

Question 6

In a capability study, a process capability index uses both the process _______ and _________ to determine whether the process is "capable".

Accepted Answer

In a capability study, a process capability index uses both the process variability and specifications.
Key Takeaway: In a capability study, a process capability index uses both the process variability which measures its inherent instability, and specifications which measure its activities. A capability study of a printing machine, for example, measures its variability and output under certain conditions. The goal of such a study is to find out of the printing machine can meet production expectations.

Question 7

Melissa is a Management Consultant hired to conduct a business improvement assessment of low-performing processes in a fruit packing factory. The following are all examples of common causes in variations that could be found in this factory EXCEPT:

Accepted Answer

Common causes of variation are small, inherent causes of variation that are related to humans, machines, and operators.
Key Takeaway: Common causes of variation are small, inherent causes of variation such as human reaction times, equipment age, and materials variation. Shortage of skilled machinists is considered a special cause of variation that can be corrected.

Question 8

Following completion of her Six Sigma training, Stacey is responsible for Six Sigma implementation across the organization, integrating the knowledge she has gained while mentoring Black Belts. Stacey's role is:

Accepted Answer

A Champion is a key role in Six Sigma implementation.
Key Takeaway: Champion Six Sigma roles within an organization are vital in the implementation of quality management methodologies. Champions also serve as mentors to Black Belt certified professionals.

Question 9

An ink manufacturing company manager draws a control chart that displays a process mean. The manager is concerned that the process of ink packages assembly is inconsistent and inefficient. The control chart below shows that the process is out of control because:

Accepted Answer

The process is out of control because eight points are above the center line.
Key Takeaway: A process is said to be out of control if eight or more points fall on one side of the process control chart center line. The center line is designed to measure the mean of a process. If a process capability study shows that eight or more points fall on one side of the center line, it indicates that the process has shifted in its performance and the underlying cause should be investigated.

Question 10

Six Sigma business management strategy was started in 1981 in an effort to streamline and improve the effectiveness of business and manufacturing processes. Which company originally developed Six Sigma?

Accepted Answer

Six Sigma was originally developed by Motorola in 1981.
Key Takeaway: Motorola developed Six Sigma in 1981 to improve the quality and effectiveness of business and manufacturing processes. Six Sigma methodology involves a number of quality management tools as well as statistical tools creating special designations for individuals within an organization ("Green", "Belt") that reflect expertise in these tools and methods.

Question 11

Charles' company plans to expand its market into North Africa particularly Egypt and Algiers. As producers of high quality, specialty food supplements, they must launch products that are specifically targeted to this new market, setting them apart from their own offerings and the local market. What is this practice called?

Accepted Answer

Product differentiation is when a company distinguishes a new product from its own offerings and those of the competitors.
Key Takeaway: Launching a unique product for a specific market is a challenge for a company. Product differentiation means that the new product is distinguishable enough from the company's present offerings and the competitors' products as well. This offers the best chance of success in a new market.

Question 12

Richard's Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) project team members are spending increasingly less time on value-added tasks. As a result, the project's productivity is declining. What is this an example of?

Accepted Answer

Over-commitment to non value-added tasks leads to a productivity decline.
Key Takeaway: A significant challenge for project teams is maintaining a high enough focus on value-added tasks. When team members spend increasingly less time on these tasks, they face a number of problems such as productivity declines. Other problems include delays on delivery and inadequate testing periods.

Question 13

What does DPMO stand for?

Accepted Answer

DPMO stands for Defects Per Million Opportunities.
Key Takeaway: Processes that are deemed to be of acceptable quality by Six Sigma process capability standards have fewer than 3.4 defects per million opportunities. The goal of Six Sigma methodologies is to make every process, whether business or manufacturing, to operate within its standards over the short term and to contain fewer than 3.4 defects over the long term.

Question 14

Annex Inc. managers wish to improve the productivity of project processes that require cross-functional team collaborations. Which of the following does NOT contribute to cross-functional teams failing to complete projects successfully?

Accepted Answer

Process productivity in projects that require cross-functional collaboration are affected by leadership crises, differing departmental cultures, and territorial behavior.
Key Takeaway: Cross-functional teams are at risk of failing to complete projects successfully because of differing approaches and territorial behavior. Managers concerned about productivity must understand and address those differences in leadership and cultures in approaches to processes.

Question 15

Organizations forming successful cross-functional teams during the planning stages often have a formula include the following EXCEPT:

Accepted Answer

During the planning stage of forming successful cross-functional teams, an experienced project manager who has wide exposure to these teams is necessary.
Key Takeaway: Cross-functional teams perform best when an experienced project manager who is aware of their unique needs is assigned. The role of such a project manager is to manage and lead teams when incidences of conflict and delay occur due to cultural and practical processes.

Question 16

A specialized national welding company is facing the looming retirement of their most senior welders. According to the Theory of Constraints, what is their most pressing internal constraint?

Accepted Answer

Shortage of expertise within a company is an example of an internal constraint according to the Theory of Constraints.
Key Takeaway: The Theory of Constraints postulates that companies will face a number of core constraints that affect its optimum performance or goal. For example, in this welding company, apprenticeship training is the backbone of skill transfer from experienced to less experienced staff. With looming retirements, there are fewer experienced staff to provide this training.

Question 17

In product development and design, it is important to document and analyze all the ways that a product design would fail in real life situations. The goal of DFMEA in Six Sigma methodology is to uncover those instances where _________ ________ occurs.

Accepted Answer

The goal of DFMEA in Six Sigma methodology is to uncover those instances where failure mode occur.
Key Takeaway: Design Failure Mode Effects Analysis or DFMEA is a quality tool used by product designers and manufacturers. The goal of DFMEA is to document and analyze all the ways that a product would fail in real life situations.

Question 18

PEAK Inc. is a large medical facility offering advanced radiological services. Executives are interested in computing the median age of men seeking full diagnostic imaging. As a measure of central tendency, where is the median point located?

Accepted Answer

As a measure of central tendency, a median point is located at the midway point of the upper 50% and lower 50% of data.
Key Takeaway: Median is a measure of central tendency that allows a business researcher to compute the midway point of the upper and lower 50% of data. For example, if the median age of men seeking full diagnostic imagining is 48 years, then 50% of men seeking the service are younger than this age while 50% are older.

Question 19

Operators of a local racetrack are interested in calculating the probability of rain during a major upcoming event. When calculating probability, what assumption is made about all outcomes of an event?

Accepted Answer

When calculating probability, an assumption is made that all outcomes of an event have an equal likelihood of occurrence.
Key Takeaway: Probability calculations are important in predicting the outcome of events. If the local racetrack owner finds the probability of rain spoiling a major event to be 50%, for example, he or she may choose an indoor venue.

Question 20

Stakeholders are individuals or organizations that are affected by a company's decisions. Which one of these can be considered an external stakeholder to a global oil and gas company?

Accepted Answer

Independent drilling equipment producers are considered external stakeholders to an oil and gas company.
Key Takeaway: External stakeholders are those entities affected by an organization's decisions. If a global oil and gas company decides to reduce its operations in key areas, this decision affects independent drilling equipment manufacturers in terms of sales. While they are independent of one another, the manufacturers' core business is dependent on the company's operations.

Quiz 2: Six Sigma Green Belt