Six Sigma Black Belt-Enterprise Wide Deployment

Front 1

Discuss the following point of Deming's 14 points for management: eliminating quotas and ineffective management styles.

Back 1

Quotas are ineffective because continuous improvement always will effect the appropriateness of targets. Managers should avoid basing their decisions on short-term objectives. Emphasizing quality improvements create conditions for success.

Front 2

Describe how Six Sigma tools could be applied to a manufacturing process.

Back 2

Six Sigma teams will use the results of designed experiments to identify the best operating windows for key process input variables (KPIVs). This task should suggest some process improvements, which then may be implemented, error-proofed, and updated with a control plan.

Front 3

Describe how Six Sigma tools could be applied to a service or transactional process.

Back 3

The black belt will calculate the best key process input variables, the control plan will be updated, the process improvements, stability, and performance metrics will be confirmed. The team will create a final project report and indicate the financial benefits of the project.

Front 4

Describe how Six Sigma tools could be applied to a manufacturing process.

Back 4

The black belt will lead the team in the identification of long-term process capability and performance metrics. The nonconformance issues will be organized on a Pareto chart. A process map or flowchart will be composed followed by a cause and effect diagram.

Front 5

Describe lean's emphasis on transparency, velocity, and value.

Back 5

A business has achieved transparency when processes can be observed and measured. For velocity the goal is to reduce process lead times and enable the business to respond quickly and agilely to customer demands. The goal of lean is to increase value and diminish waste.

Front 6

Discuss the kaizen philosophy.

Back 6

In kaizen constant efforts should improve the quality of the business. Improvements are small and frequent and based on the insights of lower-level employees. Good employees will make good processes inevitable.

Front 7

Describe how Six Sigma tools could be applied to a manufacturing process.

Back 7

Create control charts and confirm process improvement, the team will create a final project report, the champion and black belt will monitor the process at 3 and 6 months after completion.

Front 8

Describe how Six Sigma tools could be applied to a service or transactional process.

Back 8

The black belt will identify the business needs, define the scope of the project, identify KPOVs, identify stakeholders, discuss the problem statement, meet with the finance department to discuss the business impact.

Front 9

Describe how Six Sigma tools could be applied to a service or transactional process.

Back 9

Measurement system will be followed by a Pareto chart and cause and effect matrix. The Pareto chart will suggest KPIVs. The team will make a plan for data collection and implement some changes to the process. The team will depict the sources of variability in box plots, marginal plots, and multi-vari charts.

Front 10

Describe how Six Sigma tools could be applied to a service or transactional process.

Back 10

The black belt and team should determine the customer information required for the project, identify secondary metrics, create a Gantt chart, compile project metrics in a time series format, create control charts, measure in financial terms, and place nonconformance issues on a Pareto chart.

Front 11

Describe how Six Sigma tools could be applied to manufacturing process.

Back 11

Gather data related to the relationships between KPIVs and KPOVs. Graphically represent the sources of process variation. The team can use hypothesis tests to determine the statistical significance of the relationship. Statistical studies such as regression is used. After analysis, the next batch is made.

Front 12

Describe how Six Sigma tools could be applied to a manufacturing process.

Back 12

The team will make a cause and effect matrix indicating strengths, the team will perform a measurement analysis, the team will create a Pareto chart, which should identify the KPIVs. The team will asses the control plan and implement improvements.

Front 13

Describe lean.

Back 13

It is a system for decreasing waste and increasing cycle times and quality. Many of the ideas date back to Henry Ford but the credit goes to Taiichi Ohno an employee of Toyota in the 1970s.

Front 14

Describe lean methodology as it relates to inventory.

Back 14

Inventory and work-in progress are considered drags on progress rather than assets. Lean will try to keep very little inventory on hand and instead will strive to respond quickly to customer orders without relying on the storage of works-in-progress.

Front 15

Describe how Six Sigma tools could be applied to a service or transactional process.

Back 15

The black belt could perform variance components analysis. This may include correlation and regression studies, analyses of variance, and analyses of means. The team will decide whether to perform designed experiments to test the possible impact of process change ideas.

Front 16

Describe how Six Sigma tools could be applied to a service or transactional process.

Back 16

The team can create a Pareto chart, then a process map or flowchart, draw up a cause and effect diagram looking for variable that affect output, then create a cause and effect matrix in which relationships between inputs and outputs are measured and then the data can be assessed with a measurement system.

Front 17

Describe how Six Sigma tools could be applied to a manufacturing process.

Back 17

The team will agree on appropriate financial metrics for the project, calculate the cost of poor quality and the cost of doing nothing, define the rolled throughput yield, and create a Gantt chart for guidance.

Front 18

Describe how Six Sigma tools could be applied to a manufacturing process.

Back 18

The black belt and champion will take a satellite view and identify the business need, they will establish the project scope and draft the project charter, identify the key process output variables to be measured, identify the stakeholders, conduct an initial meeting and consider the problem statement and goal statement.

