Deck 2: Continuous Improvement

Question 1

Continuous process improvement includes a focus on the processes of the organization where non-value-added activities are eliminated. Which of the following describes Mura in a waste analysis?

A)Unevenness in work and demand flow.
B)Greater demand than capacity in any given time or overburdening the process.
C)Has necessary non-value-adding waste.
D)Has unnecessary non-value-adding waste.

Answer 1

Unevenness in work and demand flow.

Question 2

When eliminating barriers to flow it is useful to develop a diagram that uses graphical symbols to depict the nature and flow of the steps within a process. This type of diagram is called which of the following?

A)Swim lane diagram.
B)Spaghetti diagram.
C)Isikawa (fishbone) diagram.
D)Current state process flow diagram.

Answer 2

Current state process flow diagram.

Question 3

Economies of flow are commonly used to design services versus products. What is "failure demand" in economies of flow?

A)The point at which a process must be redesigned because it no longer meets demand levels.
B)A failure to do something for a customer or a failure to do something correctly.
C)The point at which demand can no longer be met.
D)The point at which flow meets resistance because of a failure.

Answer 3

A failure to do something for a customer or a failure to do something correctly.

Question 4

The 7 classic wastes in lean include which grouping of concepts below?

A)Overproduction, inventory, defects, over-processing, waiting, motion, and transportation.
B)Overproduction, marketing, returned products, over-processing, waiting, motion, and lack of training.
C)Just-in-time production, inventory, failure points, over-processing, waiting, motion, and transportation.
D)Muda, inventory, Muri, over-processing, defects, waiting, and motion.

Question 5

Which type of process waste actually has two forms?

A)Muri, which deals with demand.
B)Muda, which deals with value-adding wastes.
C)Mura, which is unevenness in work demand.
D)Lean waste, which is found through process improvement.

Question 6

Which type of waste causes fluctuation in performance in a manufacturing environment?

A)Uncaptured or measured waste.
B)Muda, which has two forms of waste.
C)Muri, or demand for the process.
D)Mura, or demand of unevenness.

Question 7

A laminate processing plant has a high level of Muri. What does that mean for employees?

A)Employee satisfaction is at an all-time high.
B)Employees feel as the processes are out of their control.
C)The employees do not feel engaged.
D)The employees feel overworked.

Question 8

The alignment of value-added work fragments means getting the most out of employee effort. Which choice below should management follow to properly align work fragments?

A)Ensure there are no breaks in processes causing a fragment.
B)Optimize each level of the processes.
C)Align the right complexity of work with the right position within the organization.
D)Implement a Kaizen program.

Question 9

Organizing flow is typically done with the critical path method and value stream mapping. Which of the following would NOT be included in the benefits of the critical path method when organizing flow?

A)The ability to acquire resources.
B)The ability to specify individual activities.
C)The ability to provide a graphical view of a project.
D)The ability to show activity precedence and interrelations.

Question 10

Improving end-to-end flow would require identifying and mapping what?

A)Customer requirements or the customer's voice.
B)The value stream.
C)A spaghetti diagram of the work location.
D)The level of waste at each level of production.

Question 11

When visually managing the flow of a process, what is the primary goal of a visual project board?

A)To provide the status and progress of a project.
B)To show the team members and charter for a project.
C)To show the project timeline.
D)To show the return on investment for the project.

Question 12

An organization realized it was having difficulty with Takt time. What basic problem existed?

A)The average length of production was too long in duration.
B)The length of production for a single item was too long in duration.
C)Production outpaced the customer demand.
D)No measure for time existed.

Question 13

Scientific thinking and the scientific method are the basis for lean methodologies. What is the first step used in a scientific thinking process?

A)Analyzing the results of a test.
B)Observing the results of a test.
C)Trying an experiment.
D)Developing a hypothesis.

Question 14

The foundation of lean is stability and standardization. Stability would be demonstrated by which lean activity?

A)A3 thinking with structured sections.
B)Kanban visual records, cards, or signals.
C)Takt time to determine if a plant is "balanced".
D)5S - sort, straighten, shine, standardize, and sustain.

Question 15

Which of the following is the reason for standardization of a process?

A)Without standardization there is no benchmark for improvement.
B)Without standardization cost per unit varies.
C)Without standardization production time varies.
D)Without standardization each employee works at their own speed.

Question 16

Which measure would a lean practitioner use to determine or recognize abnormality in a process?

A)An and on which provides work instructions.
B)A process capability measurement.
C)A bar chart.
D)An Excel pivot table.

