Advanced Techniques & Methods Flashcards

Which statistical tool is used to determine the minimum number of samples needed to detect a process shift of a specified magnitude?

Answer: Power analysis

Power analysis calculates the sample size required to detect an effect of a given size with a specified probability.

In Design of Experiments (DOE), what is a 'confounded' effect?

Answer: An effect whose estimate is mixed with another effect due to the design structure

Confounding occurs when the estimate of one effect is aliased with another, making them indistinguishable from each other.

What does 'heijunka' refer to in lean process management?

Answer: Production leveling to smooth workflow and reduce waste

Heijunka is the practice of leveling production volume and mix over time to reduce variability and inventory.

When applying regression analysis to process improvement, what does a high VIF (Variance Inflation Factor) indicate?

Answer: Multicollinearity among predictor variables

A VIF greater than 10 typically indicates problematic multicollinearity, where predictors are highly correlated with each other.

In a TRIZ problem-solving framework, what is the 'Ideal Final Result' (IFR)?

Answer: A state where the system performs its function without existing as a physical entity

The IFR describes the ideal solution where the desired function is achieved with no system, cost, or harm — guiding creative problem solving.

Which advanced quality tool maps the sequence of events leading to a failure to identify latent root causes?

Answer: Event and Causal Factor (ECF) chart

An ECF chart links events and causal factors chronologically to expose the chain of conditions that enabled a failure.

In the context of process capability, what does a negative Cpk value indicate?

Answer: The process mean is outside the specification limits

A negative Cpk means the process mean has shifted beyond one of the specification limits, producing a large proportion of nonconforming output.