Q&A Hero

Q: Given the following process control data for a normally distributed quality variable (three samples of size four each): If the process is known to have a mean of 15 and a standard deviation of 3, using three-sigma control limits, do any of the sample means indicate an out-of-control process mean?

Q: An analyst counted 17 A/B runs and 15 U/D runs in 26 time series observations. Do these results suggest that the data are non-random?

Q: An operator collected the following time series data from a process: (A) Determine the number of A/B runs. (B) Determine the number of up/down runs.

Q: An analyst has gathered data and counted the number of runs with respect to the median. There were 60 observations and 22 runs. What can the analyst conclude given this information?

Q: Given the following control chart, would you say that the process appears to be performing appropriately?

Q: The following chart depicts 16 sample means that were taken at periodic intervals and plotted on a control chart. Does the output appear to be random?

Q: Perform run tests on the given data. What can you conclude?

Q: Construct the appropriate two-sigma control chart for the sample observations listed below.

Q: A town's department of public works is concerned about adverse public reaction to a sewer project that is currently in progress. Because of this, the commissioner of public works has authorized a weekly survey to be conducted of town residents. Each week, a sample of 100 residents is questioned on their feelings about the project. The results to date are shown below. Analyze these data using control charts that would provide for a 5 percent risk of Type I error.

Q: Four samples of three observations each have been taken, with actual measurements (in centimeters) shown below. Construct three-sigma mean and range charts.

Q: A process that makes chocolate candy bars has an output that is normally distributed with a mean of 6 ounces and a standard deviation of .01 ounces. A job is to be run that requires 200 candy bars. Determine the three-sigma control limits for an x-bar chart, assuming a sample size of 10. If specifications are 5.98 to 6.02, what run size should be used for this job so that the expected number of good candy bars is 200, assuming the process is in control?

Q: The basis for a statistical process control chart is a(the): A. process capability. B. sampling distribution. C. control limit. D. sample range. E. sample mean.

Q: When a process is in control, it results in there being, on average, 16 defects per unit of output. c-chart limits of 4 and 28 would lead to a _______ percent chance of a Type I error. A. 67 B. 92 C. 33 D. 0.3 E. 5

Q: When a process is in control, it results in there being, on average, 16 defects per unit of output. c-chart limits of 8 and 24 would lead to a _______ percent chance of a Type I error. A. 67 B. 92 C. 33 D. .03 E. 5

Q: A process results in a few defects occurring in each unit of output. Long-run, these defects should be monitored with: A. p-charts. B. c-charts. C. x-bar charts. D. R-charts. E. o-charts.

Q: Organizations should work to improve process capability so that quality control efforts can become more: A. effective. B. efficient. C. necessary. D. unnecessary. E. widespread.

Q: The specifications for a product are 6 mm 0.1 mm. The process is known to operate at a mean of 6.05 with a standard deviation of 0.01 mm. What is the Cpk for this process? A. 3.33 B. 1.67 C. 5.00 D. 2.50 E. 1.33

Q: The specification limit for a product is 8 cm and 10 cm. A process that produces the product has a mean of 9.5 cm and a standard deviation of 0.2 cm. What is the process capability, Cpk? A. 3.33 B. 1.67 C. 0.83 D. 2.50 E. 1.33

Q: Studies on a machine that molds plastic water pipe indicate that when it is injecting 1-inch-diameter pipe, the process standard deviation is 0.05 inches. The 1-inch pipe has a specification of 1 inch plus or minus 0.10 inch. What is the process capability index (Cpk) if the long-run process mean is 1 inch? A. 0.50 B. 0.67 C. 1.00 D. 2.00 E. 2.20

Q: Studies on a bottle-filling machine indicate that it fills bottles to a mean of 16 ounces with a standard deviation of 0.10 ounces. What is the process specification, assuming the Cpk index of 1? A. lower spec = 0.1 ounces and upper spec = 1 ounce B. lower spec = 8.7 ounces and upper spec = 12.5 ounces C. lower spec = 12.0 ounces and upper spec = 21.4 ounces D. lower spec = 15.7 ounces and upper spec = 16.3 ounces E. lower spec = 14.3 ounces and upper spec = 17.7 ounces

