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Quiz Session - Attempts With Random Questions

ASQ CSSBB Exam Questions

Page 3 of 33

41.

What is the mathematical basis of Design of Experiments (DOE)? 

  • Y = f(x)

  • The number of factors involved

  • The amount of experimental error

  • The type of treatment planned

Correct answer: Y = f(x)

For every observed effect, there is a controlling function composed of one or more dependent variables. This premise underpins DOE.

The number of factors is part of the mathematical basis, but not the whole picture. The amount of experimental error accounts for variation, the source of which may be controllable or uncontrollable. The type of treatment planned determines how the DOE will determine the degree to which factors interact.

42.

Which statement is true about PEST?

  • PEST focuses exclusively on external factors.

  • One of the factors it looks at is the environment.

  • One of the factors it looks at is strategy.

  • PEST evaluates a combination of internal and external factors.

Correct answer:  PEST focuses exclusively on external factors.

PEST stands for: Political, Economic, Social, and Technological. These are all external factors.

Environmental and strategic considerations are not PEST categories.

43.

Julia needs to know what sample size is required that would allow her to determine, with 95% confidence (α = 0.05), whether the mean diameter of her company's 50 mm copper piping differs by more than 0.6 mm. Her most recent descriptive statistics of output from production indicates a standard deviation of 3 mm. What is her calculated sample size?

  • 96

  • 45

  • 32

  • 1.26

Correct answer: 96

The equation to be used when considering the mean, μ, is n = ((Zα/2σ)/E)2.  We know the following:

α = 0.05

σ = 3

E = 0.6

Referring to a standard normal distribution table, we look up α/2 (0.025) and  find that Z = 1.96.  We can now solve for sample size (n):

n = ((1.96)(3)/0.6))2 = 96

44.

In Drum-Buffer-Rope, what does the length of the rope equate to?

  • The size of the buffer

  • The push/pull interface

  • The system constraint

  • The changeover time

Correct answer: The size of the buffer

A buffer represents the amount of time or material that is present over the length of an operation, which is the rope. Buffers can be in the form of inventory, like work in process, or the lead time of a particular segment of an operation.

The push/pull interface is usually the asset that is scheduled by a planner; normally, this is the system constraint. Changeover time is the amount of time it takes to transition to fresh equipment or a new product run.

45.

Bert has generated a normal probability plot in his study of machine bolt quality testing project, and observes the straight line plot to display a distinctive bow-shaped curve on the right-hand side of the graph, with the distribution plot displaying a sharp peak near the y-axis. What type of distribution is Bert reviewing?

  • Lognormal distribution 

  • Beta distribution

  • Student's t-distribution

  • Cauchy distribution

Correct answer: Lognormal distribution

Lognormal distribution is distinctive in that the straight line plot is highly curved on the right-hand side of the plot, with the  bottom of the curve intersecting with zero on the x-axis, with the distribution plot showing a sharp peak near the y-axis.

A beta distribution displays a distinctive reverse S-curve on the linear normal probability plot and does not pass the Anderson-Darling test. The student's t-distribution is only distinctive from a normal distribution in that it generally will not pass the Anderson-Darling test for normality, and will exhibit noticeable skewness and/or kurtosis.  A Cauchy distribution is highly leptokurtic with a wide distribution and does not pass the Anderson-Darling test.  

46.

Which quality approach helps managers at all levels monitor their results in their key areas?

  • Balanced scorecard

  • Reengineering

  • Benchmarking

  • Six sigma

Correct answer: Balanced scorecard

The balanced scorecard approach translates business strategy into performance measures that directly relate to the strategy, thereby serving as key metrics that matter.

Reengineering involves the restructuring of an entire organization and its processes. Benchmarking is an improvement process in which a company measures its performance against that of best-in-class companies to gain insight into how to improve its own performance. Six Sigma focuses on reducing variation.

47.

"Breakthrough" in the context of benchmarking can be defined as:

  • acting on benchmarking to effect significant improvement

  • setting goals significantly above the standard 10 percent year over year

  • identifying the next generation technology

  • converting the mindset of an organization to learning mode

Correct answer: acting on benchmarking to effect significant improvement.

Benchmarking makes organizations aware of what's possible and, as such, brings down mental barriers to what can be achieved. 

All other choices do not apply.

48.

Requiring pre-work for a meeting is a means to accomplish what primary goal?

  • Use meeting time efficiently

  • Move the project along at a more rapid pace

  • Counteract team procrastination

  • Reinforce team norms

Correct answer: Use meeting time efficiently

Having team members begin the meeting in a well-informed position advances the discussion significantly. Efficient meetings keep a project at a planned pace, but will not likely accelerate a project. Team procrastination is a deviation from a team norm that must be dealt with through coaching. This practice is likely to be a team norm, but that is not its primary goal.

49.

Which business function has the reputation of developing the most rigorous and scientific measurement systems of any function?

  • Quality

  • Supply chain

  • Human resources

  • Sales and marketing

Correct answer: Quality

Since the first efforts of Walter Shewhart in the early 20th century, rigorous control of quality has remained the prime directive of all businesses, as well as being the area where scientific methodologies are most readily applied.

Other functions, such as supply chain, human resources, and sales and marketing, deal largely with qualitative data and have yet to make advancements that approach what the quality function has achieved.

50.

What tool is nearly indispensable to DFX?

  • QFD

  • SMED

  • FFA

  • FMEA

Correct answer: QFD

Quality Function Deployment, through its structured approach to defining customer needs or requirements and translating them into specific plans to produce products to meet those needs, is a core tool of DFX.

