Process Analysis & Improvement Techniques Flashcards

A team notices that 20% of defect types account for 80% of total defects. Which tool best visualizes this relationship?

Answer: Pareto chart

A Pareto chart displays defect categories in descending order of frequency, making the 80/20 relationship immediately visible.

Which of the following best describes a 'value-added' activity in process analysis?

Answer: An activity the customer would pay for that transforms the product

A value-added activity directly transforms the product or service in a way the customer recognizes and is willing to pay for.

In a SIPOC diagram, what does the 'O' represent?

Answer: Outputs

SIPOC stands for Suppliers, Inputs, Process, Outputs, and Customers — 'O' refers to the Outputs produced by the process.

A value stream map shows a large amount of inventory between two process steps. This inventory most likely indicates:

Answer: A bottleneck or imbalance between the two steps

Excess inventory between steps typically signals a bottleneck or pace mismatch, a form of waste (muda) in lean thinking.

Which mistake-proofing device category physically prevents an error from occurring rather than just detecting it?

Answer: Control poka-yoke

A control poka-yoke physically stops the process or prevents the incorrect action, making the error impossible.

During a process walk, a team documents every step including waits, inspections, and rework loops. This activity is called:

Answer: Gemba walk with current-state mapping

Walking the actual process (gemba) while mapping the current state captures all steps, waste, and flow issues firsthand.

A team wants to reduce cycle time by eliminating non-value-added steps. Which lean concept directly guides this effort?

Answer: Muda elimination

Muda elimination focuses on identifying and removing waste (non-value-added activities) to shorten cycle time and improve flow.