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

2.     Process improvement activities typically include:

3.     The standard deviation is:

4.     Process average or mean:

5.     Which of the following are principles of Statistical Thinking?

6.     What is tool that can be used to detect the structure variation?

7.     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?

8.     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?

9.     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?

10.  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:

11.  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?

12.  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?

13.  The Hidden Factory is:

14.  Service processes are different from manufacturing processes in that:

15.  Process measurements are:

16.  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

17.  We measure, monitor and improve process cycle time because:

18.  The primary goal of process mapping is to:

19.  Viewing a business as a system is important because:

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

21.  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?

22.  We learned in Chapter 2 that most processes are dynamic in nature, and therefore the time dimension is often a critical consideration in process improvement. For which of the case studies in Chapter 4 was plotting data over time NOT critical to success?

23.  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?

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

25.  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?