About the Diploma:
This free online Six Sigma certification course will describe how to plan and implement a Six Sigma project with a simple sequence of steps. Six Sigma is a set of techniques and tools which seek to improve the quality of process outputs by identifying and removing defects and minimizing variability in manufacturing and business processes. Professionals with this expertise are highly valued, and our course will help you become such a professional.
What You Will Learn In This Free Course:
- Describe the basics of Statistical Process Control.
- Describe to use Design of Experiments to understand and optimize process settings.
- Explain and apply the statistical techniques used in Six Sigma.
- Outline the steps in planning Design of Experiments.
- Describe the development of Taguchi Methods by Genichi Taguchi.
- Describe typical Quality Engineering applications.
- Define benchmarking and list its benefits.
- List the steps of widely used benchmarking procedures.
- Define what supply chain management is.
- Describe how Six Sigma can be used in supply chain management.
- Describe management’s challenge of integrating Six Sigma processes into supply chain systems.
Alison Certificate:
All Alison courses are free to enrol study and complete. To successfully complete this Diploma course and become an Alison Graduate, you need to achieve 80% or higher in each course assessment. Once you have completed this Diploma course, you have the option to acquire an official Diploma, which is a great way to share your achievement with the world.
Your Alison Diploma is:
- Ideal for sharing with potential employers.
- Include it in your CV, professional social media profiles and job applications.
- An indication of your commitment to continuously learn, upskill & achieve high results.
- An incentive for you to continue empowering yourself through lifelong learning.
Find Out the Correct Answers Here:
Diploma in Six Sigma – First Assessment Answers
Question 1: Choose the corresponding answers for headings on the left from the lists of potential reasons for variation in a production process in drop-down menu.
- The MaterialMoisture content, Blending, Contamination The Method Procedures, Set-up, Temperature, Cutting speedsThe OperatorTraining, Supervision, Technique
- Moisture content, Blending, Contamination
- Training, Supervision, Technique
- Procedures, Set-up, Temperature, Cutting speeds
Question 2: Click and drag the last four steps in planning a Design of Experiment into their correct order.
- Run Experiment and Collect the Data
- Analyze the data
- Conclusions
- Perform a confirmation run
Question 3: Which of the following are examples of approaches to experimentation? Choose three.
- Design of experiments (DOE)
- Build-Test-Fix problems
- One-factor-at-a-time
- Scatter plots
Question 4: Which of the following are commonly described as input variables in most manufacturing processes? Choose three.
- Raw materials
- Labor
- Control variables
- Management meetings
Question 5: Which of the following are critical concepts when designing an experiment? Choose two.
- Random assignment of experimental units to conditions.
- Variable must be manipulated by experimenter.
- Correlation always implies causation.
Question 6: True or False – When constructing a control chart the control limits must be based only on historic process data that are “in control”.
- True
- False
Question 7: True or False – Random variability is inherent in a process.
- True
- False
Question 8: Which of the following are costs of experimentation? Choose two.
- Time
- Resources (people, equipment etc)
- Longer management meetings
Question 9: True or False – Design of Experiments is used to understand and optimize process settings.
- True
- False
Question 10: In a Full Factorial Design of Experiment the formula for the number of tests (N) is: N = Yx. What do Y and x stand for? Choose two.
- Y = number of factors
- x = number of conditions
- Y = number of conditions
- x = number of factors
Question 11: Which of the following are costs of experimentation? Choose two.
- Shorter working hours
- Material (unprocessed or unstable product)
- Usable product that is not being produced
Question 12: Click and drag the last four Design of Experiment steps into their correct order.
- Run the experiment
- Collect and analyze the data
- Determine and verify the response
- Act on the results
Question 13: True or False – In a 2^4 Full Factorial Design of Experiment, 2 is the number of levels and 4 is the number of factors.
True
False
Question 14: Choose the corresponding answers for the control chart on the left from the statements about control charts for variables data in the drop-down menu.
- Choose the corresponding answers for the control chart on the left from the statements about control charts for variables data in the drop-down menu.
