Supply Chain Management Quality Control 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the primary goal of a Supplier Corrective Action Request (SCAR)?
- To terminate the supplier relationship
- To document a defect for internal records only
- To require the supplier to identify root cause and implement permanent fixes (Correct answer)
- To adjust pricing for nonconforming goods
Correct answer: To require the supplier to identify root cause and implement permanent fixes
A SCAR formally requests the supplier to perform root cause analysis and provide a corrective action plan to prevent recurrence.
Question 2: In statistical process control, what does the Upper Control Limit (UCL) represent?
- The maximum allowable specification limit
- Three standard deviations above the process mean (Correct answer)
- The highest acceptable customer tolerance
- The regulatory compliance boundary
Correct answer: Three standard deviations above the process mean
The UCL is set at three standard deviations above the mean, representing the upper boundary of expected natural variation.
Question 3: Which quality methodology focuses specifically on eliminating defects by reducing variation to achieve 3.4 defects per million opportunities?
- ISO 9001
- Total Quality Management (TQM)
- Six Sigma (Correct answer)
- Lean Manufacturing
Correct answer: Six Sigma
Six Sigma targets 3.4 DPMO by systematically reducing process variation using data-driven methods.
Question 4: What is 'incoming quality control' (IQC) primarily designed to do?
- Inspect finished goods before customer delivery
- Verify purchased materials meet specifications before entering production (Correct answer)
- Audit the manufacturing process for compliance
- Monitor customer returns for defect patterns
Correct answer: Verify purchased materials meet specifications before entering production
IQC inspects raw materials, components, and sub-assemblies received from suppliers before they are used in production.
Question 5: A company switches from 100% inspection to sampling inspection. The main trade-off is:
- Higher cost but lower risk
- Lower cost but some risk of accepting a defective lot (Correct answer)
- Slower processing but better defect detection
- Higher risk and higher cost
Correct answer: Lower cost but some risk of accepting a defective lot
Sampling inspection reduces inspection cost and time but introduces sampling risk — some bad lots may be accepted.
Question 6: What is a 'critical defect' in supply chain quality classification?
- A defect that causes minor cosmetic issues
- A defect likely to cause product failure or safety hazard (Correct answer)
- A defect found only at final inspection
- A defect that reduces aesthetic appeal
Correct answer: A defect likely to cause product failure or safety hazard
Critical defects are those that could result in hazardous conditions or product failure that endangers users.
Question 7: What does 'poka-yoke' mean in quality control?
- A Japanese term for statistical sampling
- An error-proofing mechanism that prevents defects from occurring (Correct answer)
- A method for ranking quality failures
- A supplier audit checklist
Correct answer: An error-proofing mechanism that prevents defects from occurring
Poka-yoke (mistake-proofing) designs processes or devices so that errors are physically impossible or immediately detected.
Supply Chain Management Quality Control 4
What is the primary goal of a Supplier Corrective Action Request (SCAR)?