ICBB Flashcards

All 43 terms

Six Sigma

A data-driven methodology for reducing defects and variation in a process to improve quality.

Lean

An approach focused on maximising value and eliminating waste in a process.

DMAIC

The core improvement method: Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control.

Define

The first DMAIC phase: framing the problem, scope, customer needs and project charter; at Black Belt level, scoping and leading larger projects.

Measure

The DMAIC phase that maps the process and quantifies current performance with data.

Analyze

The DMAIC phase that identifies root causes; at Black Belt level it relies heavily on inferential statistics and hypothesis testing.

Improve

The DMAIC phase that develops, pilots and implements solutions; at Black Belt level it adds multiple regression and design of experiments.

Control

The DMAIC phase that sustains improvements with control plans and monitoring.

Project charter

A document that defines a project's problem, scope, goals, team and timeline.

Voice of the Customer (VoC)

The expressed needs and expectations of the customer that drive requirements.

Critical to Quality (CTQ)

The specific, measurable customer requirements a process or product must meet.

SIPOC

A high-level process map of Suppliers, Inputs, Process, Outputs and Customers.

Defect

Any output that fails to meet a customer requirement (a CTQ).

DPMO

Defects Per Million Opportunities: a standardised measure of defect rate.

Process capability (Cp, Cpk)

Indices that compare how well a process meets its specification limits.

Measurement System Analysis (MSA)

A check that the way data is measured is accurate and consistent.

Variation

The natural (common-cause) or special-cause spread in process outputs that Six Sigma works to reduce.

Descriptive statistics

Summaries of data such as the mean, median and standard deviation that describe a sample.

Inferential statistics

Methods that draw conclusions about a wider population from a sample, central to the Black Belt Analyze phase.

Hypothesis test

A statistical test used to decide whether a difference or effect is real or due to chance.

Null hypothesis

The default assumption of no difference or no effect that a test tries to disprove.

Alternative hypothesis

The claim that there is a real difference or effect, accepted only if the data are strong enough.

P-value

The probability of seeing the data (or more extreme) if the null hypothesis were true; small values suggest a real effect.

Alpha (significance level)

The threshold (often 0.05) below which a p-value is treated as statistically significant.

Type I error

Rejecting a true null hypothesis - a 'false alarm'.

Type II error

Failing to reject a false null hypothesis - a 'missed effect'.

Confidence interval

A range that is likely to contain the true value, expressing the uncertainty in an estimate.

Normal distribution

A symmetric, bell-shaped distribution that many statistical tests assume.

Non-normal data

Data that does not follow a normal distribution, requiring different tests or transformations - a Black Belt concern.

ANOVA

Analysis of Variance: a test for whether the means of three or more groups differ.

Correlation

A measure of how strongly two variables move together (not proof of causation).

Regression

A statistical method that models the relationship between variables.

Multiple regression

Regression that models an output from several input variables at once.

Design of Experiments (DOE)

A structured way to test several input factors at once to see how they affect the output.

Factor

An input variable that is deliberately changed in a design of experiments.

Fishbone diagram

A cause-and-effect (Ishikawa) diagram for brainstorming root causes.

Pareto chart

A bar chart ordering causes by frequency to find the vital few.

FMEA

Failure Mode and Effects Analysis: a method to anticipate and prioritise risks.

Poka-yoke

Mistake-proofing: designing a process so errors are hard or impossible to make.

Statistical Process Control (SPC)

Using control charts to monitor a process and detect unusual variation over time.

Control plan

A document setting out how the improved process will be monitored and maintained.

Kaizen

A philosophy and practice of continuous, incremental improvement.

Black Belt

A practitioner who leads larger improvement projects full-time, applies advanced statistics, and coaches Green Belts.