Front 19

Describe the concept of muri.

Back 19

It is one of the three types of waste identified by the Toyota Production System. It is defined as overburden, irrationality, or absurdity. It will increase when processes are not standardized and placed in a consistent order.

Front 20

Describe the seven classic wastes.

Back 20

It is referred to as muda and it includes: transportation, inventory, motion, waiting, over-processing, over production, and defects.

Front 21

Discuss PICK charts.

Back 21

It is a lean Six Sigma tool for organizing ideas related to process improvement. The name stands for possible, implement, challenge, and kill. Ideas fall into one of these four categories.

Front 22

Discuss the following two of Deming's 14 points for management: maintaining consistent purposes and adopting a new philosophy.

Back 22

Purposes should be to maintain high product or service standards, to be competitive in the marketplace, and to keep people employed. Businesses must embrace whole-heartedly the new quality philosophy, including lobbying governments for laws that foster quality.

Front 23

Describe the contributions of Kaoru Ishikawa and Genichi Taguchi to quality control.

Back 23

Kaoru Ishikawa was one of the main promoters of total quality control in Japan and he is credited with developing the quality circle. Genichi Taguchi was another top advocate of quality management in Japan. He wrote Design of Experiments and he promoted the use of statistics in quality management.

Front 24

Describe how managers can create an effective kaizen culture.

Back 24

Training employees in kaizen, establishing incentives for employee participation, encourage employees to make suggestions, and give employees opportunities to advance.

Front 25

Describe the kaizen terms flow, pull, and perfection.

Back 25

Flow is the quality of continuous process accomplishment, pull means that each activity in a process should receive only the necessary material and resources when activities demand them, and perfection is defined as the ultimate goal of continuous improvement.

Front 26

Describe kaizen events.

Back 26

The next step is to implement which can take a lot of time. After the solution has been implemented and a full cycle has passed, results should be gathered and presented to the company.

Front 27

Describe kaizen events.

Back 27

The event is to implement quickly the continuous improvement strategy. Train employees on kaizen, define the problem to be solved by the kaizen event, state goals, brainstorm and generate the best possible solutions.

Front 28

Describe how lay-offs should be handled in a kaizen organization.

Back 28

Companies must have a strict policy regarding lay-offs caused by kaizen projects so employees should never have to worry about improvement efforts causing them their job. Employees should be transferred to other departments where they can contribute.

Front 29

Describe error-proofing strategies.

Back 29

The Japanese refer to it as poka-yoke. The philosophy is that preventing errors is better than detecting them. One form of error proofing is auto correction systems and another form is automatic shutdowns. A final form is the warning system.

Front 30

Discuss resource allocation for Six Sigma projects.

Back 30

Many employers don't want to excuse employees to attend the training, however once Six Sigma is installed and operational, it will require fewer resources. In an average Six Sigma organization, only about 1% of the workforce is black belts.

Front 31

Discuss how managers should support employees and allow them to flourish during the implementation of Six Sigma.

Back 31

Managers should take the long view and realize that Six Sigma will improve productivity in the future. Whenever possible, managers should attend or at least appear at Six Sigma training sessions in order to reinforce the endorsement.

Front 32

Describe value stream mapping.

Back 32

It depicts the flow of materials and information through an organization. They are effective when they identify waste and redundancy in processes. Each activity should be accompanied with the cycle time, down time, in-process inventory, path of information, and path of materials.

Front 33

Describe the theory of constraints.

Back 33

It is an approach to improving processes by focusing on their most problematic areas. It encourages businesses to improve continuously by diagnosing weaknesses and addressing them.

Front 34

Discuss how managers lead by example.

Back 34

They must model the behaviors they want to cultivate in their employees. They should be looking to train himself in his area of weakness.

Front 35

Describe how managers can use data during Six Sigma deployment.

Back 35

They can compare customer and internal data to find areas where the processes are failing. Critical incident surveys are one of the best tools for this purpose. Another way to identify Six Sigma projects is statistical analysis of databases.

Front 36

Describe the appropriate training for Six Sigma Black Belts.

Back 36

The traditional schedule for black belt training is one week per month for four months. During the four month stretch, participants are given ongoing assignments so they can apply what they have learned.

Front 37

Discuss the participatory nature of black belt training.

Back 37

Black belt training is not comprehensive unless it includes a complete practice project. Six Sigma is a process, not just a knowledge base, so it must be performed in order to be learned.

Front 38

Describe the appropriate training for Six Sigma champions.

Back 38

Champions are the first members to be trained. It last two or three days. Part of their training focuses on selecting the right black belt and green belt candidates.

Front 39

Define Six Sigma black belts and explain the necessary qualifications for a black belt.

Back 39

They are employees tasked with leading quality improvement projects. They must be expert in all the technical areas to include: statistical analysis, implementation, and measurement. Finally then need to be comfortable taking risks.