Q: A quality analyst wants to construct a control chart for determining whether four machines, all producing the same product, are under control with regard to a particular quality attribute. Accordingly, she inspected 1,000 units of output from each machine in random samples, with the following results: For upper and lower control limits of .026 and .014, which machine(s), if any, appear(s) to be out-of-control for process proportion of defectives? A. machine #3 B. machine #4 C. machines #3 and #4 D. machines #2 and #3 E. none of the machines

Q: The chair of the operations management department at Quality University wants to construct a p-chart for determining whether the four faculty teaching the basic P/OM course are under control with regard to the number of students who fail the course. Accordingly, he sampled 100 final grades from last year for each instructor, with the following results: Using .95 control limits (5 percent risk of Type I error), which instructor(s), if any, should he conclude is (are) out of control? A. none B. Prof. B C. Prof. D D. both Prof. B and Prof. D E. all

Q: If he uses upper and lower control limits of 22 and 18 ounces, on what day(s), if any, does this process appear to be out of control? A. Monday B. Tuesday C. Monday and Tuesday D. Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday E. none

Q: If he uses upper and lower control limits of 22 and 18 ounces, what is his risk (alpha) of concluding this process is out of control when it is actually in control (Type I error)? A. 0.0026 B. 0.0456 C. 0.3174 D. 0.6826 E. 0.9544

Q: What is the standard deviation of the sampling distribution of sample means for whenever this process is under control? A. 0.1 ounces B. 0.4 ounces C. 0.5 ounces D. 1 ounce E. 2 ounces

Q: What is the mean of the sampling distribution of sample means when this process is under control? A. 18 ounces B. 19 ounces C. 20 ounces D. 21 ounces E. 22 ounces

Q: What is the sample mean package weight for Thursday? A. 19 ounces B. 20 ounces C. 20.6 ounces D. 21 ounces E. 23 ounces

Q: If he uses upper and lower control limits of 520 and 480 hours, on what sample(s) (if any) does service life appear to be out of control? A. sample 1 B. sample 2 C. sample 3 D. both samples 2 and 3 E. all samples are in control

Q: If he uses upper and lower control limits of 520 and 480 hours, what is his risk (alpha) of concluding that service life is out of control when it is actually under control (Type I error)? A. 0.0026 B. 0.0456 C. 0.3174 D. 0.6826 E. 0.9544

Q: What is the standard deviation of the sampling distribution of sample means for whenever service life is in control? A. 5 hours B. 6.67 hours C. 10 hours D. 11.55 hours E. 20 hours

Q: What is the mean of the sampling distribution of sample means when service life is in control? A. 250 hours B. 470 hours C. 495 hours D. 500 hours E. 515 hours

Q: What is the sample mean service life for sample 2? A. 460 hours B. 495 hours C. 500 hours D. 515 hours E. 525 hours

Q: The following data occurs chronologically from left to right: The number of runs up and down is: A. 2. B. 3. C. 4. D. 5. E. none of these.

Q: Consider the following information: The number of runs with respect to the sample median is: A. 3. B. 4. C. 5. D. 6. E. none of these.

Q: Consider the following information: The number of runs up and down for the preceding data is: A. 3. B. 4. C. 5. D. 6. E. none of these.

Q: A time-ordered plot of sample statistics is called a(n) ______ chart. A. statistical B. inspection C. control D. simo E. limit

Q: The process capability index (Cpk) may mislead if: (I) the process is not stable. (II) the process output is not normally distributed. (III) the process is not centered. A. I and II B. I and III C. II and III D. II only E. I, II, and III

Q: The purpose of control charts is to: A. estimate the proportion of output that is acceptable. B. weed out defective items. C. determine if the output is within tolerances/specifications. D. distinguish between random variation and assignable variation in the process. E. provide meaningful work for quality inspectors.

Q: The optimum level of inspection is where the: A. cost of inspection is minimum. B. cost of passing defectives is minimum. C. total cost of inspection and defectives is maximum. D. total cost of inspection and defectives is minimum. E. difference between inspection and defectives costs is minimum.

