Unit 3: Quality Management Strategies

Question 1

As indicated with flat-screen televisions, when a firm makes improvements to product quality, product costs significantly.

Answer 1

customer needs

Question 2

True or False. Understanding how customers use products and services helps companies to develop new innovations that improve and achieve external quality.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

During a routine physical exam, Dr. Dodd politely answers Mark’s questions about heart disease. Dr. Dodd discusses the benefits of exercise and a healthy diet as well as medications that are available to prevent heart disease. Dr. Dodd seems confident and knowledgeable. Which service quality dimension does this example best illustrate?

Answer 3

Assurance

Question 4

________ are incurred when a company evaluates customer satisfaction.

Answer 4

Appraisal costs

Question 5

True or False. According to Dr. W. Edwards Deming, in a manufacturing environment, quality improves when management establishes very specific work quotas.

Answer 5

False

Question 6

According to Joseph Juran, ________ are primarily responsible for ensuring that a company manufactures quality products.

Answer 6

Managers

Question 7

True or False. According to Philip Crosby, most firms underestimate their failure costs and would benefit from evaluating all costs of quality.

Answer 7

True

Question 8

True or False. According to Genichi Taguchi, high levels of quality are achieved when a company closely inspects products after they are manufactured and before they are sold to customers.

Answer 8

False

Question 9

A company’s attempt to get to know its customers by contacting them to discuss their needs, wants, and expectations is done in a _________.

Answer 9

Focus Group

Question 10

Quality function deployment refers to a method of transforming customer needs and expectations into product design characteristics.

Answer 10

True

Question 11

True or False. In an organization that fully implements total quality management, the quality control department maintains sole responsibility for product and service quality.

Answer 11

False

Question 12

Which of the following is LEAST likely to be a characteristic of team problem solving?

Answer 12

Resolving issues quickly

Question 13

True or False. According to Deming, today’s organizations benefit from training employees to use statistical process control tools.

Answer 13

True

Question 14

Modern companies that rely on a philosophy of total quality management (TQM) primarily use to measure quality.

Answer 14

Customer Feedback

Question 15

Which of the following best explains the primary purpose of documentation and standardization?

Answer 15

Ensuring that tasks are performed with consistency

Question 16

The ___________ stage of the Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle involves identifying opportunities for improvement.

Answer 16

Plan

Question 17

Managers at Taco Rico, a national fast-food chain, are implementing the Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle to ensure consistent food and service. So far, the managers have determined that the length of time that orders are filled at the drive-through window is too long. New procedures for taking food orders have been implemented and changes have been documented. What should occur next in the Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle?

Answer 17

Analyze the new process to determine if orders are being filled faster.

Question 18

Which of the following is an example of a problem-solving tool that can be used in continuous improvement?

Answer 18

Process Flow Analysis

Question 19

Which quality management strategy involves giving decision-making authority to front-line workers?

Answer 19

Employee Empowerment

Question 20

True or False. For the benchmarking process to provide useful information, the two companies being compared must be direct competitors in the same industry.

Answer 20

False

Question 21

uses methods and tools to determine the stability of a manufacturing process and reduce the number of product defects.

Answer 21

Statistical Process

Question 22

True or False. When collecting data for statistical process control, a histogram is the primary tool for recording raw data at the location where data is generated.

Answer 22

False

Question 23

Which statistical process control (SPC) tool would be most useful to get a visual representation of the most frequent occurrences in descending order among all data points?

Answer 23

Pareto Chart

Question 24

True or false. Although the quantitative tools and techniques used in Six Sigma to reduce defects are highly effective, the Six Sigma methodology lacks a useful qualitative component.

Answer 24

False

Question 25

The Six Sigma “define” phase uses what tool to provide an overview of the entire process and identify what is necessary to meet customer needs?

Answer 25

Value stream mapping

Question 26

True or False. The first step in the Six Sigma methodology involves measuring current processes to determine the frequency of problems.

Answer 26

False

Question 27

Which quality management activity clarifies the task to accomplish?

Answer 27

Defining the problem

Question 28

n the textbook scenario, the most relevant process variables are

Answer 28

Shipping package and spare parts packing

Question 29

After analyzing the measurements, which of the following LEAST likely caused the firm’s warranty costs to increase?

Answer 29

Flexible box straps

Question 30

True or False. After analyzing the data for warranty claims, the company decided to ship products in thicker corrugated boxes to protect items from damage. Once the recommendation was implemented, monthly warranty costs dropped from 5% to 4.5%.

Answer 30

False