Quality Management and Process Improvement Flashcards

What does the acronym DMAIC stand for in Six Sigma methodology?

Answer: Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control

DMAIC is the core Six Sigma improvement framework: Define the problem, Measure current performance, Analyze root causes, Improve the process, and Control the new state.

Which quality management tool is used to identify the root causes of a problem by categorizing potential causes into categories like People, Process, Equipment, and Environment?

Answer: Fishbone (Ishikawa) Diagram

The fishbone diagram (also called Ishikawa or cause-and-effect diagram) organizes potential causes of a problem into major categories for root cause analysis.

According to the Pareto Principle, approximately what percentage of problems are caused by a small percentage of causes?

Answer: 80% of problems come from 20% of causes

The Pareto Principle (80/20 rule) states that approximately 80% of effects come from 20% of causes, helping teams prioritize improvement efforts.

What is the purpose of a Statistical Process Control (SPC) chart?

Answer: To monitor process performance over time and detect special cause variation

SPC charts (control charts) track process metrics over time and use statistical control limits to distinguish normal variation from special cause variation requiring action.

ISO 9001 is a widely recognized standard for which management system?

Answer: Quality Management Systems

ISO 9001 specifies requirements for a quality management system that organizations can use to demonstrate consistent delivery of products and services meeting customer requirements.

What is 'process capability' (Cp) a measure of?

Answer: The ability of a process to produce output within specification limits

Process capability (Cp) quantifies how well a process can produce output within customer-defined specification limits relative to the process's natural variation.