CPIM Quality and Continuous Improvement 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which tool is used to graphically display the frequency distribution of defects or problems in descending order to identify the vital few causes?
- Control chart
- Pareto chart (Correct answer)
- Scatter diagram
- Affinity diagram
Correct answer: Pareto chart
A Pareto chart ranks defects or causes by frequency so teams can focus on the vital few that account for most problems.
Question 2: In Six Sigma, what does DMAIC stand for?
- Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control (Correct answer)
- Design, Monitor, Assess, Implement, Check
- Define, Manage, Audit, Inspect, Confirm
- Detect, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Contain
Correct answer: Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control
DMAIC is the Six Sigma problem-solving methodology: Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control.
Question 3: Which quality concept focuses on preventing defects at the source rather than inspecting them out after production?
- Acceptance sampling
- Source inspection (Correct answer)
- Final inspection
- Lot tolerance percent defective
Correct answer: Source inspection
Source inspection catches or prevents errors at the point of origin, eliminating the need to rely on downstream detection.
Question 4: A process produces output with a mean of 50 and standard deviation of 2. The specification limits are 44 to 56. What is the process capability index (Cp)?
- 1.0 (Correct answer)
- 1.5
- 2.0
- 0.5
Correct answer: 1.0
Cp = (USL - LSL) / (6σ) = (56 - 44) / (6 × 2) = 12 / 12 = 1.0.
Question 5: What is the primary purpose of a fishbone (Ishikawa) diagram?
- Track defect counts over time
- Identify potential root causes of a problem (Correct answer)
- Compare two variables for correlation
- Display process steps sequentially
Correct answer: Identify potential root causes of a problem
A fishbone diagram structures brainstorming around cause categories (e.g., Man, Machine, Method, Material) to uncover root causes.
Question 6: In lean manufacturing, what does the term 'poka-yoke' refer to?
- A visual scheduling board
- An error-proofing device or method (Correct answer)
- A pull-based replenishment signal
- A waste elimination checklist
Correct answer: An error-proofing device or method
Poka-yoke means mistake-proofing: designing processes or fixtures so that errors are impossible or immediately obvious.
Question 7: Which statistical process control chart is most appropriate for monitoring the proportion of defective items in a sample?
- X-bar chart
- R chart
- p chart (Correct answer)
- c chart
Correct answer: p chart
The p chart monitors the proportion (fraction) defective in samples of varying or fixed size.
CPIM Quality and Continuous Improvement 2
Which tool is used to graphically display the frequency distribution of defects or problems in descending order to identify the vital few causes?