- X-bar charts :For individual measures; uses moving ranges
- X-bar and s charts : For sample means and standard deviations
- X-bar and R charts : For sample averages and ranges
Question 15: Choose the corresponding answers from the drop-down menu.
- Statistical Process Control (SPC): Quality control efforts that occur during production.
- Acceptance Sampling : Quality assurance that relies primarily on inspection before and after production.
Question 16: True or False – The Build-Test-Fix approach to experimentation is a very rapid and efficient method.
- True
- False
Question 17: Choose the corresponding answers for headings on the left from the statements in drop-down menu.
- Non-Random variability: Can be modified through operator or management action.
- Random variability :Can be eliminated only through improvements in the system.
Question 18: Which of the following are advantages of doing a Design of Experiment (DOE)? Choose two.
- In DOE only one factor has to be changed.
- DOE can identify the key decision parameters to control a process and to improve it.
- Factorial experiments are the most economical and precise approach for studying multi-factor effects.
Question 19: Click and drag the first four Design of Experiment steps into their correct order.
- Determine the goals
- Define the measures of success
- Verify feasibility (rough estimate)
- Design the experiment (precise estimate)
Question 20: Choose the corresponding answers for the control chart on the left from the statements in drop-down menu.
- Range chart (R chart)Uses the amount of dispersion in a sample.
- Mean chart (X-bar chart)Uses the average of a sample.
Question 21: True or False – The Independent variables (factors) are what you measure and the Dependent variables (responses) are what you manipulate.
- True
- False
Question 22: Most employees (if not all) have the ability to work on which of the following statistical techniques? Choose three.
- Scatter Plots
- Tabulating Data
- Histograms
- Design of Experiment
Question 23: Most employees (if not all) have the ability to work on which of the following statistical techniques? Choose three.
- Scatter Plots
- Tabulating Data
- Histograms
- Design of Experiment
Question 24: True or False – In Design of Experiments changing many factors together brings efficiency by reducing the total number of trials.
- True
- False
Question 25: Choose the corresponding answers for the heading on the left from the statements in drop-down menu.
- Attribute charts: Require larger sample sizes: 50 to 100 parts in a sample.
- Variable charts: Require smaller samples: 2 to 10 parts in a sample.
Question 26: Which of the following are commonly described as environmental variables in most manufacturing processes? Choose three.
Number of employees
Humidity
Ambient temperature
Vibration
Question 27: Which of the following are costs of experimentation? Choose two.
- Material (unprocessed or unstable product)
- Usable product that is not being produced
- Shorter working hours
Question 28: In a Full Factorial Design of Experiment there are 8 factors with 2 conditions each. How many tests have to be carried out? Choose one.
16
10
64
256
Question 29: Warning limits (if used) on control charts are typically set at how many standard deviations from the mean? Choose one.
- Two standard deviations from the mean.
- One standard deviation from the mean.
- Three standard deviations from the mean.
Question 30: True or False – Acceptance Sampling inspects random sample of product to determine if a lot is acceptable.
- True
- False
Question 31: True or False – In the service industries a defect is considered to be a failure to meet customer requirements.
- True
- False
Question 32: Which of the following are control charts for attributes? Choose two.
- X-bar charts
- p charts
- c charts
- Range (R) charts
Question 33: In DOE the Response Surface Model uses a least-squares curve-fit (regression analysis) to achieve which of the following? Choose three.
- Verify the model
- Analyze the model
- Tests its validity
- Calculate a system model
Question 34: Click and drag the first four steps in planning a Design of Experiment into their correct order.
- Define objective
- Select the Response (Y)
- Select the Factors (Xs)
- Choose the factor levels
Question 35: Choose the corresponding answers for the heading on the left from the statements in drop-down menu.
- Control variables What you hold constant
- Confounding variable Correlated with independent variable
- Random (noise) variables What you allow to vary randomly
Question 36: Who invented the Statistical Process Control methodology? Choose one.