Question 17

Lean practitioners wanting to enact empiricism into behavior would use what lean technique?

A)They would develop a "swim lane" diagram.
B)They would use a kaizen blitz.
C)They would deploy a "go and see" technique.
D)They would form a rapid process improvement team.

Question 18

Which principle used in lean would allow an employee to have autonomation?

A)Andon, which is a device that indicates the status of a process.
B)Jidoka, which puts faith in the worker to think.
C)Kanban, which is a visual record, card, or signal.
D)Takt Time, where employees only produce exactly what customers will consume.

Question 19

Quality at the source is a principle where quality is measured at every level of a process, not just the endpoint. Which of the following choices below would impact quality at the source?

A)Annual bonus percentages for employees.
B)The retirement of an employee.
C)Employees being aware of quality standards and quality benchmarks.
D)Installation of replacement parts on the assembly line.

Question 20

One of the many principles of process improvement is that no defect should be passed forward. From a leader's perspective, what would this require them to do?

A)Stop the process long enough to determine the root cause and develop countermeasures.
B)Develop a plan to incur a long term loss.
C)Indicate to subordinates that variation exists in a process and they must determine a solution.
D)Determine fault for the issue and pursue discussion with the individual who allowed the defect to pass.

Question 21

The second part of Jidoka includes separating the man from the machine. What is the goal of the separation of man from the machine?

A)Reduction of the number of employees required in a process.
B)Building processes that are capable of making intelligent decisions and shutting down automatically.
C)Reduction of errors by reducing the number of humans in contact with a process.
D)Allowing humans to focus on more complex activities.

Question 22

Multi-process handling occurs when one worker is performing more than one processing task with or without machines. What is the highest process risk in this type of environment?

A)Excessive wear and tear on the equipment.
B)Employee burnout or loss of engagement
C)The risk of ergonomic injury.
D)The risk of increased variability in the output of the process.

Question 23

Using a self-detection method in the reduction of defects would have which effect?

A)Additional waste would occur as employees misjudge quality.
B)Employees would have the ability to determine appropriate quality level.
C)Additional costs for self-detection versus machine detection.
D)Decreased autonomy in the work environment.

Question 24

The stop and fix method is one of Toyotas guiding principles. Stop and fix ensures you get quality right the first time. What is the main reason problems are ignored?

A)Problems are ignored because they keep employees from being productive.
B)Problems cause employees additional work.
C)The cause of problems are often difficult to determine.
D)Employees do not realize there is a problem.

Question 25

Integrating improvements within the organization is best incorporated where?

A)In the measure phase of the DMAIC model when measuring improvements.
B)In the define phase of the DMAIC model.
C)In the control plan under the control phase of the DMAIC methodology.
D)In the analyze phase of the DMAIC model.

Question 26

Kaizen is a Japanese word meaning "change for the good," or continuous improvement. Which process below describes Kaizen?

A)A Japanese methodology where all employees focus on the same problem.
B)Rapid process improvement.
C)Gradual improvement over time by achieving higher standards.
D)Applying Kanban cards with a part number.

Question 27

Kaikaku is used for breakthrough continuous improvement. Kaizen focuses on incremental improvements and Kaikaku focuses on what?

A)Successive incremental improvement.
B)Radical change, transformation, and revolution.
C)Synergistic effects of continuous improvement.
D)The human aspects of inspection.

Question 28

Visual signs are encouraged in the workplace in lean environments. What would be a visual sign for process measures?

A)Organizational information about processes.
B)Identification of hazards.
C)Standard work instructions and flow charts.
D)Reject rates, run charts, and KPIs.

Question 29

What would a project team do during the 4th step of a 5 s?

A)Seiso, or cleaning/shining.
B)Seketsu, or standardizing processes.
C)Seiton, or organizing work areas.
D)Seiri, or clearing up and sorting.

Question 30

What would be the benefit of lot size reduction in a lean production environment?

A)Smaller lots have lower production costs.
B)Smaller lots produce greater economies of scale.
C)Smaller lots reduce the needed span of control.
D)Smaller lots reduce variability.

Question 31

Which technique would a continuous improvement team use for balancing production throughput over time?

A)Level loading production.
B)Load-load working from piece to piece.
C)Line balancing work, staffing, and Takt time.
D)Listening post, which collects and documents feedback.

Question 32

Which of the following is NOT included in the steps of production process preparation 3P?

A)Developing the production cost analysis.
B)Building, presenting, and selecting process prototypes.
C)Diagraming flow from raw material to finished product.
D)Defining the product or process design objectives.

