Six Sigma Basics

Question 1

What does DMAIC stand for?

Answer 1

Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control

Question 2

What are the two primary areas of focus in Six Sigma, and their methodologies?

Answer 2

Find and Fix (DMAIC) and Prevention (Design for Six Sigma - DFSS)

Question 3

What is KPI?

Answer 3

Key Performance Indicator

Question 4

What is meant by Kaizen?

Answer 4

Sustained continuous improvement (CI)

Question 5

What are the 8 classic forms of waste? (TIMPWOOD)

Answer 5

Transportation, Inventory, Motion, People (underutilization) Waiting, Over processing, Over production, Defects

Question 6

What is the 9th form of waste and some examples?

Answer 6

Environmental - use of excess energy, excess material in landfills.

Question 7

What is DPMO

Answer 7

Defects Per Million Opportunities

Question 8

What is Sigma Level 6?

Answer 8

3.4 DPMO

Question 9

What is another term for metric?

Answer 9

KPI - Key Performance Indicator

Question 10

What are two type of DMAIC projects and what do they satisfy?

Answer 10

External - satisfies the VOC - voice of the customer. Internal or Regulatory - satisfies the VOB - voice of the business.

Question 11

What are the 4 key questions addressed in the problem statement?

Answer 11

What, when, extent and impact of problem.

Question 12

What are 2 examples of quantitative benefits?

Answer 12

Hard savings and cost avoidance

Question 13

What are 3 examples of qualitative benefits

Answer 13

Customer satisfaction, employee morale, risk mitigation

Question 14

What is Rolling Wave Planning?

Answer 14

Planning the next phases near the end of the current DMAIC phase.

Question 15

In a Value Stream Map, how is time depicted at the bottom?

Answer 15

Non-Value Added time over Value Added time.

Question 16

What is a Product Matrix used for?

Answer 16

To identify Product/Service families.

Question 17

What is Takt time?

Answer 17

The amount of time between 2 unit completions to meet demand.

Question 18

What is the Takt time equation?

Answer 18

Net Available Time (NAT) divided by the customer demand time (ie, 30 units per day)

Question 19

How is lead time calculated?

Answer 19

Wait time + process time.

Question 20

What can Process time be broken down into?

Answer 20

Value Added time and Non-Value Added time.

Question 21

What is meant by weighted average?

Answer 21

Calculating the average process time when two process times vary.

Question 22

What does SIPOC stand for and what is it?

Answer 22

Suppliers, Input, Process, Output and Customer

It identifies the high level process and any disconnects between the supplier and customer.

Question 23

What is PCE and what is the formula?

Answer 23

Process Cycle Efficiency.

Total Value Added time divided by Total time.

Question 24

What are Kaizen bursts used for?

Answer 24

To highlight specific improvement opportunities in a process.

Question 25

What is Nominal process time?

Answer 25

The average process time spent per unit.

Question 26

What is Effective process time comprised of?

Answer 26

Nominal process time + detractors

Question 27

What are examples of detractors?

Answer 27

Downtime, rework, scrap and setup.

Question 28

What are 2 types of Capacity?

Answer 28

Nominal and Effective.

Question 29

What is the difference between nominal and effective capacity?

Answer 29

Effective capacity includes the detractors.

Question 30

How are needed resources calculated?

Answer 30

Total process time divided by the Takt time.

Question 31

What are 2 types of demand leveling?

Answer 31

Volume and Mix

Question 32

Define Volume and Mix Leveling.

Answer 32

Volume is the scheduling of overall process across a longer time period. Mix is distributing work across multiple tasks/order types by operator.

Question 33

What is the Pitch Interval?

Answer 33

Time between performance reviews to assess performance.

Question 34

What is a water spider?

Answer 34

A person who monitors flow and redirects work to maintain efficiency.

Question 35

What are two common metrics to measure current state?

Answer 35

Yield and PPM defective.

Question 36

What is a Three Part Estimate comprised of?

Answer 36

A target, upper specification limit (usl) and lower specification limit (lsl).

Question 37

What are two ways to reduce defects?

Answer 37

Reducing standard deviation or shifting the mean closer to the target.

Question 38

How do you determine the DPMO?

Answer 38

Divide the defects by the total opportunities, multiply by 1m.

Question 39

What is Rolled Yield?

Answer 39

The possibility of passing through multiple steps defect free.

Question 40

What is a check sheet?

Answer 40

A tool to record defect count data.

Question 41

What are two recommendations when building a check sheet?

Answer 41

Keep categories to a minimum and use modifier nouns.

Question 42

What is the Pareto Principle also known as?

Answer 42

The 80/20 rule.

Question 43

What is the Big Three of Survey Instrument Design? (3 Ws)

Answer 43

Who is the group and/or subgroups? What are we trying to learn from this survey? Why are we doing this survey? (What will we do with the results?)