Question 1

Process benchmarking is the development of data to determine an organization's standing in relation to like organizations in the same industry. Which type of benchmarking is used to determine the capabilities of products or services in comparison to a competitor's product or services?

Accepted Answer

Technical process benchmarking is used to determine the capabilities of products or services in comparison to a competitor's product or services. Competitive process benchmarking compares the organization to the leading competitor for critical attributes and functions. Organizational process benchmarking compares organizational benchmarks, not process benchmarks, and altruistic is not a form of process benchmarking.

Question 2

DFx or design for product life cycle is a methodology to optimize specific aspects of design. The _____________________ uses the design for X and DFX methods where a product is designed using robust design principles such as the Taguchi method.

Accepted Answer

Design for X is used in Design for Six Sigma and maintains that a design should be manufacturable, maintainable, cost effective, and high quality. The design phase of DMAIC uses the design for X and DFX methods where a product is designed using robust design principles such as the Taguchi method.

Question 3

Variety reduction in a product or manufacturing environment includes all of the following EXCEPT?

Accepted Answer

Variety reduction in a product or manufacturing environment does not include reduction of the reliance on systemization. Increasing systemization is considered part of variety reduction. It also includes reduction of fixed and variable change, consolidation of change, and modularization.

Question 4

Design for Manufacturability is a team approach to develop production costs and the best options for the error free production of a product. Which of the following is NOT included in the steps of the Design for Manufacturability process?

Accepted Answer

Developing subcontractor production proposals is not included in the steps of the Design for Manufacturability process. The process would include developing a design concept, developing a baseline process, brainstorming ways to reduce complexity, and developing action plans to investigate and implement the design concept.

Question 5

Organizing for improvement is best achieved by developing standardized work where the sequence and job elements are efficiently organized and monitored by an employee. When organizing lean improvement efforts, which tool best helps organize organizations for improvement?

Accepted Answer

When organizing lean improvement efforts, the tool that best helps organize organizations for improvement is the 5S method. The 5S method is a tool to control outcomes and make improvements to keep track of the changes implemented. It stands for sort, straighten, shine, standardize, and sustain. It can be used for any process or service to improve safety and communication, process flow, compliance, and reduction in space requirements, as well as boost morale and remove non-value-added steps.

Question 6

Kaizen blitz events can be used to resolve small but consistent long-term problems or to completely re-design a procedure. What is the advantage of a Kaizen blitz over other lean improvement initiatives?

Accepted Answer

The advantage of a Kaizen blitz over other lean improvement initiatives is that objectives can be created related to specific problems in a relatively short period of time. Kaizen was initially used as a Japanese philosophy of continuously improving everything we come in contact with during our lifetime. In lean methodology, a Kaizen blitz rapidly eliminates waste by eliminating non-value-added work.

Question 7

Countermeasure activities help employees to maintain ongoing continuous lean and improvement activities. Countermeasures establish ways to correct issues for the future. Countermeasure activities include all of the following EXCEPT?

Accepted Answer

Completion of an incident form does not enact a countermeasure. To result in a countermeasure, completed incident forms would need to be collected and analyzed, forming data which could be measured, benchmarked, and improved.

Question 8

Which of the following choices cannot be a method of mistake and error proofing (poka-yoke)?

Accepted Answer

An analysis of a process flow is not a prevention method. A poka-yoke can be electrical, mechanical, procedural, visual, human, or any other form that prevents the incorrect execution of a process step.

Question 9

Quick changeover setup reduction (SMED) allows a company to more readily respond to changes in customer demand. What does SMED enable a manufacturing company to do?

Accepted Answer

SMED enables a manufacturing company to quickly convert a machine or process to produce a different product type, thereby responding to changes in customer demand. This reduces time consuming equipment changeover and set up time associated with batching and queue processes.

Question 10

In one piece flow manufacturing products are manufactured one at a time and flow through the manufacturing and supply chain as a single unit fabricated as the customer ordered. All of the following are indicators one piece flow should be used EXCEPT:

Accepted Answer

High inventory turns are not indicators that one piece flow should be used. High inventory turns are a good thing. A low inventory turn would indicate a problem and necessitate the implementation of one piece flow.

