CQIA Continuous Improvement 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which concept describes the idea that small, incremental improvements made continuously are more sustainable than large, infrequent changes?
- Kaizen (Correct answer)
- Kaikaku
- Six Sigma
- Lean transformation
Correct answer: Kaizen
Kaizen is the Japanese philosophy of continuous, incremental improvement involving everyone in the organization.
Question 2: In a PDCA cycle, what is the primary purpose of the 'Check' phase?
- Implement corrective actions
- Compare results against the plan (Correct answer)
- Identify the root cause of problems
- Standardize the successful process
Correct answer: Compare results against the plan
The Check phase involves measuring and analyzing actual results against the planned objectives to determine if the change was effective.
Question 3: A team notices that customer complaints spike every Monday morning. Which continuous improvement approach is BEST suited to investigate this time-based pattern?
- Affinity diagram
- Control chart with time-series data (Correct answer)
- Failure mode and effects analysis
- Benchmarking
Correct answer: Control chart with time-series data
Control charts with time-series data reveal patterns and trends over time, making them ideal for detecting day-of-week or shift-based anomalies.
Question 4: What does the term 'voice of the customer' (VOC) primarily help an organization identify?
- Internal process inefficiencies
- Employee satisfaction levels
- Customer needs, expectations, and priorities (Correct answer)
- Competitor pricing strategies
Correct answer: Customer needs, expectations, and priorities
VOC is a research technique that captures customers' stated and unstated requirements to guide improvement priorities.
Question 5: Which of the following BEST describes a 'waste walk' in a continuous improvement context?
- A customer survey conducted on-site
- A physical observation of the workplace to identify non-value-added activities (Correct answer)
- A financial audit of production costs
- A training exercise for new employees
Correct answer: A physical observation of the workplace to identify non-value-added activities
A waste walk (Gemba walk) involves going to the actual workplace to observe processes and identify the eight types of waste firsthand.
Question 6: An organization wants to reduce the time between receiving a customer order and delivering the product. This is an effort to reduce:
- Cycle time
- Takt time
- Lead time (Correct answer)
- Throughput time
Correct answer: Lead time
Lead time is the total elapsed time from order receipt to delivery, and reducing it is a common continuous improvement goal.
Question 7: Which of the following is an example of 'mistake-proofing' (Poka-Yoke)?
- Conducting weekly team meetings to discuss errors
- A USB connector designed to fit in only one orientation (Correct answer)
- Requiring dual signatures on a quality form
- Using statistical sampling to detect defects
Correct answer: A USB connector designed to fit in only one orientation
Poka-Yoke devices physically prevent errors from occurring or make them immediately obvious, such as a connector that can only be inserted correctly.
CQIA Continuous Improvement 2
Which concept describes the idea that small, incremental improvements made continuously are more sustainable than large, infrequent changes?