IET 43640 FINAL EXAM QUESTIONS ANSWERED CORRECTLY LATEST UPDATE 2026

IET 43640 FINAL EXAM QUESTIONS ANSWERED CORRECTLY LATEST UPDATE 2026 Lean - Answers Lean tools and techniques are used to standardize work and remove waste and non-value-added activities. The goal is to eliminate the unnecessary. Six Sigma - Answers A structured, data-driven methodology for reducing variation and improving value from processes, while having a positive impact on financial performance. Seeks to reduce sigma (variation) unacceptable to the customer. Lean vs. Six Sigma - Answers Lean = remove wastes (eliminate the unnecessary). Six Sigma = reduce variations (improve the necessary). DMAIC - Answers Define - Measure - Analyze - Improve - Control. Used to improve an existing process. DMADV - Answers Define - Measure - Analyze - Design - Verify. Used to largely modify or create a new process (Design for Six Sigma). 4 Keys to LSS - Answers 1. Delight customers—higher quality in less time. 2. Improve processes, eliminate defects, improve flow. 3. Teamwork among process workers. 4. All decisions based on data and facts. 8 Wastes of Lean (DOWNTIME) - Answers 1. Defects 2. Overproduction 3. Waiting 4. Not utilizing talent 5. Transportation 6. Inventory excess 7. Motion waste 8. Excess processing 5 Principles of Lean - Answers 1. Identify value 2. Map the value stream 3. Create flow 4. Establish a pull system 5. Strive for continuous improvement (Developed by Toyota Production System / Taiichi Ohno) Lean Benefits - Answers Reducing process variability, lowering defects, reducing costs, increased profit, increased customer satisfaction. Six Sigma Benefits - Answers Reduced cycle times, lower handling costs, faster lead times, decreased floor space, lower inventory, improved customer responsiveness, improved quality, higher profit margins. 5S - Answers Seiri (Sort), Seiton (Set in Order), Seiso (Shine), Seiketsu (Standardize), Shitsuke (Sustain). A lean tool to organize and maintain the workplace. Value-Added Activity (3 Criteria) - Answers 1. The step must change the form or function of the product/service. 2. The customer must be willing to pay for the change. 3. The step must be performed correctly the first time. Anything else is waste. Non-Value-Added Essential - Answers Activities required for a business to operate but add no value from the customer's perspective (e.g., regulatory inspections). Non-Value-Added Non-Essential - Answers Activities that don't contribute to the product/service and provide no value to the customer. Should be eliminated (e.g., rework, counting, approving). Project Charter Elements - Answers 1. Business Case & Benefits 2. Problem Statement 3. Goal Statement 4. Project Scope (In/Out) 5. Project Plan / Timeline 6. Team Selection SMART Goal Statement - Answers Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-Bound. Example: 'Reduce avg. loan processing time from 28 to 20 min by May 10th.' Problem Statement - Answers Describes what is wrong, when/where it occurs, frequency, impact on customers/business, and financial impact. Answers: What? Where? When? How much? Project Scope - Answers Defines boundaries: first/last step, what's in scope, what's out of scope. Prevents scope creep. LSS Project Selection Criteria - Answers Is root cause/solution unknown? Is leadership committed? Is data collectable? Is scope manageable? Are there no org. constraints? Answer YES to proceed. Gantt Chart - Answers A project management visualization showing tasks, durations, start/end dates, and progress. Most widely used in project scheduling. PERT / CPM - Answers PERT = Program Evaluation and Review Technique (schedule/coordinate tasks). CPM = Critical Path Method (maps key tasks and dependencies to ensure on-time completion). Common Cause Variation - Answers Random, inherent variation in a process. Many sources. Stable and repeatable distribution over time. Does NOT change the distribution pattern. Special Cause Variation - Answers Unpredictable, intermittent variation. Assignable to one element. Changes the distribution. Must be