- Gertrude Cox
- Walter Shewhart
- Ronald Fisher
- Karl Pearson
Question 37: Which of the following are advantages of doing a Design of Experiment (DOE)? Choose two.
- Only Control variables have to be measured.
- DOE gives much more information than obtained from one-at-a-time experimentation.
- Statistical foundation of DOE yields a lot of information at relatively low cost.
Question 38: Choose the corresponding answers for the headings on the left from statements in the drop-down menu.
- Type II error with charts : Conclude that a process is in control when it is not.
- Type I error with charts: Conclude that a process is not in control when it actually is.
Question 39: Which of the following are types of variability found in a production process? Choose two.
- Isolated
- Non-random
- Random
- Extraneous
Question 40: Which of the following are control charts for variables? Choose two.
- p charts
- X-bar charts
- Range (R) charts
- c charts
Question 41: Which of the following are commonly described as variables in most manufacturing processes? Choose three.
- Logistic variables
- Input variables
- Environmental variables
- Output variables
Question 42: Only Six Sigma Black Belts are properly trained to work on which of the following statistical techniques? Choose three.
- Histograms
- Design of Experiments
- Regression
- Confidence Intervals
Question 43: Which of the following are examples of variables? Choose three.
- Number of defects per item
- Temperature
- Tensile strength
- Diameter of objects
Question 44: Which of the following are examples of abnormal control chart patterns? Choose three.
- 4 points near the centre line.
- 8 consecutive points on one side of the centre line.
- 8 consecutive points up or down across zones.
- 14 points alternating up or down.
Question 45: Which of the following are examples of abnormal control chart patterns? Choose two.
- 4 out of 5 consecutive points in zone C.
- 2 out of 3 consecutive points in zone A but still inside the control limits.
- 4 out of 5 consecutive points in zone A or B.
Question 46: About 30% of employees have the ability to work on which of the following statistical techniques? Choose three.
- np Charts
- P Charts
- X Charts
- Significance Tests
Question 47: Assignable or special variation is a variation whose cause can be identified.
- True
- False
Question 48: True or False – Correlation always implies causation.
- True
- False
Question 49: Choose the corresponding answers for the control chart on the left from the statements about control charts for attributes data in the drop-down menu.
- c charts Number of non-conformities
- np charts Number of units non-conforming
- p charts Proportion of units non-conforming
Question 50: Which of the following indicate that a process is “in control”? Choose three.
- No sample points are outside limits.
- Most points near the process average.
- About equal number of points above & below centerline.
- The operator is being supervised.
Question 51: True or False – Statistical Process Control monitors production processes to prevent poor quality.
- True
- False
Question 52: Which procedure is used to analysis data for multi-factorial studies in Design of Experiments? Choose one.
- Scatter Plots
- ANOVA
- P Charts
- Histograms
Question 53: True or False – In Statistical Process Control every item produced has to be inspected.
- True
- False
Question 54: Choose the corresponding answers for the heading on the left from the statements in drop-down menu.
- Independent variables (factors): What you manipulate
- Dependent variables (responses): What you measure
- Control variables What you hold constant
Question 55: True or False – Production data rarely displays any variability.
- True
- False
Diploma in Six Sigma – Second Assessment Answers
Question 1: Which of the following are business processes that are an integral part of supply chains? Choose two.
- Management meetings
- Manufacturing/Assembly
- Procurement
Question 2: Which of the following are business processes that are an integral part of supply chains? Choose two.
- Distribution
- Outbound logistics
- Design and research
Question 3: Which of the following are examples of hidden costs of poor quality control along supply chains? Choose two.
- Research and development costs
- Conversion efficiency of materials
- Cost of redesign and re-inspection
Question 4: True or False – Benchmarking comes in the Analyze Phase of DMAIC.
- True
- False
Question 5: Choose the corresponding answers for the factors in Taguchi’s Experimental Factors Parameter design step on the left to the statement in the drop-down menu.
- Noise Factors: Factors that represent the noise that is expected in production or in actual use of the product.
- Control Factors: Design factors that are to be set at optimal levels to improve quality and reduce sensitivity to noise.
