Foundational Concepts & Principles Flashcards
7 cards from real CPS practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Foundational Concepts & Principles flashcards as text
Which of the following is the primary purpose of a SIPOC diagram in process analysis?
Answer: To provide a high-level view of a process by identifying Suppliers, Inputs, Process steps, Outputs, and Customers
A SIPOC diagram gives stakeholders a concise, high-level view of process scope, boundaries, and key elements before deeper analysis begins.
In the context of process variation, a 'common cause' is best characterized as:
Answer: Natural, inherent variation built into the process system itself
Common causes are systemic sources of variation present in every cycle; reducing them requires changing the process system, not reacting to individual events.
A swimlane process map is most useful for:
Answer: Visualizing which function or role is responsible for each step in a cross-functional process
Swimlane maps assign steps to horizontal or vertical lanes representing departments or roles, making cross-functional handoffs and responsibilities immediately visible.
The difference between process efficiency and process effectiveness is best described as:
Answer: Efficiency measures how well resources are used; effectiveness measures how well process outputs meet customer requirements
A process can be highly efficient (minimal waste) but ineffective (not meeting requirements), or effective but inefficient — both dimensions must be managed.
Which analytical tool is specifically designed to separate the 'vital few' causes from the 'trivial many' in process problem-solving?
Answer: Pareto chart
A Pareto chart ranks causes by frequency or impact, visually applying the 80/20 principle to prioritize the few causes responsible for most of the problem.
Process standardization primarily benefits an organization by:
Answer: Reducing variation, creating a stable baseline, and enabling meaningful performance measurement
Standardization establishes a documented best practice, reduces variation from method differences, and provides the stable baseline needed to detect improvement or degradation.
In process management, 'cycle time' is defined as:
Answer: The total elapsed time from when work begins on a unit to when it is completed
Cycle time measures the duration of actual processing for one unit, from start to finish of the process, and is a key driver of throughput and lead time.