Front 40

Discuss how managers should enable measurement and feedback during Six Sigma deployment.

Back 40

A Six Sigma program cannot be effective unless employees can receive unmediated and candid feedback from customers. Metrics should relate to factors critical to quality, cost, or schedule.

Front 41

Define Six Sigma champions, and explain the necessary qualifications for a champion.

Back 41

They are managers who oversee projects and ensure the projects align with the broader strategic goals of the organization. They should energize with Six Sigma, must have charisma, and have technical skills to supervise implementation.

Front 42

Discuss what the members of a project team should expect from the presiding black belt.

Back 42

They may expect that the black belt will give them an opportunity to reach their potential and contribute to the team's success. Team members should expect regular information about the group's progress.

Front 43

Describe the concept of muda.

Back 43

It is a form of waste. The elimination of it is one of the best ways to increase profits. It is the separation of waste from activities that add value.

Front 44

Discuss the conditions under which a green belt may lead Six Sigma projects.

Back 44

They must have project management experience and should be skilled in statistical analysis.

Front 45

Discuss what black belts should expect from the members of a project team.

Back 45

He should expect that the members of the team will be committed to the avowed goals as well as to the plan of reaching those goals. Team members should write reports and participate in meetings.

Front 46

Define Six Sigma green belts and explain the necessary qualifications for a green belt.

Back 46

In most organizations green belts do not spend all of their time on Six Sigma projects. They are often technicians, clerical staff, and process supervisors. They should have a strong understanding of the targeted processes or functions.

Front 47

Describe the appropriate training for Six Sigma green belts.

Back 47

Most companies only need a week to train green belts. The main intention of the training is to give green belts the vocabulary and knowledge base to understand the instructions given by black belts during projects.

Front 48

Describe the concept of mura.

Back 48

It is a Japanese term meaning unevenness or inconsistency. The primary means of reducing mura is the implementation of manufacturing system that avoids excessive inventory and wait times.

Front 49

Discuss the following two of Deming's 14 points for management: constant quality improvement and on the job training.

Back 49

Constant quality improvement can be achieved only by unceasing attention to the desires of customers. Employees should receive training in all areas that pertain to their work, and managers always should understand the tasks of their subordinates.

Front 50

Discuss the following two of Deming's 14 points for management: establishing leadership and eliminating fear.

Back 50

The purpose of management should be to set a proper example rather than to monitor the behavior and performance of subordinates. Fear should be eliminated as a source of motivation. This is an ineffective way to inspire loyalty and quality.

Front 51

Explain the meaning of the phrase "Six Sigma."

Back 51

It is a program for improving business processes. The name is derived from the Greek letter sigma, used in statistics to indicate the standard deviation for a particular set of data.

Front 52

Describe the contribution of W. Edwards Deming to quality control and outline the seven deadly diseases of the workplace.

Back 52

Deming is the father of quality control. He used statistical methods to promote quality control. He also championed the distinction between special and common cause variations. The 7 deadly diseases include: lack of consistency in planning, emphasis on short term profits, poor performance evaluation systems, excess turnover among employees, overreliance on the metrics that are easiest to obtain, excessive medical cost, and excessive liability costs.

Front 53

Describe the contributions of Philip B. Crosby and George D. Edwards to quality control.

Back 53

Crosby wrote Quality is Free, and he know for his 4 cardinal rules of quality management. George Edwards is known as the first president of the American Society of Quality. He was the head inspection engineer for Bell Telephone Laboratories.

Front 54

Discuss the following point of Deming's 14 points for management: promoting employee pride and emphasizing quality over production.

Back 54

Businesses should look for opportunities to link employees with their work and they should be taught to emphasize quality over numerical production. Rewarding quantity over quality I a bad business model.

Front 55

Discuss the following two of Deming's 14 points for management: encouraging self improvement and universal buy-in.

Back 55

Organizations thrive when employees feel their personal goals align with the goals of the organization. Employees should believe that effort and self improvement can lead to promotion within the organization.

Front 56

Describe the contributions of Armand V. Feigenbaum to quality control.

Back 56

He outlined four key actions businesses needed to take in order to implement TQM programs: establishing standards; measuring conformance to these standards; resolving issues hindering conformance; and continuously planning for improvement. He is also known for his Nine M's of quality.

Front 57

Describe the contributions of Joseph M. Juran to quality control.

Back 57

He emphasized the idea that quality control always should be considered from the perspective of the customer. He advocated quality control and the use of statistical control methods, he promoted quality planning, and in particular annual quality reviews for the purpose of enshrining quality control efforts.

Front 58

Discuss the following two of Deming's 14 points for management: reducing interdepartmental barriers and reducing pressure on the workforce.

Back 58

He promoted interdepartmental communication as a method for reducing waste and improving quality in all areas. He believed workers should not be pressured with short term production goals. Instead, workers should be encouraged to embrace a holistic, long-term program for quality. Goals should not be set for individual employees, but instead for larger groups.