Performance Improvement Tools

Question 1

List the characteristics of lean manufacturing

Answer 1

Flexible equipment, low setup times, and highly-skilled labor.

Question 2

Describe the lean manufacturing process.

Answer 2

Making small batches of a high variety of unique products usually with automated or otherwise sophisticated machinery and highly skilled labor (usually cross-trained).

Question 3

Describe the five phases of the Six Sigma DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve and Control) project methodology.

Answer 3

(1) Define customers and their requirements; (2) measure defects and other items related to quality; (3) analyze to determine root cause of failures and the sources of variation; (4) improve through experimentation; and (5) control results using TQM statistical process control tools (e.g., control charts).

Question 4

Describe demand flow technology (DFT).

Answer 4

Uses mathematical methods to link materials, time, and resources based on continuous flow planning. The objective is to link process flows and manage those flows based on customer demand.

Question 5

Define “Six Sigma.”

Answer 5

Six Sigma is a quality improvement approach that is designed to systematically reduce defects. Six Sigma is also a fact-based method to achieve cost reduction.

Question 6

Describe the Theory of Constraints (TOC).

Answer 6

TOC identifies strategies to maximize income when the organization is faced with bottleneck operations. A bottleneck operation occurs when the work to be performed exceeds the capacity of the production facilities.