Improvement is needed for an organization to survive because:

Why is it so difficult for a person or an organization to improve?

A SIPOC map is:

Lean manufacturing, Six Sigma, Total Quality Management are some of the new systems for managing and improving an organization. What is a common theme running through these approaches?

Problem solving activities typically include:

The fact that processes tend to be dynamic, rather than static, is a key principle of statistical thinking. Which of the following is a natural consequence of this fact?

The Statistical Thinking Strategy has significant commonality with the scientific method. Which of the following statistical thinking principles is NOT generally associated with the scientific method?

Figure 2.16 shows a chart of the Dow Jones Industrial Average from 1990 through 2011. This plot reveals some obvious change points, such as the 2008 financial collapse, and some unexplainable short-term variation. Assuming that these are the only sources of variation in this plot, what source of variation is NOT visible in the plot?

In Figure 2.11, Coach Hau presented data showing where goals were scored on crosses. This produced unexpected results, in terms of where the goals came from, and helped his team determine an effective strategy on free kicks. This is an example of what principle of statistical thinking?

The Statistical Thinking Strategy illustrated in Figure 2.14 provides a graphic of the overall approach to driving improvement through statistical thinking. Which of the following is a key principle illustrated in this specific graph?

In the soccer case study, Coach Hau developed a flowchart of the steps one goes through to properly “head” the ball, and then developed unique drills to develop the team’s skills in each of these steps. This approach is an example of what statistical thinking principle?

A manufacturing process has been experiencing problems.  The operators charting the process data have identified the cause to be due to an unanticipated change in incoming raw materials.  This problem should be considered:

Process measurements are:

Process complexity is important because complex processes:

Service and non-manufacturing processes:

The Hidden Factory is:

The primary goal of process mapping is to:

Service processes are different from manufacturing processes in that:

Viewing a business as a system is important because:

Use of subject matter knowledge is a key aspect of the Statistical Thinking Strategy discussed in Chapter 2. For which of the following case studies in Chapter 4 was this principle NOT clearly applied?

Which of the following are valid statements about the DMAIC framework?

We learned in Chapter 3 that the measurement process is always important and worthy of our attention. However, in Chapter 4 we found that measurement can be absolutely critical to solving the problem. For which of the case studies in Chapter 4 was measurement NOT discussed as a critical issue?

Which of the following are accurate statements about the relationship between the Process Improvement Framework (PIF) and the Problem Solving Framework (PSF)?

The frameworks discussed in Chapter 4 could be considered more specific examples of:

If you are thinking creatively about how to take existing tools and link and sequence them to develop a novel approach to solve important problems, this would be an example of:

Understanding variation is important because variation:

A SIPOC map is:

Improvement is needed for an organization to survive because:

Why is it so difficult for a person or an organization to improve?

W. E. Deming commented “You don’t have to make these changes, survival is not mandatory.”  His message is:

The fact that processes tend to be dynamic, rather than static, is a key principle of statistical thinking. Which of the following is a natural consequence of this fact?

In the advertising case study, the unexpected “V” shaped pattern in the plot of advertising dollars versus sales indicated what?

Box, Hunter, and Hunter are quoted in this chapter as stating: “Data have no meaning in themselves; they are meaningful only in relation to a conceptual model of the phenomenon studied.” This critical point is related to which of the following principles of statistical thinking?

Analysts have noticed that October tends to be a bad month in the collections department – our collections on past due accounts tend to be consistently lower in October. This issue should be considered:

It is, unfortunately, common in business for managers to demand an explanation for variation that is, based on statistics, typical and expected variation, i.e., common cause variation. Alternatively, there may be obvious special causes in the data that may be shrugged off as “typical business fluctuations”. Which of the following statements about interpretation of variation are true?

The Statistical Thinking Strategy illustrated in Figure 2.14 provides a graphic of the overall approach to driving improvement through statistical thinking. Which of the following is a key principle illustrated in this specific graph?

In Figure 2.11, Coach Hau presented data showing where goals were scored on crosses. This produced unexpected results, in terms of where the goals came from, and helped his team determine an effective strategy on free kicks. This is an example of what principle of statistical thinking?

The Hidden Factory is:

The primary goal of process mapping is to:

Viewing a business as a system is important because:

The SIPOC model for a business helps everyone in the company see the business from an overall perspective by:
I.          Keeping a focus on customer needs
II.         Identifying inputs and outputs for each step of the process
III.       Displaying cross-function activities in simple terms
IV.       Helping maintain the big business picture

Process complexity is important because complex processes:

Service processes are different from manufacturing processes in that:

Processes are important because:

If you are thinking creatively about how to take existing tools and link and sequence them to develop a novel approach to solve important problems, this would be an example of:

Which type of variation was critical to resolving the realized revenue case study?

Suppose the Process Improvement Framework were used to attack a problem where the process in question was inherently unstable. Which of the following would be a likely result of this effort?

The frameworks discussed in Chapter 4 could be considered more specific examples of:

The Problem Solving Framework begins with a “Document the Problem” phase. The Process Improvement Framework does not begin this way, but rather begins with an “Understand the Process phase.” Which of the following are valid reasons for this difference?

Which of the following are valid statements about the DMAIC framework?