- Operating Temperature Adjustment Factor: Factor that affects the mean but not the variance of a response.
Question 6: True or False – Benchmarking is a process of investigation that provides valuable information stimulating improvement.
- True
- False
Question 7: Drag the sequence for benchmarking into their correct order.
- Identify Process to Benchmark
- Select Organization to Benchmark
- Prepare for the Visit
- Visit the organization
- Debrief and Develop an Action Plan
- Retain and Communicate
Question 8: Which of the following is a definition for Robust Design? Choose one.
- A Design that results in products or services that can function over a broad range of usage and environmental conditions.
- A Design that results in increased sales.
- A Design that results in fewer employees needed to manufacture goods.
- A Design that results in cheaper products.
Question 9: Product and service performance benchmarks include measures of which of the following? Choose three.
- Reliability
- Accuracy
- Timeliness
- Absenteeism
Question 10: True or False – The focus of Taguchi Methods is on reducing variability of response to maximize robustness, generally achieved through Orthogonal Array Experiments.
- True
- False
Question 11: Which of the following are examples of Experimental plans (“design”) that are available to the design engineer? Choose four.
- Orthogonal designs
- Central Cuboid designs
- Factorial designs
- Fractional designs
- Center weighted designs
Question 12: In Robust Design which of the following are Product/Process Design Parameters that should be identified? Choose four.
- Parameters that produce more products.
- Parameters that minimize performance variation due to noise factors.
- Parameters that have significant influence on performance.
- Parameters that minimize the processing cost.
- Parameters that have little influence on performance.
Question 13: True or False – Taguchi’s methodology is heavily dependent on Design of Experiments like Fisher’s and Box’s methods, but the difference he made was that for response he looked at not only the mean but also the variance of performance.
- True
- False
Question 14: Customer service performance measures typically probe organizational performance in which of the following areas? Choose three.
- Customer appraisals of delivery timeliness.
- Overall customer satisfaction with products and services.
- Customer evaluation of sales and services representatives.
- Number of emails a customer receives from the business.
Question 15: Which of the following are demands being made by customers? Choose three.
- Less information
- More goods at lower cost
- More services at lower cost
- Delivery of goods/services in a shorter time frame
Question 16: What name can be given to when the settings of the design parameters are optimized in order to minimize its sensitivity to noise? Choose one.
- Robustness
- Productivity
- Quality management
Question 17: True or False – A key challenge in supply chain management is to design and manage a supply chain network that delivers high-quality products to the right customers at the right time at minimum cost.
- True
- False
Question 18: Which of the following are sources of benchmarking information? Choose one.
- Industry publications
- All of these
- Special Industry Reports
- Library database
- Industry experts
Question 19: Which of the following are examples of performance measures that can be benchmarked? Choose three.
- Management decision-making performance measures.
- Employee performance measures.
- Technology and innovation related performance measures.
- Supplier performance measures.
Question 20: Which of the following are key components of TQM philosophy? Choose two.
- High level of inventory
- Strong internal/external customer orientation
- Top management’s direct involvement
Question 21: True or False – Benchmarking can be a key step in DMAIC to improve processes.
- True
- False
Question 22: In benchmarking the systematic process searches for which of the following that lead to superior performance? Choose three.
- Innovative ideas
- Best practices
- Highly effective operating procedures
- Cheap labor rates
Question 23: True or False – Strategic benchmarking influences the short-term competitive patterns of a company. Consequently, the benefits may accrue very quickly.
- True
- False
Question 24: Which of the following lead to inventory piling up along the supply chain? Choose two.
- Fewer management meetings
- Poor management of logistics
- No monitoring of lead times
Question 25: True or False – Benchmarking is a highly structured strategy for acquiring, assessing and applying customer, competitor and enterprise.
- True
- False
Diploma in Six Sigma – Final Assessment Answers
Question 1: True or False – The Build-Test-Fix approach to experimentation is a very rapid and efficient method.
- True
- False
Question 2: How many steps does Taguchi’s Product Design Approach have? Choose one.