Question 11

Performing cellular production often requires the right sizing of equipment to be used in the new processes. The rule of thumb is that machines need not be more than________________ in size than the part they are intended to produce.

Accepted Answer

In cellular production the rule of thumb is that machines need not be more than three times larger in size than the part they are intended to produce. Right sized equipment is often movable so that it can quickly be reconfigured and repositioned into a different cellular process layout in a different location in the processing plant.

Question 12

Cellular flow work stations and equipment are arranged in sequence. The goal is minimal transportation movement or delays in production time. How do products flow through a cellular work system?

Accepted Answer

Products flow through a cellular work system one piece at a time based on customer need. Cellular flow improves the velocity and flexibility to vary product type or features on the production line in response to specific customer demands. This minimizes the time it takes for a single product to flow through the entire production process.

Question 13

Sensible automation is a form of lean batching. How is an analysis of lean batching performed or what measures are used?

Accepted Answer

In sensible automation an analysis of lean batching is performed by reviewing material usage and frequency. Sensible automation improves efficiency, accuracy, and repeatability in the production environment by using interchangeable equipment-based solutions.

Question 14

Material signs (Kanban) were developed by Toyota and Taiichi Ohno during the late 1940s and early 1950s. Originally modeled after a grocery store, a Kanban reminds an employee to do what?

Accepted Answer

Kanban reminds an employee to stock the shelves. The Toyota Corporation studied American supermarkets and their management techniques. They noticed the relationship between inventory and logistics in the supermarkets, such as an empty bin of oranges or lack of canned food on an aisle. The premise behind Kanban is a visual signal or "kanban." This visual signal tells the supermarket employee to stock the shelves.

Question 15

A combination of poka-yoke devices and _________________ would virtually eliminate the need for statistical quality control.

Accepted Answer

Shingo shows that a combination of poka-yoke devices and source inspections would virtually eliminate the need for statistical quality control. Source inspections detect errors before they become defects. Mistake-proofing devices separate defects before they continue down the production line.

Question 16

Business continuity plans are important in the overall project plan because of what?

Accepted Answer

Business continuity plans are important in the overall project plan because of external supply process uncertainty. Internal supply processes are under the control of the organization, but external supply must be mitigated and planned.

Question 17

Lean supply management organizations use a variety of methods and tools to automate the management of inventory and as replenishment tools. Which of the following is a supplier managed inventory?

Accepted Answer

Lean supply management organizations use a variety of methods and tools to automate the management of inventory and as replenishment tools. A supplier managed inventory is a system that holds a supplier responsible for ensuring that stock is maintained at the purchaser's facility.

Question 18

Cross-docking is a form of inventory flow where products are received at an inbound dock and immediately moved "cross dock" for outbound shipment to customers. The benefits of cross-docking make it an attractive option, but the operating conditions under which it is most beneficial are not always clear. Which of the following is NOT a cause for this lack of clarity?

Accepted Answer

Tariffs and taxes are not a cause associated with operating conditions under which cross-docking value cannot be determined. Pricing variation and storage costs affect the clear representation of the benefits.

Question 19

Supplier assessment and feedback allows the organization to determine supplier performance in terms of quality and service. Which form of cost management is a quality-related term that encompasses the physical aspects of a product, its desired performance, and its appropriateness of application?

Accepted Answer

Improved form, fit, and function is a form of cost management that encompasses the physical aspects of a product, its desired performance, and its appropriateness of application. The remaining answers do not define forms of cost management; rather they focus on improved quality and use, easier use and improved capability, and administrative savings and heightened quality.

Question 20

Supplier development consists of developing and managing effective relationships with suppliers. Providing a supplier training for statistical processes or lending a supplier an engineer for assistance for a technical problem is referred to as what?

Accepted Answer

Providing a supplier training for statistical processes or lending a supplier an engineer for assistance for a technical problem is referred to as a supplier mentorship relationship. In this case the organization mentors the suppliers with the desired facets of service related to quality.

Quiz 2: Continuous Improvement