CPIM Quality and Continuous Improvement 4

Question 1

In Total Quality Management (TQM), what role do customers play in defining quality?

Accepted Answer

Customers define quality through their satisfaction and requirements

Answer

TQM holds that quality is defined by the customer — a product is only as good as it meets or exceeds customer needs and expectations.

Question 2

Which technique involves a cross-functional team tracing the flow of a product and information to identify waste and non-value-added steps?

Accepted Answer

Value stream mapping

Answer

Value stream mapping (VSM) visually depicts current and future state flows to expose waste and target improvement opportunities.

Question 3

A company reduces its supplier base from 120 to 15 strategic partners. What quality benefit does this typically produce?

Accepted Answer

Closer relationships enabling better quality collaboration and improvement

Answer

Reducing suppliers to a strategic few allows deeper partnerships, shared quality systems, joint improvement initiatives, and clearer accountability.

Question 4

What is the primary objective of a corrective action system in quality management?

Accepted Answer

To identify, analyze, and eliminate the root cause of nonconformances so they do not recur

Answer

A corrective action system drives permanent elimination of nonconformance root causes to prevent recurrence.

Question 5

Which of the following best describes 'benchmarking' as a quality improvement tool?

Accepted Answer

Comparing processes and performance metrics against best-in-class organizations to identify improvement gaps

Answer

Benchmarking compares an organization's processes and results with best practices from internal, competitive, or world-class external sources.

(CPIM) Certified in Planning and Inventory Management Practice Test