- 3
- 5
- 9
- 7
Question 3: Who invented the Statistical Process Control methodology? Choose one.
- Gertrude Cox
- Karl Pearson
- Ronald Fisher
- Walter Shewhart
Question 4: In Robust Design which of the following are Product/Process Design Parameters that should be identified? Choose four.
- Parameters that produce more products.
- Parameters that have little influence on performance.
- Parameters that have significant influence on performance.
- Parameters that minimize performance variation due to noise factors.
- Parameters that minimize the processing cost.
Question 5: True or False – Acceptance Sampling inspects random sample of product to determine if a lot is acceptable.
- True
- False
Question 6: Which of the following are business processes that are an integral part of supply chains? Choose two.
- Distribution
- Outbound logistics
- Design and research
Question 7: True or False – Inventory may pile up along the supply chain due to machines breaking down resulting from poor quality culture, causing production interruption.
- True
- False
Question 8: True or False – The Control variables are what you hold constant and the Random (noise) variables are what you allow to vary randomly.
- True
- False
Question 9: Choose the corresponding answers for the headings on the left from the statements in drop-down menu.
- Type I error with chartsConclude that a process is not in control when it actually is.
- Type II error with chartsConclude that a process is in control when it is not.
Question 10: True or False – At its simplest a supply chain can be described a network of organisations.
- True
- False
Question 11: Choose the corresponding answers for the control chart on the left from the statement in the drop-down menu.
- Mean chart (X-bar chart)Uses the average of a sample.
- Range chart (R chart)Uses the amount of dispersion in a sample.
Question 12: True or False – Design of Experiments is used to understand and optimize process settings.
- True
- False
Question 13: Which of the following are examples of widely acknowledged benefits of benchmarking? Choose three.
- Exposes people to new ideas.
- Leads to lower cost positions.
- Tests the rigor of internal operating targets.
- Leads to higher wages.
Question 14: Choose the corresponding answers for the headings on the left from the statements in the drop-down menu.
- Variable chartsRequire smaller samples: 2 to 10 parts in a sample.
- Attribute chartsRequire larger sample sizes: 50 to 100 parts in a sample.
Question 15: True or False – The focus of Taguchi Methods is on reducing variability of response to maximize robustness, generally achieved through Orthogonal Array Experiments.
- True
- False
Question 16: Choose the corresponding answers for the heading on the left from the statement in the drop-down menu.
- Random variabilityCan be eliminated only through improvements in the system.
- Non-Random variabilityCan be modified through operator or management action.
Question 17: Most employees (if not all) have the ability to work on which of the following statistical techniques? Choose three.
- Design of Experiment
- Histograms
- Tabulating Data
- Scatter Plots
Question 18: True or False – One of the main purposes of a supply chain is to decide locations, which products to produce at what stage, how to produce them and how to distribute them.
- True
- False
Question 19: True or False – A key tool in Taguchi Methods is called Design of Experiments.
- True
- False
Question 20: Which of the following are examples of approaches to experimentation? Choose three.
- Scatter plots
- Design of experiments (DOE)
- One-factor-at-a-time
- Build-Test-Fix problems
Question 21: Which of the following are examples of in-process inventory problems that lead to production problems? Choose two.
- Too many management meetings
- Control specs problems
- Worker absenteeism
Question 22: Which of the following are sources of benchmarking information? Choose one.
- Library database
- Special Industry Reports
- Industry publications
- All of these
- Industry experts
Question 23: True or False – Each entity in a supply chain can be either a supplier or a customer, but not both.
- True
- False
Question 24: Which of the following are examples of approaches to experimentation? Choose three.
- Scatter plots
- Build-Test-Fix problems
- One-factor-at-a-time
- Design of experiments (DOE)
Question 25: True or False – The Independent variables (factors) are what you measure and the Dependent variables (responses) are what you manipulate.
- True
- False
Question 26: Which of the following is a definition for Robust Design? Choose one.
- A Design that results in cheaper products.
- A Design that results in increased sales.
