CONCONDIA UNIVERSITY

DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL AND INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING

INDU441 / INDU6321– INTRODUCTION TO SIX SIGMA
FINAL EXAM

Date: August 17, 2020 Closed Notes exam Total Marks:100

Duration: ENCS calculators are allowed Overall Course Percentage: 50%

Problem 1 (15 Marks) Select only ONE of the answers. Each correct answer has 1 mark. Write your answer
on the exam booklet.

1. In a full factorial experimental design, factors A, B, C, and D are tested at 2 levels. How many experiments
are conducted (without considering replications)?

a. 9
b. 12
c. 16
d. 8

2. After running a one-way ANOVA test with a significance level of 1%, a Green Belt found that the p-value
was greater than 0.01, which indicated:

a. To reject the Null Hypothesis with at least 99% confidence

b. There is no difference or relationship among factor levels with at least 99% confidence
c. There is a difference or relationship among factor levels with at least 99% confidence
d. To run one more tests to get 99% confidence

3. If non-sustained results are the case after project closure, what actions should be taken to recapture the
benefits of the Six Sigma project?

a. Refer to the Control Plans and key finding in the final report
b. Contact the Belt if still in the same process area
c. Check to see if the SPC Charts are up-to-date

4. Which of the following control tools in not suitable for external and variable elements of a process?

a. Mistake-proof processes
b. Periodic audits
c. Control charts
d. Sorting the output

5. “Forming, Storming, Norming, and Performing” are terms that describe:

a. Process variation reduction and improvement phases

b. Root cause identification and corrective action
c. Stages of team growth
d. Steps of the brainstorming process

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6. Which of the following tools and techniques are useful for control planning in Six Sigma:

a. Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (FMEA)

b. Force-field diagram
c. Benchmarking
d. (a) and (b)
e. All of the above

7. A black belt is developing a failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA) for the hamburger preparation
station in a fast-food restaurant. The following ratings were developed for the low-heat temperature failure
mode.
Severity = 7; Occurrence = 2; Detection = 5
What is the risk priority number (RPN) for this FMEA?
a. 35
b. 14
c. 70
d. 10

8. A retailer hypothesizes that sales average $10,000 per month. A sample report of 12 months with a Mean
of $9,477 was selected. The Standard Deviation is $1,372. Using an alpha of 5 percent, what is the correct
Degree of Freedom if doing the t-test?

a. 1
b. 11
c. 10
d. 12

9. A ____________________ is used to study the strength of the linear relationship between an output and
an influencing factor.

a. Linear Regression
b. Multiple Regression
c. Correlation Coefficient
d. X-Y Diagram

10. Over the last six months, 2,500 invoices were processed at the sales department of a company and are sent
to customers. In 3 instances, the company received customer complaints due to several mistakes in those
invoices. At what sigma level is this process? (consider 1.5s long-term shift in the process)

a. 4.54
b. 5.45
c. 2.95
d. 3.25

11. Which of the following roles is less expected from a “Middle Manager” during the cultural change required
for a successful Six Sigma project:

a. To create a positive work environment

b. Challenging people to develop new ideas
c. Implementing improvements enthusiastically
d. Cascade the mission, vision, and values throughout the organization

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12. Which of the following best describes internal failure costs?

a. The costs resulting from a nonconformance detected before a product or service is provided.
b. The economic costs associated with a catastrophic failure of an internal subsystem.
c. The unavoidable quality system costs associated with the production of any product or service.
d. The opposite of external failure costs.

13. Which of the following statements is TRUE with regard to a Six Sigma Master Black Belt (MBB)?

a. A senior-level manager who promotes and leads the deployment of Six Sigma
b. Provides technical leadership of the Six sigma program
c. Receives 3-6 weeks of Six Sigma training
d. An owner of a process

14. The purpose of using control charts is to:

a. Determine if the process is performing within specifications

b. Determine how to recreate the process
c. Evaluate process performance over time
d. Detect the causes of nonconformities

15. Which assumption is required to use ANOVA for analyzing the results of the designed experiments:

a. Both response and independent factors have to be variable data

b. Data sets follow a Normal distribution
c. Data sets have equal means
d. Data sets have equal variances

Problem 2 (10 Marks) Indicate the most appropriate tool or approach for addressing the following cases:

1. As the root cause of significant number of errors in the medication administration and laboratory
processing/result in a hospital, the Six Sigma team has identified several human errors that occur in
ordering, transporting, analyzing, and reporting steps. Since such errors would result in severe
consequences on the health care service, the team is looking for a technique to eliminate them.

2. As a solution for eliminating a bottleneck station in a production line, the Six Sigma team has
suggested purchasing a new machine. The team is looking for a tool in order to come up with a proper
contingency plan in the presences of future machine failures.

3. In order to prepare a control plan for the new production line in a factory, the Six Sigma team has
identified several process elements as control points. However, some of the process elements are very
expensive to control. The team is looking for a tool for choosing a small number of control points
among the potential ones.

4. A Six Sigma green belt team came up with 4 solutions in the improve phase to reduce the waiting time
in a bank. However, the project champion is only willing to provide financial support for one
improvement method at a time. The team needs to suggest one solution to implement.

5. While analyzing the root causes of high reject rate in a production line, the Six Sigma team identified
2 potential factors, while each factor might take 3 possible levels. The team is looking for a tool to test
the significance of those factors.

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 Formula Sheet
1. Sigma level

Sigma level=NORMSINV(1 - dpmo / 1,000,000) + SHIFT

2. Hypothesis Testing
x - m0
2.1. Population’s average when the standard deviation is unknown, use: t0 = .
S n
2.2. Chi-square test:

3. Tables
z 1
1 - 2 u2
Normal Distribution Table ( F ( z ) = e du )
-¥
2p

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t- Distribution

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c 2 - Distribution

F Distribution table ( a =5%)

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