Certified Supply Chain Professional CSCP Practice Continuous Improvement, Lean and Six Sigma in the Supply Chain — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What are the phases of the Six Sigma DMAIC cycle, in order?
- Plan, Do, Check, Act
- Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control (Correct answer)
- Design, Manufacture, Assemble, Inspect, Confirm
- Detect, Monitor, Adjust, Implement, Complete
Correct answer: Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control
DMAIC is the Six Sigma problem-solving method for improving existing processes: Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control. PDCA is the separate Deming cycle.
Question 2: Which of the following is one of the classic seven wastes in lean thinking?
- Standardized work
- Overproduction (Correct answer)
- Visual management
- Kanban signaling
Correct answer: Overproduction
The classic wastes are overproduction, waiting, transportation, over-processing, inventory, motion and defects. Overproduction is often called the worst because it causes the other wastes.
Question 3: The primary purpose of value stream mapping is to:
- Identify value-adding and non-value-adding steps in the flow of material and information so waste can be removed (Correct answer)
- Calculate the total cost of ownership of a supplier
- Forecast demand by product family
- Set up a supplier scorecard
Correct answer: Identify value-adding and non-value-adding steps in the flow of material and information so waste can be removed
A value stream map shows each step, its time, and information flows from supplier to customer. Teams use it to find waste and design a leaner future state.
Question 4: According to the Theory of Constraints, what is the first of the five focusing steps?
- Elevate the constraint
- Subordinate everything else to the constraint
- Identify the system's constraint (Correct answer)
- Exploit the constraint
Correct answer: Identify the system's constraint
The five steps are: identify the constraint, exploit it, subordinate everything else to it, elevate it, then repeat the process if the constraint moves. You cannot manage a bottleneck you have not identified.
Question 5: Kaizen is best described as:
- A one-time, large-scale reengineering project
- Ongoing, incremental improvement involving all employees (Correct answer)
- A supplier certification program
- A method for forecasting demand
Correct answer: Ongoing, incremental improvement involving all employees
Kaizen means 'change for the better'. It is a philosophy of continuous, small improvements that involve everyone, in contrast to radical reengineering.
Question 6: A Pareto chart of the causes of late deliveries is most useful for:
- Showing the causes in order of frequency so the 'vital few' can be prioritized (Correct answer)
- Tracking process variation over time against control limits
- Mapping the sequence of process steps
- Linking customer needs to design features
Correct answer: Showing the causes in order of frequency so the 'vital few' can be prioritized
A Pareto chart ranks causes from most to least frequent, with a cumulative line. It shows where improvement effort will have the greatest impact, because a few causes usually account for most problems.
