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
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, ContaminationThe MethodProcedures, Set-up, Temperature, Cutting speedsThe OperatorTraining, Supervision, Technique
Moisture content, Blending, Contamination
Training, Supervision, Technique
Procedures, Set-up, Temperature, Cutting speeds
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
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
Which of the following are commonly described as input variables in most manufacturing processes? Choose three.
Raw materials
Labor
Control variables
Management meetings
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.
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
True or False – Random variability is inherent in a process.
True
False
Which of the following are costs of experimentation? Choose two.
Time
Resources (people, equipment etc)
Longer management meetings
True or False – Design of Experiments is used to understand and optimize process settings.
True
False
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
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
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
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
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
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.
True or False – The Build-Test-Fix approach to experimentation is a very rapid and efficient method.
True
False
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.
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.
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)
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.
True or False – The Independent variables (factors) are what you measure and the Dependent variables (responses) are what you manipulate.
True
False
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
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
True or False – In Design of Experiments changing many factors together brings efficiency by reducing the total number of trials.
True
False
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.
Which of the following are commonly described as environmental variables in most manufacturing processes? Choose three.
Number of employees
Humidity
Ambient temperature
Vibration
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
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
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.
True or False – Acceptance Sampling inspects random sample of product to determine if a lot is acceptable.
True
False
True or False – In the service industries a defect is considered to be a failure to meet customer requirements.
True
False
Which of the following are control charts for attributes? Choose two.
X-bar charts
p charts
c charts
Range (R) charts
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
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
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
Who invented the Statistical Process Control methodology? Choose one.
Gertrude Cox
Walter Shewhart
Ronald Fisher
Karl Pearson
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.
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.
Which of the following are types of variability found in a production process? Choose two.
Isolated
Non-random
Random
Extraneous
Which of the following are control charts for variables? Choose two.
p charts
X-bar charts
Range (R) charts
c charts
Which of the following are commonly described as variables in most manufacturing processes? Choose three.
Logistic variables
Input variables
Environmental variables
Output variables
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
Which of the following are examples of variables? Choose three.
Number of defects per item
Temperature
Tensile strength
Diameter of objects
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.
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.
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
Assignable or special variation is a variation whose cause can be identified.
True
False
True or False – Correlation always implies causation.
True
False
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
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.
True or False – Statistical Process Control monitors production processes to prevent poor quality.
True
False
Which procedure is used to analysis data for multi-factorial studies in Design of Experiments? Choose one.
Scatter Plots
ANOVA
P Charts
Histograms
True or False – In Statistical Process Control every item produced has to be inspected.
True
False
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 variablesWhat you hold constant
True or False – Production data rarely displays any variability.
True
False
Diploma in Six Sigma – Second Assessment Answers
Which of the following are business processes that are an integral part of supply chains? Choose two.
Management meetings
Manufacturing/Assembly
Procurement
Which of the following are business processes that are an integral part of supply chains? Choose two.
Distribution
Outbound logistics
Design and research
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
True or False – Benchmarking comes in the Analyze Phase of DMAIC.
True
False
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.
True or False – Benchmarking is a process of investigation that provides valuable information stimulating improvement.
True
False
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
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.
Product and service performance benchmarks include measures of which of the following? Choose three.
Reliability
Accuracy
Timeliness
Absenteeism
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
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
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.
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
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.
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
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
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
Which of the following are sources of benchmarking information? Choose one.
Industry publications
All of these
Special Industry Reports
Library database
Industry experts
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.
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
True or False – Benchmarking can be a key step in DMAIC to improve processes.
True
False
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
True or False – Strategic benchmarking influences the short-term competitive patterns of a company. Consequently, the benefits may accrue very quickly.
True
False
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
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
True or False – The Build-Test-Fix approach to experimentation is a very rapid and efficient method.
True
False
How many steps does Taguchi’s Product Design Approach have? Choose one.
3
5
9
7
Who invented the Statistical Process Control methodology? Choose one.
Gertrude Cox
Karl Pearson
Ronald Fisher
Walter Shewhart
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.
True or False – Acceptance Sampling inspects random sample of product to determine if a lot is acceptable.
True
False
Which of the following are business processes that are an integral part of supply chains? Choose two.
Distribution
Outbound logistics
Design and research
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
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
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.
True or False – At its simplest a supply chain can be described a network of organisations.
True
False
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.
True or False – Design of Experiments is used to understand and optimize process settings.
True
False
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.
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.
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
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.
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
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
True or False – A key tool in Taguchi Methods is called Design of Experiments.
True
False
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
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
Which of the following are sources of benchmarking information? Choose one.
Library database
Special Industry Reports
Industry publications
All of these
Industry experts
True or False – Each entity in a supply chain can be either a supplier or a customer, but not both.
True
False
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)
rue or False – The Independent variables (factors) are what you measure and the Dependent variables (responses) are what you manipulate.
True
False
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.
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
What was the name of the engineer who developed Taguchi Methods? Choose one.
Akira Taguchi
Genichi Taguchi
Michi Taguchi
Katsuro Taguchi
True or False – Benchmarking is a highly structured strategy for acquiring, assessing and applying customer, competitor and enterprise.
True
False
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
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.
True or False – In the service industries a defect is considered to be a failure to meet customer requirements.
True
False
Which of the following is a key tool when using Taguchi Methods? Choose one.
Design of Experiments
Histograms
Scatter diagrams
Fishbone diagrams
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
Which of the following Experimental plans did Taguchi decide to use? Choose one.
Fractional designs
Orthogonal designs
Factorial designs
Central Cuboid designs
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.
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.
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
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
Which of the following are the major approaches to using Design of Experiment? Choose three.
Curve Plots
Response Surface Design
Factorial Design
Taguchi Method
Which of the following are business processes that are an integral part of supply chains? Choose two.
Management meetings
Procurement
Manufacturing/Assembly
Product and service performance benchmarks include measures of which of the following? Choose three.
Billing
Documentation
After-sales service
Employee wage levels
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
True or False – Benchmarking is a process of learning from others, a pragmatic search for ideas that are successfully working elsewhere.
True
False
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
Click and drag the following steps into their correct order.
Define
Measure
Analyze
Improve
Control