Q: Before a dimension of quality can be made operationally useful, it must be restated in some ___________ form. A. qualitative B. manipulative C. certifiable D. measurable E. marketable

Q: If customer satisfaction does not always lead to customer loyalty, firms may need to focus additional effort on __________ strategies. A. remediation B. retention C. rework D. repatriation E. reprocessing

Q: To minimize quality risks, which of the following would be least likely to be outsourced to less-developed countries? A. rubber processing B. repetitive assembly C. packaging D. pharmaceuticals E. steel manufacturing

Q: Focusing a supply chain on ________________ is a modern way of ensuring high-quality inputs and a ready supply of process-improvement ideas. A. lowest cost per unit sourced B. close, collaborative ties with suppliers C. suppliers that emphasize continuous-flow production D. ISO 14000 customers E. partners pursuing similar strategies

Q: Managers have obligations to a wide variety of stakeholders such as shareholders, employees, and customers. When considering outsourcing production to offshore suppliers, managers have to weigh: (I) cost benefits that might make shareholders wealthier. (II) quality issues that might make firms less productive and/or products riskier. (III) the investments already tied up in relationships with existing suppliers. A. I B. II C. III D. I and II only E. I, II, and III

Q: Which of the following is not a goal of process improvement? A. increasing customer satisfaction B. reducing waste C. achieving higher quality D. identifying the cause of a problem E. All are the goals

Q: The typical difference between quality circles and continuous improvement teams is: A. quality circles work on product design only. B. continuous improvement teams work on product and process design. C. continuous improvement teams use only engineers, while quality circles use just the workers doing the work. D. the amount of employee empowerment. E. There is no differencethey are the same.

Q: Giving workers responsibility for quality improvements and authority to make changes is known as: A. continuous improvement. B. passing the buck. C. benchmarking. D. employee empowerment. E. employee involvement.

Q: The process of identifying other organizations that are best at some facet of your operations, and then modeling your organization after them is known as: A. continuous improvement. B. employee empowerment. C. benchmarking. D. copycatting. E. industrial espionage.

Q: Cause-and-effect diagrams are sometimes called: A. Pareto diagrams. B. fishbone (Ishikawa) diagrams. C. run charts. D. control charts. E. responsibility charts.

Q: A chart showing the number of occurrences by category would be used in: A. Pareto analysis. B. interviewing. C. cause-and-effect diagrams. D. benchmarking. E. quality function deployment.

Q: Focusing attention on the most important problem areas is referred to as: A. quality circles. B. quality assurance. C. brainstorming. D. Pareto analysis. E. cause-and-effect analysis.

Q: Which of the following raises quality risks? A. currency fluctuations B. outsourcing to less-developed countries C. empowering employees D. benchmarking E. streamlining the supplier base

Q: In order for TQM to be successful, it is essential that most of the organization be: A. members of quality circles. B. under contract. C. ISO certified. D. trained in error detection techniques. E. in agreement with the philosophy and its goals.

Q: A quality improvement technique that involves the sharing of thoughts and ideas in a way that encourages unrestrained collective thinking is: A. Pareto analysis. B. benchmarking. C. brainstorming. D. a control chart. E. a check sheet.

Q: The tool that is useful in the collection and organization of data is a: A. control chart. B. Pareto chart. C. check sheet. D. flowchart. E. runs chart.

Q: The tool that is useful in documenting the current process is a: A. control chart. B. Pareto chart. C. check sheet. D. flowchart. E. simo chart.

Q: Management behaviors supporting an organizational culture that encourages continuous improvement include which of the following? (I) Develop a vision statement for the organization. (II) Develop a reward system that promotes the philosophy. (III) Institute continuous training programs. (IV) Make decisions that adhere to the philosophy. A. I, II, and IV B. I, II, III, and IV C. I and III D. II, III, and IV E. II and IV

Q: Which of the following is not an element of TQM? A. continuous improvement B. competitive benchmarking C. employee empowerment D. team approach E. quality management as a specialized function within the firm

Q: TQM stands for: A. Taguchi Quality Methods. B. Tactical Quality Measurements. C. The Quality Matrix. D. Total Quality Management. E. Total Quantity Measurement.