investigated and eliminated. Null Hypothesis (H0) - Answers The statement assumed to be true unless there is convincing evidence otherwise. Represents the status quo or accepted fact. Example: 'Machine X does not affect defect rate.' Alternative Hypothesis (Ha/H1) - Answers Contradicts H0. Accepted only if there is convincing evidence. Example: 'Machine X significantly affects defect rate.' p-value - Answers The probability of obtaining results as extreme as observed, assuming H0 is true. If p 0.05 (significance level), reject H0. A small p-value = strong evidence against H0. Type I Error (α) - Answers Rejecting H0 when it is actually true. Also called a 'false positive.' Alpha error. Type II Error (β) - Answers Failing to reject H0 when it is actually false. Also called a 'false negative.' Beta error. ANOVA (Analysis of Variance) - Answers Tests for differences between three or more group means. H0: µ1 = µ2 = µ3 = ... = µk Ha: At least one µk is different. Does NOT tell you WHICH means differ — use Tukey for pairwise comparisons. F-Ratio (ANOVA) - Answers F = MS(Factor) / MS(Error). Large F-ratio → more likely to reject H0 (group means differ). F ≈ 1 when group means are similar. ANOVA Table Sources - Answers Between (Factor): SS(Factor), df = g-1 Within (Error): SS(Error), df = Σ(nj-1) Total: SS(Total) ANOVA Assumptions - Answers 1. Model errors are normally distributed with mean zero. 2. Variance is constant across factor levels (homogeneity of variance). 3. Samples come from normally distributed populations. Tukey Pairwise Comparisons - Answers Multiple comparison procedure used after ANOVA to determine WHICH group means differ from each other. Creates confidence intervals for each pairwise comparison. Confidence Interval (CI) - Answers A range of values calculated from sample data used to estimate the true population parameter with a specified level of confidence. Formula: xI ± z*(σ/√n) Common z*: 95%→1.96, 90%→1.65, 99%→2.58. Central Limit Theorem (CLT) - Answers The distribution of sample means approximates a normal distribution as sample size increases (n ≥ 30 is a common threshold), regardless of the population's distribution. Correlation vs. Causation - Answers Correlation: two variables are connected/related. Causation: one variable directly causes another. A strong statistical relationship does NOT confirm causation; process knowledge is also required. Pearson Correlation (r) - Answers Measures the strength and direction of a linear relationship between two variables. Range: -1 to +1. +1 = perfect positive, 0 = no linear relationship, -1 = perfect negative. DPMO (Defects per Million Opportunities) - Answers DPMO = (Number of Defects / (Units × Opportunities per Unit)) × 1,000,000. Relates to sigma level of the process. Normal Distribution Properties - Answers Continuous; symmetrical around the mean; 68% within ±1σ, 95% within ±2σ, 99.7% within ±3σ. Used for many natural phenomena. Random Sampling - Answers Equal probability of selection. Stratified Sampling - Answers Divide population into subgroups, sample each. Systematic Sampling - Answers Every nth unit. Convenience Sampling - Answers Based on availability. SPC (Statistical Process Control) - Answers A statistical method of separating special-cause variation from natural variation to eliminate special causes and establish/maintain consistency in the process for improvement. Control Chart Rule 1 - Answers Point beyond ±3σ (UCL/LCL). Control Chart Rule 2 - Answers 9+ consecutive points on one side of centerline. Control Chart Rule 3 - Answers 6+ consecutive points trending up or down. Control Chart Rule 4 - Answers Sawtooth pattern (unusual alternation). Control Chart Rule 5 - Answers 2 of 3 consecutive points in Zone A or beyond. Control Chart Rule 6 - Answers 4 of 5 consecutive points in Zone B or beyond. Control Chart Rule 7 - Answers 15 consecutive points in Zone C. X-bar and R Chart - Answers Used for continuous data with larger subgroups (size ≥ 6). Uses sample standard deviation S instead of range. X-bar and S Chart - Answers Used for continuous data