Herzing BUSI 421 – Six Sigma and the Organization

The questions are all similar to questions you will be asked on a certification exam. The context is meant to be a guide to help you clarify where the questions correspond to the body of knowledge for a certified six sigma student. They are not meant to limit the subject or to be all-inclusive but to test your general understanding of Six Sigma and the DMAIC process. The exam is worth 160 points total.I. Overview: Six Sigma and the Organization (50 points; each question is worth 10 points)Explain why organizations use six sigma, how they apply its philosophy and goals.List the key business drivers common for all types of organizations.Describe how key metrics and scorecards are developed to measure those drivers.Define the following lean concepts: theory of constraints, value chain, and value stream mapping.Describe the project selection process and what factors should be considered in deciding whether to use the six sigma DMAIC methodology or another problem-solving process.II. Define Phase (40 points; each question is worth 10 points)Define benchmarking and describe an example.List various tools to collect feedback from customers. Describe techniques to eliminate vagueness, ambiguity, and any unintended bias.List the elements of a project charter.Describe briefly what the following tools are and how they are used: Gantt charts, critical path method (CPM), and Pareto diagrams.III. Measure Phase (30 points; each question is worth 15 points)Define the following terms related to probability concepts: independent events, mutually exclusive events, multiplication rules, permutations, combinations, and statistical process control.Differentiate between sampling methods (random and stratified) and data collection methods (check sheets and data coding).IV. Analyze Phase (15 points)Describe the difference between correlation and causation.V. Improve Phase (15 points)Define Stretch goals. Provide a couple of examples.VI. Control Phase (10 points; each question is worth 5 points)Describe the theory and objectives of SPC, including measuring and monitoring process performance for both continuous and discrete data.Define and distinguish between common and special cause variation and how these conditions can be deduced from control chart analysis.