Q: The quality control improvement tool that resembles a "fishbone" is: A. brainstorming. B. check sheets. C. Pareto analysis. D. cause-and-effect diagrams. E. fail-safe methods.

Q: The quality control improvement tool which distinguishes between the "important few" and the "trivial many" is: A. brainstorming. B. check sheets. C. Pareto analysis. D. cause-and-effect diagrams. E. fail-safe methods.

Q: ISO 9000 currently requires _____ of a certified organization. A. quarterly reporting B. product diversity C. annual audits D. a minimum of four supervisory levels E. continuous improvement

Q: A quality circle is: A. responsible for quality. B. total quality control. C. an inspection stamp found on meat. D. a voluntary group of employees. E. a team of customers and their contacts within the company.

Q: ISO 9000 standards do not have a requirement for: A. resource. B. remedial. C. systems. D. training. E. management.

Q: The Baldrige Award is based on seven categories. Which is not one of those? A. relative profitability B. strategic planning C. human resource focus D. information and analysis E. leadership

Q: Deciding how much to invest in the prevention of defects can be analyzed using: A. EVPI. B. net present value. C. weighted factor analysis. D. return on quality. E. break-even analysis.

Q: Fixing a problem will often cost money; to minimize these costs it is best to find and fix the problem: A. just before shipping our product to the customer. B. immediately after we complete the last operation. C. during the design phase. D. just before we begin the first production operation. E. Regardless of when you fix the problem, costs are about the same.

Q: The Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award aims to: (I) publicize successful quality programs. (II) recognize quality achievements of U.S. companies. (III) stimulate efforts to improve quality. (IV) distribute the grant money available for improved quality. A. I and IV only B. I and II only C. II and III only D. I, II, III, and IV E. I, II, and III only

Q: Quality planning and administration, quality training, and quality control procedures are examples of: A. internal failure costs. B. external failure costs. C. appraisal costs. D. prevention costs. E. replacement costs.

Q: Loss of business, liability, productivity, and costs are consequences of: A. labor unions. B. globalization. C. poor quality. D. robotics. E. micro-factories.

Q: Costs of inspectors, testing, test equipment, and labs are examples of: A. internal failure costs. B. external failure costs. C. appraisal costs. D. prevention costs. E. replacement costs.

Q: Warranty service, processing of complaints, and costs of litigation are examples of: A. internal failure costs. B. external failure costs. C. appraisal costs. D. prevention costs. E. replacement costs.

Q: Lost production time, scrap, and rework are examples of: A. internal failure costs. B. external failure costs. C. appraisal costs. D. prevention costs. E. replacement costs.

Q: The Deming Prize was established by the: A. American Statistical Association. B. Japanese. C. North American Free Trade Association. D. American Quality Society. E. World Trade Organization.

Q: Which is not a cost of quality? A. prevention cost B. external failure C. extended service contracts D. internal failure E. appraisal costs

Q: A tool that depicts process variation graphically is a(n): A. affinity diagram. B. checklist. C. control chart. D. flowchart. E. relationship diagram.

Q: The four dimensions of quality that are sometimes used to determine fitness for use of a product are: A. performance, special features, durability, and service after sale. B. performance, special features, conformance, and reliability. C. special features, conformance, reliability, and durability. D. performance, conformance, reliability, and durability. E. special features, conformance, durability, and service after sale.

Q: A tool that is not used for quality management is a: A. flowchart. B. histogram. C. Pareto analysis. D. redesign. E. check sheet.

Q: Among the guiding principles of six sigma are: (I) Reduction of variation is an important goal. (II) Valid measurement is critical. (III) Outputs determine inputs. (IV) We should focus on those critical few influences on our quality. A. I, II, and IV only B. II and IV only C. I and III only D. I, II, III, and IV E. III only

Q: The "Control" phase of DMAIC is intended to ensure that: A. the proper subset of process inputs are monitored. B. variability reduction is pursued. C. data analysis is overseen. D. inputs are closely monitored. E. improvements are sustained.