CSC Consulting Methodologies & Frameworks 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: In the Six Sigma DMAIC methodology, what is the primary objective of the 'Measure' phase?
- Develop and implement the solution
- Establish a baseline of current process performance (Correct answer)
- Define the problem and project goals
- Monitor the process to sustain improvements
Correct answer: Establish a baseline of current process performance
The Measure phase quantifies current process performance to establish a data-driven baseline before analysis and improvement begin.
Question 2: The Balanced Scorecard approach developed by Kaplan and Norton evaluates organizational performance across how many core perspectives?
- Three
- Four (Correct answer)
- Five
- Six
Correct answer: Four
The Balanced Scorecard uses four perspectives—Financial, Customer, Internal Processes, and Learning & Growth—to give a holistic view of performance.
Question 3: A consultant advising a client to enter a new market with no direct competitors and high growth potential is applying which strategic framework?
- Porter's Five Forces
- Blue Ocean Strategy (Correct answer)
- BCG Growth-Share Matrix
- Ansoff Matrix
Correct answer: Blue Ocean Strategy
Blue Ocean Strategy advocates creating uncontested market space with high demand rather than competing in saturated markets, avoiding the 'red ocean' of fierce competition.
Question 4: Design Thinking in consulting is best described as a methodology that:
- Applies financial modeling to evaluate strategic options
- Emphasizes empathy with end users to drive innovation (Correct answer)
- Standardizes processes using statistical control methods
- Reduces operational costs through waste elimination
Correct answer: Emphasizes empathy with end users to drive innovation
Design Thinking centers on understanding user needs through empathy and iterative prototyping to develop innovative, human-centered solutions.
Question 5: When applying the Agile methodology to a consulting engagement, which practice best supports rapid course correction?
- Comprehensive upfront project planning with fixed deliverables
- Regular sprint reviews and retrospectives with client feedback (Correct answer)
- Annual performance appraisals for the consulting team
- Detailed requirements documentation before work begins
Correct answer: Regular sprint reviews and retrospectives with client feedback
Sprint reviews and retrospectives allow the consulting team and client to assess progress and adjust direction frequently, embodying Agile's iterative nature.
Question 6: Business Process Reengineering (BPR) differs from incremental process improvement primarily because BPR:
- Focuses on small, continuous quality gains over time
- Radically redesigns core processes from the ground up for dramatic improvement (Correct answer)
- Uses employee surveys to identify inefficiencies
- Applies statistical process control to reduce variation
Correct answer: Radically redesigns core processes from the ground up for dramatic improvement
BPR involves fundamentally rethinking and redesigning business processes to achieve dramatic improvements in cost, quality, speed, and service, unlike incremental approaches.
Question 7: A consultant uses a SWOT analysis. Which quadrant strategy involves using organizational strengths to capitalize on external opportunities?
- WO (Weaknesses-Opportunities) strategy
- ST (Strengths-Threats) strategy
- WT (Weaknesses-Threats) strategy
- SO (Strengths-Opportunities) strategy (Correct answer)
Correct answer: SO (Strengths-Opportunities) strategy
The SO strategy, also called the 'maxi-maxi' strategy, leverages the organization's strengths to take full advantage of favorable external opportunities.
CSC Consulting Methodologies & Frameworks 2
In the Six Sigma DMAIC methodology, what is the primary objective of the 'Measure' phase?