Root Cause Analysis Flashcards
7 cards from real Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt Certification practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Root Cause Analysis flashcards as text
Which of the following is an example of a 'containment action' as opposed to a 'corrective action'?
Answer: Quarantining suspect inventory to prevent defective products from reaching customers
A containment action is a short-term fix to stop defects from reaching customers while the root cause is being investigated.
A team using a fishbone diagram places 'no standard operating procedure exists' under which category?
Answer: Method
Standard operating procedures (SOPs) govern how work is done, so their absence is a 'Method' category issue.
Which of the following BEST differentiates root cause analysis from troubleshooting?
Answer: RCA seeks the systemic origin to prevent recurrence; troubleshooting restores function quickly
Troubleshooting focuses on restoring normal operation quickly, while RCA aims to permanently eliminate the underlying cause.
A Lean Six Sigma team notices that defects spike whenever a new batch of reagent is introduced. The MOST appropriate next step in RCA is to:
Answer: Conduct a designed experiment comparing reagent batches to confirm the cause
Conducting a controlled experiment on reagent batches confirms whether the material is truly the cause before implementing a permanent fix.
In root cause analysis, 'why-why analysis' and '5 Whys' are considered:
Answer: The same iterative cause-finding approach
'Why-why analysis' is simply another name for the 5 Whys — both describe iteratively asking why to drill down to the root cause.
Which of the following scenarios represents treating a symptom rather than addressing the root cause?
Answer: Repairing a machine repeatedly without investigating why it keeps breaking down
Repeatedly repairing a machine without investigating the underlying cause means the root cause is never eliminated and the problem recurs.
After completing root cause analysis and implementing corrective actions, which DMAIC phase ensures the improvements are sustained over time?
Answer: Control
The Control phase uses control plans, monitoring, and updated SOPs to ensure that improvements from root cause analysis are maintained.