SMED, or Single-Minute-Exchange-of-Die, is used for improving production cycle time and efficiency. FFA, or Force-Field Analysis, is used to help distinguish which factors within a situation or organisation drive a person towards or away from a desired state. FMEA, or Failure Mode and Effects Analysis, is a principal tool within Six Sigma in the Analyze phase. 

51.

Marv, a quality manager for a famous popcorn company, is testing a new batch of popping corn, which the factory has just received. Marv always produces a control chart showing unpopped kernels per 1000 kernel test batch size, with five batches sampled per each supersack of kernels received. What type of control chart is Marv generating? 

  • An np-chart

  • A p-chart

  • A u-chart

  • A c-chart

Correct answer: An np-chart

This chart is used to show the number of defectives where the sample size is constant. Both p-chart and u-charts are used when the sample size varies. A c-chart displays the number of defects. The difference between a defect and a defective is an important distinction. A defect may be an imperfection that does not affect the end performance of a product. A defective, however, is a product that does not perform to specification, such as an unpopped kernel of popping corn.

52.

Which of the following is true of qualitative project benefits?

  • They should be identified in the project proposal as enablers to financial benefits

  • They should be ranked by estimated financial benefit 

  • They should be de-emphasized in the project proposal

  • They should be assigned a surrogate financial measure

Correct answer: They should be identified in the project proposal as enablers to financial benefits

Some benefits are financially intangible, yet are key to the ultimate project success. An example would be change management wins that enable the adoption of a new technology that brings measurable financial benefits. Qualitative benefits cannot be financially estimated, nor should they be de-emphasized as a project benefit.

53.

Taguchi's loss function is based on three primary characteristics. Which characteristic is not one of them?

  • Built-in safety margins

  • Nominal

  • Smaller-the-Better

  • Larger-the-Better

Correct answer: Built-in safety margins

This situation is where non-conformance with specifications results in the customer needing to make an additional purchase or repairs due to early wear-out or a defective part not interfacing with other parts.   

Nominal is where the best characteristic or target value is the median of the specified upper and lower acceptable limits. Smaller-the-Better is where the ideal target value or best quality standard is zero. Larger-the-Better is where the ideal characteristic or best quality standard is infinity; the higher the actual value is, the better. 

54.

If the upper specification limit (USL) for the hardness of ABS polymer is 90 and the lower specification limit (LSL) is 80, what is the precision-to-tolerance ratio (PTR) if the system variability is 0.08?  

  • 0.05

  • 0.50

  • 5.0

  • 0.03875

Correct answer: PTR = 0.05

PTR = 6(sigma variability)/(USL - LSL). Solving for PTR using the given values yields 6(0.08)/(90 - 80) = 0.05.

All other choices are incorrect.

55.

Eric needs to show how criteria are related to each other. What form of map would be most useful to him?

  • Circle diagram

  • Spaghetti diagram

  • Value stream map

  • Process map

Correct answer: Circle diagram

A circle diagram is used to show linkages between various items, such as criteria.

Spaghetti diagrams map out the flow paths in an organization or factory, and are useful in reducing unnecessary transportation.  Value stream maps examine the flow of actions, either value-added or non-value-added, through a process, and would be a possible second choice for Maria. Process maps examine the flow of individual process steps and would not be useful here. 

56.

Which of the following is not generally used as a criteria in Hoshin Kanri planning:

  • Regulators

  • Customers

  • Suppliers

  • Employers

Correct answer: Regulators

Customers, suppliers, and employers are all generally used in Hoshin Kanri planning.

Regulators are not, for the basic reason that regulatory compliance is a standard assumption in strategy deployment.  

57.

Tina has collected a data set which has 12 measurements of color for a paint pigment, and 12 measurements of % moisture of the same pigment, but she was only able to collect 6 samples of pigment density. What multivariate analysis tool should she use?

  • MANOVA

  • Principal components

  • Factor analysis

  • Discriminant analysis

Correct answer: MANOVA

MANOVA, or multiple analysis of variance, is used to analyze both balanced and unbalanced experimental designs.

Principal components analysis is used to explain the maximum amount of variance with the fewest number of principal components. Factor analysis is used to determine the underlying factors responsible for correlations in the data. Discriminant analysis is used to classify observations into two or more groups.

58.

Space shuttles were renowned for their cockpit complexity, having 10 displays and 1,200 switches to manage. For the new Orion spacecraft, engineers used DFX methodology to decrease complexity, so that Orion has 3 displays and 67 switches. 

Which DFX methodology did engineers employ to design Orion?

  • Design for Producibility (DFP)

  • Design for Maintainability (DFM)

  • Design to Cost (DTC)

  • Design for Test (DFT)

Correct answer: Design for Producibility (DFP)

DFP includes simplification and reduction of hardware and software in the engineering design. Designing more automation in the form of software into the cockpit system dramatically improved simplicity and reliability.

DFM, DTC, and DFT are subordinate considerations in this circumstance. 

59.

An absentee rate is an example from what category of the Balanced Scorecard system?

  • Learning and growth

  • Financial

  • Customer

  • Internal business processes

Correct answer: Learning and growth

This category includes the capabilities and skills of an organization and how it is focused and channeled to support internal business processes and create customer value.

60.

Which type of team is usually cross-functional and sensitive to organizational changes?

  • Process improvement teams

  • Informal team

  • Formal team

  • Virtual team

Correct answer: Process improvement teams 

These cross-functional teams have representation from various groups, making them more vunerable to organizational change. An informal team does not have a charter and will have a more fluid membership depending on their needs. A formal team is usually contained within an organization. Virtual teams are made up of people in different locations who provide discrete skill competency requirements. This type of team is more robust to change, as there are normally multiple personnel who have similar skill-sets.

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