Skills Test Answers - Operations Management

A high sigma score indicates _____ defects.

few
severe
moderate
many



What is the commonly accepted variable for Outputs?

Y
O
Z
X



The costs incurred when a customer returns a defective product are best described as a _____ Cost-of-poor-quality (COPQ).

Equipment
Controllable
Resultant
Cheap



Operations can be classified according to their volume and variety of production as well as the degree of variation and visibility. Which of the following operations would be classified as high volume, low variety?

A fast food restaurant
A carpenter
A family doctor
A front office bank



Within the SIPOC framework, an Iphone is an example of a/an _______.

customer
cost
input
output



________ refers to the consequences of a failure if it should occur.

Intensity
Occurrence
Severity
Detection



A full factorial experiment has ______ factor(s) with _______ level(s) each.

multiple; one
one; multiple
a couple ; no
multiple; multiple



True or false? The gross margin often reflects the value created during the process.

False
True



What is another name for a "Fishbone Diagram"?

A GANTT Diagram
A RACI Diagram
A Pie Chart
A cause and effect diagram



True or false? A good SIPOC diagram should always focus on one supplier.

True
False



A ________ indicates that a process event or measurement is likely to fall within that limit.

sample limit
control limit
item limit
population limit



Which term describes how an organization expects to achieve its missions and goals?

Tactic
SWOT
Strategy
Competitive Advantage



A firm can effectively use its operations function to yield competitive advantage through all of the following, EXCEPT:

customization of the product
constant innovation of new products
speed of delivery
setting equipment utilization goals below the industry average



Is a barrel of crude oil an output or an input?

Output
Input
It depends on the context



What is the commonly accepted variable for Inputs?

I
Y
X
Alpha



True or false? Regression tests are functional tests.

True
False



What is the planning method used to show the tasks associated with a project, the people in charge of completing the tasks and the timelines?

Pie chart
Histogram
Pareto chart
Gantt chart



True or false? The ordering of SIPOC categories does not matter.

True
False



SIPOC represents the five key elements of a ______ map.

process
cost
product
road



What is the correct order of the main phases in the product life cycle?

Maturity, Saturation, Growth, Decline
Maturity, Growth, Saturation, Decline
Growth, Saturation, Growth, Decline
Growth, Maturity, Saturation, Decline



True or False? The failure modes with the highest RPNs should be attended to first.

True
False



True or false? Suppliers can come from internal entities.

True
False



(True or False): It is easier to measure productivity for an operation that provides services than for one that produces goods since there is no material used in services.

True
False



True or false? A processes can have the same DPU, but very different DPO.

FALSE
True



Which of the following would be an incorrectly labeled output?

A car
A well made car
A smartphone
A t-shirt



A problem statement is a _________.

an alarm in the processing chain of command
list of risks
a formal complain from a customer
clear description of the issues that a team needs to address



What is the target RPN for FMEAs?

100
500
250
There is no target FMEA, it's up to the company to decide how much to improve



True or false? Affinity diagrams are best created by a cross-functional team.

True
FALSE



The international quality standard for for product design, manufacture, and distribution is known as:

ISO 5000
QS-5000
QS-9000
ISO 9000



Which of the following is the SIPOC framework used for?

Identifying customers
All of these
Defining process scope
Defining relationships with inputs and suppliers



Which of the following is NOT one of the 10 steps for an FMEA?

Review the process or the product
Prioritize the failure modes for action
Calculate the risk priority number for each effect
All of these are included in the 10 steps



Operations management includes all of these activities, EXCEPT:

oversee the transformation process
secure financial resources
maintain quality
schedule work



(True or False): Key success factors are those activities that are key to achieving competitive advantage

False
True



(True or False): A system that permits the manufacturing of large quantities of identical goods using repetitive actions by people or machines is called mass production.

True
False



Which of the following best describes a bar chart that depicts the frequencies of numerical or measurement data?

Gantt Chart
Process Map
Histogram
Check Sheet



Process boundaries are important for _________.

clearly stating the beginning, end, and function of a process.
determining stakeholders
setting the cost ceiling
defining a volume limit



What is the least likely decision made by an Operations Manager?

How to use quality techniques to reduce waste
Deciding which market areas to manufacture products for
How much capacity is required to balance demand
Selecting the location and layout of a facility



FMEA team leaders are in charge of:

all of these
Planning and facilitating meetings
Making sure the team stays on track toward the completion of the FMEA
Ensuring the team is prepared with all necessary materials



True of false? You can always use the same standard deviation when calculating a sigma score, regardless of time frame.

False
TRUE



Which of the following is NOT used when determining RPN?

Probability
Indenture levels
Cost
Detection



When creating a multi vari chart, each temporal occurrence should contain the measurements of at least _______ consecutive units.

three
five
seven
one



When designing an experiment, which category would inputs be included in?

None of these
Levels
Factors
Response



Which of the following is NOT a DMAIC term?

Analyze
Cause
Define
Measure



How do you calculate DPU (defects per unit)?