Question 33

Which of the following choices is a Japanese management philosophy used to increase time between failure or life of machinery.

A)Theory of Constraints (TOC).
B)Total Productive Maintenance (TPM).
C)Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF).
D)(VOC) Voice of the Customer.

Question 34

Which lean tool is considered the baseline for Kaizen events?

A)Determination of the sequence of operator tasks.
B)Standardization of work in the environment.
C)Calculation of Takt time.
D)Building an inventory of equipment needed for processes.

Question 35

Which of the following would be an example of built in feedback in a lean manufacturing environment?

A)Including employees in the pursuit of achieving objectives.
B)A comment card sealed in each carton of product.
C)A link to a customer satisfaction survey included with each product.
D)A toll free number printed on all packaging.

Question 36

A strategic business assessment leverages lean and corporate planning techniques to develop a foundation for quality and productivity improvements. Which of these tools is used in a strategic business assessment?

A)Risk analysis(Personnel + Process + Dependency)/3.
B)Hoshin planning methods.
C)SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats).
D)Statistical process control (SPC).

Question 37

A CIPM, or continuous improvement process methodology, seeks to combine the process improvement benefits of the Six Sigma method with the waste reduction benefits of lean. Continuous improvement requires several conditions in order to be implemented within an organization. Which of the following is NOT included in these requirements?

A)Thorough problem solving tool structures for DMAIC(Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control).
B)Strategically aligned outcome-based goals, including the voice of the customer.
C)An established infrastructure to support continuous process improvement implementation.
D)Management oversight and attendance at all initiatives.

Question 38

Which phase of the PDCA cycle includes observing the effects of the change?

A)The check step of PDCA.
B)The plan step of PDCA.
C)The do step of PDCA.
D)The act step of PDCA.

Question 39

PDCA encourages small tests within current processes. Which phase of PDCA is the baseline for the current process being developed?

A)The act step of PDCA.
B)The check step of PDCA.
C)The do step of PDCA.
D)The plan step of PDCA.

Question 40

Which phase of PDCA requires users to determine what modifications should be made to a process?

A)The plan step of PDCA.
B)The act step of PDCA.
C)The check step of PDCA.
D)The do step of PDCA.

Question 41

Which phase of the DMAIC model has core activities which include developing the project charter and deliverables?

A)The measure phase.
B)The define phase.
C)The control phase.
D)The analyze phase.

Question 42

The DMAIC methodology and Six Sigma are used for several improvement applications. Which of these is NOT an application or requirement for Six Sigma?

A)When causes or situations are unknown.
B)When you need a broad approach with a proven methodology.
C)When the process requires a rigorous testing methodology.
D)When team composition is at least five members.

Question 43

The DMAIC methodology is a data-driven quality strategy for improving processes. What are the steps in the DMAIC model?

A)Determine, measure, analyze, innovate, control.
B)Define, measure, act, include, control.
C)Define, measure, analyze, improve, control.
D)Describe, measure, analyze, improve, contain.

Question 44

Which phase of the DMAIC model has core activities which include benchmarking and return on investment calculations?

A)The measure phase.
B)The define phase.
C)The control phase.
D)The analyze phase.

Question 45

Which phase of the DMAIC model has core activities which include determining correlations and design of experiments?

A)The measure phase.
B)The control phase.
C)The analyze phase.
D)The define phase.

Question 46

A project team utilizes problem solving storyboards to help a project team to do what?

A)Display the project scope and deliverables.
B)Visually conceptualize possible solutions to problems.
C)Show a visual depiction of the process flow.
D)Provide a document to house the steps in the process improvement.

Question 47

Lean improvements use the frame work from several quality systems including TQM and TQMS. All of the following are initiatives which have contributed to improving quality EXCEPT?

A)Plan, do, study, act (PDSA).
B)Spill containment and countermeasures.
C)Business process engineering.
D)Taguchi methods.

Question 48

The International Standards Organization(ISO) is the world's largest developer of voluntary International Standards. Which quality management standard covers basic concepts and language?

A)ISO 9001:2008.
B)ISO 9000:2005.
C)ISO 9004:2009.
D)ISO 19011:2011.

Question 49

Standards other than those of the International Standards Organization are also used for quality improvement. Which group choice below does NOT develop standards which enhance quality?

A)Americas Aerospace Quality Group (AAQG).
B)Quality Excellence for Suppliers of Telecommunications Leadership Forum.
C)The National Education Association.
D)The United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

Question 50

A project manager has multiple lean projects she manages concurrently. Why would she employ a corrective action system?