- A Design that results in products or services that can function over a broad range of usage and environmental conditions.
- A Design that results in fewer employees needed to manufacture goods.
Question 27: Choose the corresponding answers for the headings on the left from the lists of potential reasons for variation in a production process in the drop-down menu.
- The Material :Moisture content, Blending, Contamination
- The Operator: Training, Supervision, TechniqueThe Method
- Procedures: , Set-up, Temperature, Cutting speeds
Question 28: What was the name of the engineer who developed Taguchi Methods? Choose one.
- Akira Taguchi
- Genichi Taguchi
- Michi Taguchi
- Katsuro Taguchi
Question 29: True or False – Benchmarking is a highly structured strategy for acquiring, assessing and applying customer, competitor and enterprise.
- True
- False
Question 30: What name can be given to when the settings of the design parameters are optimized in order to minimize its sensitivity to noise? Choose one.
- Quality management
- Productivity
- Robustness
Question 31: Which of the following are advantages of doing a Design of Experiment (DOE)? Choose two.
- In DOE only one factor has to be changed.
- DOE can identify the key decision parameters to control a process and to improve it.
- Factorial experiments are the most economical and precise approach for studying multi-factor effects.
Question 32: True or False – In the service industries a defect is considered to be a failure to meet customer requirements.
- True
- False
Question 33: Which of the following is a key tool when using Taguchi Methods? Choose one.
- Design of Experiments
- Histograms
- Scatter diagrams
- Fishbone diagrams
Question 34: Drag the sequence for benchmarking into their correct order.
- Identify Process to Benchmark
- Select Organization to Benchmark
- Prepare for the Visit
- Visit the organization
- Debrief and Develop an Action Plan
- Retain and Communicate
Question 35: Which of the following Experimental plans did Taguchi decide to use? Choose one.
- Fractional designs
- Orthogonal designs
- Factorial designs
- Central Cuboid designs
Question 36: Which of the following are criteria that should be used when debriefing and developing an action plan having benchmarked another business/organisation? Choose three.
- Compile list of best practices and match to improvement needs.
- Review team observations and compile report of visit.
- Structure action items, identify owners and move into Improve phase.
- Enter information on your Intranet benchmarking project database.
Question 37: Which of the following are advantages of doing a Design of Experiment (DOE)? Choose two.
- Statistical foundation of DOE yields a lot of information at relatively low cost.
- DOE gives much more information than obtained from one-at-a-time experimentation.
- Only Control variables have to be measured.
Question 38: True or False – In the Build-Test-Fix approach to experimentation it is impossible to know if true optimum achieved (you quit when it works).
- True
- False
Question 39: Choose the corresponding answers for the headings on the left from the statements in the drop-down menu.
- Control variablesWhat you hold constant
- Dependent variables (responses) What you measure
- Independent variables (factors) What you manipulate
Question 40: Which of the following are the major approaches to using Design of Experiment? Choose three.
- Curve Plots
- Response Surface Design
- Factorial Design
- Taguchi Method
Question 41: Which of the following are business processes that are an integral part of supply chains? Choose two.
- Management meetings
- Procurement
- Manufacturing/Assembly
Question 42: Product and service performance benchmarks include measures of which of the following? Choose three.
- Billing
- Documentation
- After-sales service
- Employee wage levels
Question 43: Drag the first four steps in the Bristol-Myers and Baxter International 7-Step Benchmarking Process into their correct order.
- Determine which function(s) to benchmark
- Measure your own performance
- Identify key performance variables to measure
- Identify the best-in-class companies
Question 44: True or False – Benchmarking is a process of learning from others, a pragmatic search for ideas that are successfully working elsewhere.
- True
- False
Question 45: Which of the following are examples of Experimental plans (“design”) that are available to the design engineer? Choose four.
- Center weighted designs
- Factorial designs
- Fractional designs
- Central Cuboid designs
- Orthogonal designs
Question 46: Click and drag the following steps into their correct order.
- Define
- Measure
- Analyze
- Improve
- Control