Project Identification and Selection Flashcards
7 cards from real Certified Six Sigma Black Belt Exam practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Project Identification and Selection flashcards as text
A Black Belt is using a SWOT analysis to identify Six Sigma projects. Which quadrant would most likely surface projects driven by internal performance gaps?
Answer: Weaknesses
The Weaknesses quadrant of a SWOT analysis reveals internal deficiencies and underperforming processes that are prime candidates for Six Sigma improvement.
Which metric, often used during project identification, captures both the frequency and severity of defects to prioritize improvement opportunities?
Answer: Risk Priority Number (RPN)
RPN from an FMEA combines occurrence, severity, and detectability scores to prioritize failure modes and guide project selection.
In the context of Six Sigma project selection, what does 'strategic alignment' mean?
Answer: The project's goals directly support the organization's key business objectives
Strategic alignment means the project's expected outcomes directly contribute to the organization's stated priorities, ensuring resources are invested where they matter most.
A project selection committee uses a scoring model with five weighted criteria. After scoring, two projects have identical total weighted scores. What is the BEST next step?
Answer: Conduct a sensitivity analysis to see how small changes in weights affect the ranking
Sensitivity analysis reveals whether the tie is robust or breaks under slight weight adjustments, providing a more defensible selection decision.
Which of the following is an example of an 'appraisal cost' within the Cost of Poor Quality framework used to identify Six Sigma projects?
Answer: Inspection and testing of incoming materials
Appraisal costs include inspection, testing, and auditing activities performed to detect defects — they represent a target for reduction through Six Sigma projects.
A champion insists that a Six Sigma project must have a 'hard savings' target rather than 'soft savings.' What is the key distinction between these two types of savings?
Answer: Hard savings reduce actual cash expenditures or increase revenue; soft savings reflect cost avoidance or productivity gains not reflected in the budget
Hard savings directly impact the financial statements (e.g., reduced headcount, lower material costs), while soft savings represent potential or avoided costs that don't change the bottom line directly.
During project selection, a team identifies a process with a Cp of 0.65 and a Cpk of 0.40. What does the gap between Cp and Cpk tell the team about this process?
Answer: The process is both off-center and incapable, indicating two separate improvement opportunities
When Cpk is significantly lower than Cp, it indicates the process is off-center in addition to being incapable, revealing that centering and variation reduction are both needed.