A)To ensure implementation and establish that timelines are followed and sustainment is enacted.
B)To ensure team members complete assigned team tasks.
C)To ensure documentation for compliance purposes.
D)To eliminate sustainment activities.

Question 51

Variation is a change in data, characteristics, or functions caused by one of four factors. Which of the following is NOT one of the four factors that cause variation?

A)Tampering with samples.
B)Special causes.
C)Social variation.
D)Common causes.

Question 52

Using tools to manage the outcome of organizational initiatives from conception to completion would be called which of the following?

A)Define activities of the DMAIC.
B)Benchmarking activities.
C)Analyze activities of the DMAIC.
D)Project management.

Question 53

Which of the listed elements is NOT included in the base elements of a project charter?

A)Analysis of the problem.
B)The project deliverables.
C)Communication and status reporting processes.
D)Responsibilities of team members.

Question 54

Appropriate communication techniques are necessary indifferent situations to overcome barriers to project success. Which of the following would NOT be considered a common roadblock to quality improvement?

A)Lack of Project Management.
B)Lack of critical thinking.
C)Conflict among team members.
D)Readily available knowledge.

Question 55

In project management, which leadership style would be most aligned or used for teams that are self-directing?

A)Directing style of leadership.
B)Delegating style of leadership.
C)Coaching style of leadership.
D)Supporting style of leadership.

Question 56

Which of the following is NOT a project management responsibility?

A)Constraint management on a project.
B)Implementation techniques for a project.
C)Provision of resources.
D)Project planning.

Question 57

Sally Akins is a project manager for a real-estate development company. Which of these is NOT a responsibility of hers as project manager?

A)Delivering the project on time, within established fiscal parameters and to specification.
B)Managing and directing project staff, suppliers, and project stakeholders.
C)Reviewing the performance standards for team members.
D)Undertaking the activities required to initiate, plan, execute, and close the project successfully.

Question 58

Process design is used for all of the following needs EXCEPT?

A)Determining environmental requirements.
B)Determining the process workflow.
C)Determining equipment needs.
D)Determining implementation requirements.

Question 59

Pull systems are triggered by demand in lean production and small batches are produced as triggers indicate replenishment is needed. Which of the following is a descriptor of a push system?

A)The inventory control system begins with a customer's order.
B)Forecasting inventory needs to meet customer demand.
C)Only enough product is made to fulfill a customer's orders.
D)Has no excess of inventory.

Question 60

Leveraging lean initiatives requires successful knowledge transfer within the organization. Which initiative would have the most organizational knowledge impact?

A)Leading a team through a Kaizen event.
B)Having the team review a quality video.
C)Asking a team to develop a histogram of a process.
D)Having a project team develop a charter.

Question 61

A workflow analysis is performed to determine waste and areas to target for improved efficiencies. A workflow analysis can also be used for which of the following?

A)Compiling employee interview results.
B)Eliminating standardized work.
C)Making recommendations for processes that need to be changed.
D)Determining views towards automation.

Question 62

Flowcharting is a graphical representation of the steps in a process. Flowcharts are drawn to better understand processes and are one of the seven tools of quality. What can a flowchart NOT do?

A)Show analysis of data.
B)Show gaps in a process.
C)Show readiness to deliver a project.
D)Identify steps in a process with symbols or shapes.

Question 63

Flow analysis charts are used to show analysis of the points in flow which have been displayed in a flow chart. Which of the following would require a flow analysis?

A)Flow charting the logistical requirements to move newspapers from the United States to China.
B)Flow charting the ingredients and steps in baking croissants.
C)Development of the steps to build a greenhouse.
D)Development of software for landscaping.

Question 64

Value stream mapping is mapping of all activities (both value-added and non-value-added) that are needed to bring a product from its raw material state into a state ready for use by a customer. Which of the following baseline measurements in a value stream map would measure the amount of work that fluctuates for a given activity?

A)First pass yield.
B)Cycle lead time.
C)Demand variation.
D)Process capability measures.

Question 65

Takt time is the time between the production of consecutive items processed in a production system. If a bakery bakes 50 loaves of bread and there are 500 minutes of production, what is the Takt time?

A)The Takt time is 100 minutes.
B)The Takt time is 50 minutes.
C)The Takt time is 500 minutes.
D)The Takt time is 10 minutes.

Question 66

Data collection and presentation includes maintaining a repository of relevant improvement data and displaying it in a manner so that stakeholders understand its progress over time. All of the following are data collection plan components EXCEPT:

A)Who will collect the data.
B)Metrics such as KPOV or KPIV.
C)The cost of assembling the data.
D)Operational definitions.

