Process Improvement Flashcards

Which of the following best describes 'continuous improvement' (kaizen)?

Answer: Small, incremental improvements made on an ongoing basis

Kaizen, the Japanese concept of continuous improvement, emphasizes small, ongoing positive changes that accumulate over time.

A team wants to test whether a change in raw material supplier affects defect rates. The most appropriate approach is:

Answer: A designed experiment (DOE)

Design of Experiments (DOE) allows teams to systematically test the effect of one or more variables on a process output.

In lean thinking, which of the 8 wastes involves producing more than what the customer currently needs?

Answer: Overproduction

Overproduction is considered the worst lean waste because it leads to excess inventory and often hides other types of waste.

A process improvement team sets a goal to reduce invoice errors from 5% to 1% within 90 days. This is an example of a:

Answer: SMART goal

SMART goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound — this goal meets all five criteria.

Which tool would best help a team prioritize which problems to address first based on their frequency and impact?

Answer: Pareto chart

A Pareto chart ranks problems by frequency or impact, helping teams focus on the vital few issues that cause the most harm.

During a team brainstorming session, the facilitator asks members to write ideas on sticky notes and group similar ones. This technique is called a(n):

Answer: Affinity diagram

An affinity diagram organizes a large number of ideas or data into natural groupings based on their relationships.

In process improvement, 'cycle time' is best defined as:

Answer: The total elapsed time to complete one unit from start to finish

Cycle time measures the total elapsed time to complete one unit of work from start to finish, including all processing and wait times.