CQIA Continuous Improvement 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the eight wastes defined in Lean includes producing reports or data that nobody uses?
- Defects
- Overproduction (Correct answer)
- Waiting
- Over-processing
Correct answer: Overproduction
Overproduction includes making more of anything — parts, reports, or information — than is currently needed by the next process or customer.
Question 2: In a fishbone (Ishikawa) diagram, the categories commonly used for manufacturing processes are often referred to as the '6 Ms.' Which of the following is NOT one of the 6 Ms?
- Machines
- Methods
- Money (Correct answer)
- Measurements
Correct answer: Money
The 6 Ms are Man, Machine, Method, Material, Measurement, and Mother Nature (Environment); Money is not a standard category.
Question 3: A team is selecting a continuous improvement project. Which criterion is MOST aligned with the CQIA approach to project selection?
- The project should be the most technically challenging available
- The project should align with organizational strategic goals and have measurable impact (Correct answer)
- The project should be chosen by the most senior employee
- The project should require the largest budget to demonstrate commitment
Correct answer: The project should align with organizational strategic goals and have measurable impact
Effective project selection ties improvement efforts to strategic priorities and quantifiable outcomes, ensuring resources are focused where they matter most.
Question 4: What does 'takt time' represent in a Lean production environment?
- The time required to complete one unit from start to finish
- The available production time divided by customer demand rate (Correct answer)
- The time a machine is idle between jobs
- The time needed to changeover from one product to another
Correct answer: The available production time divided by customer demand rate
Takt time sets the pace of production to match customer demand, calculated as available work time divided by units required.
Question 5: A team has completed a root cause analysis and identified the root cause of recurring defects. According to PDCA, what should they do NEXT?
- Collect more data to confirm the root cause
- Develop and plan a corrective action to address the root cause (Correct answer)
- Close the project and report findings to management
- Return to the 'Check' phase to re-measure the problem
Correct answer: Develop and plan a corrective action to address the root cause
After identifying the root cause (Plan phase analysis), the team should develop a corrective action plan before moving to the Do phase implementation.
Question 6: Which of the following BEST describes 'benchmarking' as a continuous improvement tool?
- Setting internal performance targets based on last year's results
- Comparing processes and performance metrics to industry leaders or best practices (Correct answer)
- Creating a standard operating procedure for a new process
- Auditing suppliers to ensure they meet quality requirements
Correct answer: Comparing processes and performance metrics to industry leaders or best practices
Benchmarking involves identifying organizations with superior performance in specific areas and studying their practices to establish improvement targets.
Question 7: An organization implements 5S in its warehouse. Which '5S' step involves deciding what items belong in the work area and removing everything else?
- Shine (Seiso)
- Standardize (Seiketsu)
- Sort (Seiri) (Correct answer)
- Set in Order (Seiton)
Correct answer: Sort (Seiri)
Sort (Seiri) is the first step of 5S, requiring teams to evaluate all items and eliminate those that are unnecessary for current work.
CQIA Continuous Improvement 4
Which of the eight wastes defined in Lean includes producing reports or data that nobody uses?