Question 67

Which process improvement diagram, picture, or chart would a lean team use to show if the improvements implemented in a project are improving over time?

A)A scatter diagram.
B)A trend analysis.
C)A Pareto chart.
D)Histogram of the process measures.

Question 68

Pareto charts are graphical tools used for ranking causes from most significant to least significant. Which of the following is incorrect regarding when you would use a Pareto chart?

A)When the causes are already known by a team.
B)When you want to focus on the most significant problems or issue.
C)When focusing on the frequency of problems.
D)When communicating with a team about process data.

Question 69

Check sheets are one of the seven tools of quality which include the cause and effect diagram, check sheet, control chart, flowchart, histogram, Pareto chart, and scatter diagram. The checklist is a mistake-proofing aid. What is a check sheet used for?

A)Auditing process outputs.
B)Capturing and categorizing observations.
C)Carrying out multi-step procedures.
D)Finishing of process outputs.

Question 70

When identifying root causes, several tools can be used to resolve chronic problems. Which tool would you use to rank causes from most significant to least significant?

A)Cause and effect diagrams.
B)Fault tree analysis.
C)Pareto charts.
D)Waste analysis.

Question 71

Cause and effect diagrams illustrate the main causes and sub-causes leading to an effect, or the inputs x which result in the output y in the equation y = f (x). The resulting diagram resembles a fishbone diagram called the Ishikawa diagram. Cause and effect diagrams are used in all of the following EXCEPT:

A)When identifying possible causes for a problem.
B)When a team is having difficulty brainstorming causes.
C)When asking "why does this happen?"
D)When an analysis of data is needed.

Question 72

The 5 whys are a questioning process designed to drill down into the details of a problem or a solution by refining a problem statement or a potential solution and get to the root cause or root solution. It is used for brain storming. Which of the following is NOT a situation in which a project team would use brainstorming?

A)When the solution of scope is defined.
B)When original ideas are desired.
C)When participation of the entire team is desired.
D)When several options are desired.

Question 73

Failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA) identifies potential product failures by scoring risks. Scores for each category are on a scale of 1 to 10 in terms of risk. Which score is considered a trigger for corrective action?

A)Any RPN value exceeding 80 requires a corrective action.
B)Any RPN value exceeding 60 requires a corrective action.
C)Any RPN value exceeding 40 requires a corrective action.
D)Any RPN value exceeding 20 requires a corrective action.

Question 74

Variation data is commonly displayed in histogram form. The pattern of variation in a set of data is called a distribution. Which of the following questions would NOT impact a project team's graphic display of variation?

A)Is the distribution asymmetrical?
B)Is the distribution symmetric?
C)What is the most common value for the variable?
D)How much variation is present?

Question 75

Statistical process control charts monitor processes and may be applied to production or business processes. Statistical process control helps us understand variation and process capability and performance by using control charts of Cp, Cpk, Pp, Ppk, x-bar, and R, and attribute charts of - p, np, c, and u. Which control chart is used to plot units that do not conform when samples of equal size are taken from the process?

A)P control charts.
B)U charts.
C)Moving average control charts or c charts.
D)Np control charts.

Question 76

Scatter and concentration diagrams show the correlations between variables. Which of the following is NOT an application for a scatter diagram?

A)When the dependent variable has multiple values for each value of the independent variable.
B)When you are trying to identify potential root causes of problems.
C)When you have paired numerical data.
D)When you know two variables are related.

Question 77

Product and service design techniques are refined using the voice of the customer. Which question below would be a question related to the VOC?

A)What types or products do we offer?
B)What issues do you have within your organization?
C)How many competitors do you have?
D)What is a defect?

Question 78

Engineering changes and capabilities may be required in lean or Six Sigma methodologies. Engineering changes are most commonly needed in which of the following?

A)PDSA changes.
B)Kaizen blitz events.
C)DMADV methodology.
D)Poke yoke implementation.

Question 79

Concurrent engineering is a method by which several teams within an organization work simultaneously to develop new products and services. Which process below would benefit most from concurrent engineering?

A)A consortium of farmers.
B)A computer technology development company.
C)A taxi cab service company.
D)A book publishing company.

Question 80

Quality Function Deployment (QFD) is used to relate the characteristics that customers value to the specific features and specifications of the product. Quality Function Deployment is often called the "house of quality" from its appearance. Which of the following scoring choices is NOT included in the QFD process?

A)The cost of comparable products.
B)The customer's voice.
C)Positive and negative relationships between the process how's.
D)Competitor ratings for similar products.