with subgroups (size 6). Monitors process mean (X-bar) and within-subgroup variability (R). UCL/LCL formulas use A2, D3, D4 constants. I-MR Chart - Answers Used when subgroup size = 1. Monitors individual measurements and the moving range between consecutive points. P Chart - Answers Attribute chart for proportion defective. Variable sample size. Binomial assumptions. NP Chart - Answers Attribute chart for count of defectives (not proportion). Constant sample size. Binomial assumptions. C Chart - Answers Attribute chart for count of defects per unit. Constant sample size. Poisson assumptions. U Chart - Answers Attribute chart for count of defects per unit. Variable sample size. Poisson assumptions. Control Chart Selection Guide - Answers Continuous data → X-bar/R (n6), X-bar/S (n≥6), I-MR (n=1). Discrete - proportion defective → P (variable n), NP (constant n). Discrete - count of defects → U (variable n), C (constant n). UCL/LCL (X-bar Chart) - Answers UCL_X = XI + A2 × RI; LCL_X = XI - A2 × RI; A2 = constant based on subgroup size. UCL/LCL (Range Chart) - Answers UCL_R = D4 × RI; LCL_R = D3 × RI; D3, D4 = constants based on subgroup size. Process Capability (Cp) - Answers Cp = (USL - LSL) / 6σ. Compares allowable variation (customer spec) to actual process variation. Does NOT account for centering. Cp Interpretation - Answers Cp 1: Process variability spec limits (not capable). Cp = 1: Process exactly meets spec limits. Cp 1: Process variability spec limits (capable). Process Capability Index (Cpk) - Answers Cpk = Min[(USL - xI)/3σ, (xI - LSL)/3σ]. Accounts for BOTH spread AND centering. Cpk Interpretation - Answers Cpk 0: Process mean is outside spec limits. Cpk = 0: Process mean equals a spec limit. Cpk 1: Does not conform to spec. Cp vs. Cpk - Answers Cp: spread only (potential capability if centered). Cpk: spread AND location (actual capability). SIPOC - Answers Suppliers - Inputs - Process - Outputs - Customers. A high-level process map (4-8 steps) used to define all relevant elements of a process before work begins and scope the project. Business Process Map (BPM) - Answers Displays sequential process steps with swim lanes showing responsible functions. BPM Symbols - Answers Oval: Start/End. Rectangle: Activity. Diamond: Decision (Yes/No). Arrow: Flow direction. Parallelogram: Input/Output. Value-Added Analysis - Answers Reviews each BPM step to classify: Value-Added (VA), Non-Value-Added Essential (NVA-E), or Non-Value-Added Non-Essential (NVA-NE). Cost of Quality (COQ) - Prevention - Answers Costs to prevent defects from occurring. Examples: Quality planning, training, supplier evaluation, process capability studies, quality audits. Cost of Quality (COQ) - Appraisal - Answers Costs to detect/find defects (testing, measuring, auditing). Examples: Incoming inspection, lab testing, final inspection, calibration, supplier audits. Cost of Quality (COQ) - Internal Failure - Answers Costs of defects found BEFORE reaching the customer. Examples: Scrap, rework, reduced selling price for reworked goods. Cost of Quality (COQ) - External Failure - Answers Costs of defects found AFTER reaching the customer. Examples: Warranty, legal costs, recalls, field service, cancelled orders, lost goodwill. Voice of Customer (VOC) - Answers Customer's voice, expectations, preferences, and comments about a product or service. Methods: surveys, interviews, focus groups, complaints, observations. Kano Analysis - Must-Be - Answers Basic requirements that dissatisfy if absent but do NOT increase satisfaction if present. Customers expect them. Kano Analysis - Primary (Satisfier) - Answers Not expected; if absent, no dissatisfaction. If present, delights the customer. Kano Analysis - Delighter (Attractive) - Answers The more of these that are met, the more satisfied the customer. Critical Customer Requirements (CCRs / KPIs) - Answers Translates VOC into specific, measurable requirements. Operational Definition - Answers A precise description of: (1) what to measure, (2) how to collect data, (3) how much data to collect, (4) who collects it.