Quality and Continuous Improvement Flashcards

Which tool is used to graphically display the frequency distribution of defects or problems in descending order to identify the vital few causes?

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.

In Six Sigma, what does DMAIC stand for?

Answer: Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control

DMAIC is the Six Sigma problem-solving methodology: Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control.

Which quality concept focuses on preventing defects at the source rather than inspecting them out after production?

Answer: Source inspection

Source inspection catches or prevents errors at the point of origin, eliminating the need to rely on downstream detection.

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)?

Answer: 1.0

Cp = (USL - LSL) / (6σ) = (56 - 44) / (6 × 2) = 12 / 12 = 1.0.

What is the primary purpose of a fishbone (Ishikawa) diagram?

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.

In lean manufacturing, what does the term 'poka-yoke' refer to?

Answer: An error-proofing device or method

Poka-yoke means mistake-proofing: designing processes or fixtures so that errors are impossible or immediately obvious.

Which statistical process control chart is most appropriate for monitoring the proportion of defective items in a sample?

Answer: p chart

The p chart monitors the proportion (fraction) defective in samples of varying or fixed size.