CPIM Operations Execution & Continuous Improvement 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A plant manager notices that a bottleneck workstation has 95% utilization while all others run below 60%. According to the Theory of Constraints, what is the FIRST action to take?
- Subordinate all non-bottleneck activities to support the constraint
- Elevate the constraint by purchasing additional equipment immediately
- Exploit the constraint by maximizing its productive output
- Identify the constraint and confirm it limits system throughput (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Identify the constraint and confirm it limits system throughput
TOC's five focusing steps begin with identifying the constraint before taking any other action.
Question 2: Which lean metric directly measures the ratio of value-added time to total lead time in a process?
- Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE)
- Process cycle efficiency (PCE) (Correct answer)
- Takt time adherence rate
- First-pass yield (FPY)
Correct answer: Process cycle efficiency (PCE)
Process cycle efficiency equals value-added time divided by total lead time, highlighting waste in the flow.
Question 3: A Six Sigma project team has completed the Measure phase and confirmed the baseline defect rate. What is the correct next phase?
- Improve
- Control
- Analyze (Correct answer)
- Define
Correct answer: Analyze
The DMAIC sequence is Define → Measure → Analyze → Improve → Control, so Analyze follows Measure.
Question 4: A production supervisor wants to reduce changeover time on a stamping press. Which technique is MOST directly aimed at this goal?
- Value stream mapping
- Single-Minute Exchange of Die (SMED) (Correct answer)
- 5S workplace organization
- Statistical process control (SPC)
Correct answer: Single-Minute Exchange of Die (SMED)
SMED is specifically designed to reduce setup and changeover times, ideally to under 10 minutes.
Question 5: During daily production, a control chart shows a run of eight consecutive points on one side of the centerline. What does this signal?
- Normal random variation within control limits
- A special cause that warrants investigation (Correct answer)
- The process has a Cp index below 1.0
- Measurement error in the data collection method
Correct answer: A special cause that warrants investigation
Eight or more consecutive points on one side of the centerline is a Western Electric run rule indicating a special-cause signal.
Question 6: A factory implements a pull system where downstream stations signal replenishment only when inventory falls to a set trigger level. This is best described as a:
- Two-bin kanban system (Correct answer)
- Push scheduling with MRP
- Drum-buffer-rope system
- Reorder point system triggered by demand
Correct answer: Two-bin kanban system
A two-bin kanban system uses physical bins as visual signals for replenishment when the first bin is emptied.
Question 7: A continuous improvement team uses a fishbone (Ishikawa) diagram. Which category of causes is NOT part of the classic 6M framework?
- Machines
- Methods
- Milestones (Correct answer)
- Mother Nature (Environment)
Correct answer: Milestones
The 6Ms are Manpower, Machines, Methods, Materials, Measurement, and Mother Nature — Milestones is not a category.
CPIM Operations Execution & Continuous Improvement 2
A plant manager notices that a bottleneck workstation has 95% utilization while all others run below 60%.
According to the Theory of Constraints, what is the FIRST action to take?