CQIA Process Improvement 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the following best describes 'benchmarking' in process improvement?
- Setting internal targets based on past performance
- Comparing processes against best-in-class organizations (Correct answer)
- Calculating the average of process measurements
- Documenting all current process steps
Correct answer: Comparing processes against best-in-class organizations
Benchmarking involves comparing one's processes, products, or performance metrics to industry best practices or competitors.
Question 2: A SIPOC diagram helps a team understand a process by identifying Suppliers, Inputs, Process, Outputs, and:
- Costs
- Controls
- Customers (Correct answer)
- Constraints
Correct answer: Customers
SIPOC stands for Suppliers, Inputs, Process, Outputs, and Customers — it provides a high-level view of a process and its stakeholders.
Question 3: Which metric best measures process efficiency by comparing value-added time to total lead time?
- Process cycle efficiency (PCE) (Correct answer)
- Defects per million opportunities (DPMO)
- Overall equipment effectiveness (OEE)
- First pass yield (FPY)
Correct answer: Process cycle efficiency (PCE)
Process cycle efficiency (PCE) is the ratio of value-added time to total lead time, indicating how efficiently the process uses time.
Question 4: An improvement team is in the 'Control' phase of DMAIC. Which action is most appropriate at this stage?
- Identifying potential root causes
- Developing a monitoring plan to sustain gains (Correct answer)
- Mapping the current state process
- Generating solution ideas via brainstorming
Correct answer: Developing a monitoring plan to sustain gains
The Control phase focuses on sustaining improvements through monitoring plans, control charts, and updated standard operating procedures.
Question 5: A team uses a cause-and-effect diagram to organize possible causes of a quality problem. This tool is also known as a:
- Scatter plot
- Fishbone diagram (Correct answer)
- Run chart
- Histogram
Correct answer: Fishbone diagram
The cause-and-effect diagram is also called a fishbone or Ishikawa diagram, named after its inventor Kaoru Ishikawa.
Question 6: Which of the following is an example of a 'mistake-proofing' (poka-yoke) device?
- A training manual for operators
- A sensor that stops a machine when a part is missing (Correct answer)
- A weekly quality audit report
- A Pareto chart of defect types
Correct answer: A sensor that stops a machine when a part is missing
A sensor that stops a machine when a part is missing is a poka-yoke device that prevents defects from occurring or passing undetected.
Question 7: When a control chart shows a point beyond the upper or lower control limits, this is called:
- Common cause variation
- A special cause signal (Correct answer)
- Stratification
- Capability index breach
Correct answer: A special cause signal
A point outside the control limits indicates a special (assignable) cause of variation that warrants investigation.
CQIA Process Improvement 3
Which of the following best describes 'benchmarking' in process improvement?