(Number of units inspected)/(Number of defects observed)
(Number of defects observed)/(Number of units inspected)
(Number of units inspected)/(Number of defects) - (Number of defects)
(Cost per defect)/(Total defects)



Which of the following is a goal of the SIPOC framework?

Clearly define a process
Eliminate waste processes
Provide a better understanding of the customer
All of these



Which of the following best describes 'failure modes'?

None of these
The number of times a process or product fails during testing
All the ways a process or product can fail
The number of times a process or product fails during the product's launch



Which of the following would be an observational study?

a box and whisker plot
a behavior chart
a bell curve
a histogram



A company that extracts and refines oil uses a/an ______ process.

connected
downstream
upstream
integrated



Which of the following options list the 3 factors used to determine the relative risk of a failure?

Ranking, Severity, and Frequency
Frequency, Ranking, and Category
Severity, Occurrence, and Detection
Severity, Ranking, and Time



A credit agency creates a credit report which is then used to create a loan agreement. Who is the supplier in the process of making a loan agreement?

The customer whose data is used in the report
Bank teller
The credit agency
There is no supplier



DFMEA stands for _______.

Detrimental Failure Mode and Effects Analysis
Dependent Failure Mode and Effects Analysis
Design Failure Mode and Effects Analysis
Dynamic Failure Mode and Effects Analysis



Which of the following formulas best shows how to obtain a risk priority number (RPN)?

severity + time + detection
severity x occurrence x detection
severity + occurrence + detection
severity x time x detection



In order to analyze the significance of a population sample, you must calculate __________.

confidence intervals
repeatability sigmas
chi squared
the sharpe ratio



An operations manager would be responsible for all of the following, EXCEPT:

selecting suppliers
sales and marketing
safety and maintenance
recruiting employees



What does FMEA stand for?

First Model and Efficient Analysis
Failure Model and Effect Analysis
First Mode and Efficient Analysis
Failure Mode and Effect Analysis



True or false? Variables that are CTQ must also be CTC.

True
False



A tester creates an experiment that consistently produces the same result. This is an example of _______.

None of these
Reproducibility
Regression
Repeatability



(True or False): Key success factors and core competencies are synonyms

True
False



Statistics are an important part of the analysis phase. What is the largest value minus the smallest value?

The variance
The mean
The standard deviation
The range



Which of the following is NOT a SIPOC category?

Costs
Outputs
Inputs
Customer



What does poka-yoke refer to?

Cost Acquisition
Mistake proofing
Rapid repair
Fault testing



True or False? Fishbone charts are used to plot measurements taken over a specific time period.

False
True



The proportion of units that go through a process for the first time without defect is called _______.

the KPI
the first pass inspection
the success yield
the first pass yield



SIPOC is a tool used within the greater ______ process.

DFQ
CTQ
Cost Cutting
DMAIC



A customer writes an email to customer support. A representative receives the email, finds the relevant information, and sends a response email back to the customer. How should the customer be categorized within SIPOC?

As an input
As a supplier only
Both as a supplier and as a customer.
As a customer only



Which of the following would be best used to compare statistical models?

Black Box Test
F-test
Alpha Test
Stress Test



The frequency in which failure is occurring is referred to as:

Detection
Frequency
Occurrence
Severity



Which of the following is NOT a common categorization in Value Add Analysis?

Value enabling
Value adding
Non value adding
Value failure



True or false? Outputs exclusively refer to products or services delivered to external customers.

True
False



What type of process is Operations Management considered?

Transformational
Transactional
Transitional
Translational



Which element of SIPOC would a RACI chart relate to?

Inputs
Process
Outputs
Customer



(True or False): SWOT analysis is a method of determining external strengths and weaknesses and internal opportunities and threats

False
True



Which of the following would be help indicate errors when curve-fitting?

The KPI compression
The Kolmogorov-Smirov statistic
The Smith Buonanno Metric
KLOC Indentation Level



The latency period is the _________.

average time between detection and repair
average time between production and sale
average time between system failures
average time between failure and detection



Which of the following is NOT an example of non-functional testing?

Endurance testing
Baseline testing
Black box testing
Compatibility testing



Six Sigma seeks to ensure a quality level of ____ defects per million opportunities.

3.4
0.034
33.4
0.34



What is the approach that tries to match the output of manufacturing with market demand, in order to minimize inventories?

MRP
CAM
JIT
CAD



True or False? An organizations strategy is its purpose or rationale for an organizations existence

True
False



Digging for gold would be an example of a/an ______ process.

indirect
integrated
upstream
downstream



Which of the following is least likely to be a Cost Leadership competitive advantage?

broad product line
low overhead
inventory management
mass production



When building a SIPOC diagram you should start with ______.

the process
the supplier
the customer
the opportunity



Fishbone diagrams are used for ______ identification.

input
customer
export
output



When building a SIPOC diagram, what should you first define?

The desired output
The required inputs
The VOC (Voice of Customer)
The process you want to map



Which of these international operations strategies involves a focus on high cost reductions and low local responsiveness?

multidomestic strategy
international strategy
transnational strategy
global strategy



What should be the first step of the experiment design process?

Brainstorm
Define the objectives
Analyze the data
Define the problem



Cutting diamonds for commercial use would be an example of ________ processing.

direct
upstream
downstream
indirect



Which of the following would be the best first step towards a successful FMEA?

Brainstorm potential failure modes
List potential effects of each failure mode
Review the process or product
Assign a severity ranking for each effect



As a general rule of thumb, how many high-level steps should be included in the process description?

4 - 7
10 - 15
1 - 3
8 - 10



A shipment tracking ID is an example of a/an _______.

output
input



Extracting raw materials is an example of a/an ________ process.

downstream
upstream
indirect
direct



What is the term used to describe the RPN that's determined after reevaluating the severity, occurrence, and detection rankings?

Remaining RPM
Improved RPM
Resulting RPM
Corrected RPM



What variable is used to describe a sigma score?

X
Z
Chi
Y



A jammed manufacturing tool is an example of ______.

failure cause
a failure effect
a failure mode
failure cost



Which of the following would non-functional testing be used for?

Testing a specific function
Testing a result
Testing a program behavior
Testing a system's architecture



Which of the following costs would NOT be included in a resultant Cost-of-poor-quality (COPQ)?

External error costs
Prevention costs
All of these
Internal error costs



Which of the following terms BEST describes the measures that have already been achieved/recorded by a person or company that can be used to set initial goals as defined by Six Sigma.

Benchmarks
None of these
Baselines
Metrics



Which of the following materials process operation type is associated with the highest volume and lowest variety?

mass process
continuous process
job shop
batch process



There is a 50% chance that a bike will be produced with a defect. This probability is called the __________.

DPU
throughput yield
DPMO
first pass yield



In a normal distribution, 68% of the data will occur within:

. +/- 1 standard deviation
. +/- 4 standard deviation
. +/- 2 standard deviation
. +/- 5 standard deviation



What is the purpose of FMEA?

All of these
To prevent process and product problems BEFORE they occur
To prevent process and product problems in real-time as they're occurring
To prevent process and product problems AFTER they occur



_______ FMEA is used to make existing transactional and operational processes better by understanding how external factors (people, materials, environment, etc.) can cause problems.

Process
Design
All of these
System



A person's height is an example of _______ data, whereas number of students in a class is an example of ______ data.

discrete; continuous
congruent; incongruent
boolean, integer
continuous; discrete



What is licensing of product manufacturing of a product to other firms?

Outsourcing
Licensing
Multi Site Rationalization
Franchising



Which of the following would be the best last step towards a successful FMEA?

Calculate the resulting RPN
Calculate the risk priority number for each effect
Eliminate or reduce the high-risk failure modes
Prioritize the failure modes for action



Which of the following is NOT a commonly used SIPOC software tool?

SigmaPRO
iGrafx
SigmaFlow
ARIS



How many failure modes can exist at one time with FMEA?

Two
Three
One
Five



The following activities are a direct responsibility of operations management, EXCEPT:

Designing the operation’s products, services and processes
Determining the exact mix of products and services that customers will want
Planning and controlling the operation
Developing an operations strategy for the operation



What is the importance of "level setting"?

It ensures participants are all on the same page
It simplifies stress tests
It provides a test case based on unit economics
All of these



Which phase of DMAIC is SIPOC often used in?

The define phase
The measurement phase
The improvement phase
The analysis phase



_______ FMEA is used to analyze a new process, product, or service design before manufacturing to learn how it could fail when it's released.

All of these
System
Design
Process



Which of the following would be the best example of poka-yoke?

Car part which can be assembled in three different ways
A floppy disk that can only fit into a drive one way
All of these
A button that haults a production line in emergencies



Which of the following would not be a typical function of production management?

inventory control
plant management
site location and layout
cash flow forecasts



Which stage of DMAIC is data auditing most relevant?

Define
Improvement
Analysis
Measurement



An event with a C probability is predicted to fail ______.

occasionally
rarely
frequently
infrequently



True or false? Benchmarking always focuses on companies within the same industry.

True
False



Which of the following would NOT be defined as a process input?

Equipment at manufacturing facility
Oil at a refinery
Electronic components at manufacturing facility
A credit report at a credit agency



Which graph would best measure multiple variation distributions?

Box and whisker plots
FMEA
X-Y analysis
Histogram



In Measurement System Analysis, under ___ % is acceptable.

10
5
3.34
33.34



What is the primary metric used in baseline measurement?

Input (X)
Customers
DPU
Output (Y)



Which of the following could you use to compare a CTQ (critical to quality) to a CTC (critical to customer)?

Quality assurance test
Quality function deployment
Stress test
DPM measurement



Attribute data is ______.

binary
numerical
interpretable
analytical



What should be the last SIPOC category addressed?

The outputs
The inputs
The customers
The suppliers



Which of the following would be most critical to quality (CTQ)?

Inputs
Outputs
All of these are equally critical to quality
Customers



(True or False): The multidomestic OM strategy maximizes local responsiveness while achieving a significant cost advantage

False
True



True or false? Attribute data is most useful during the analysis phase.

TRUE
False