Solutions Manual for
Introduction to
Statistical Quality
Control, Enhanced
eText, 8e Montgomery
(All Chapters)
,Chapter 1 – Quality Improvement in the Modern Business
Environment
1.4S. Can an understanding of the multidimensional nature of quality lead to improved product design or
better service?
Quality is often evaluated in terms of one or more desirable characteristics that a product or service
should have; these are also referred to as the “dimensions of quality.” Understanding customer
expectations across all dimensions enables organizations to design products and services that customers
will perceive as “high quality” and desirable. Recognizing the relative importance of these dimensions also
allows organizations to prioritize investments in quality improvements to maximize growth and
competitiveness.
Your answer could differ based on your experience. You should recognize that customers can have multiple
requirements and focusing on a single dimension decreases competitiveness.
1.6S. What is the Juran Trilogy?
Dr. Joseph Juran proposed a quality management philosophy focused on three components: planning,
control, and improvement. Planning involves identifying external customers and their needs, and
designing products or services that meet these needs. Control is employed to ensure that the product (or
service) produced (delivered) meets requirements. Improvement aims to achieve performance and
quality levels that are higher than current levels.
1.9S. Who was Walter A. Shewhart?
Walter A. Shewhart is often called the father of modern quality control. In 1924, he introduced the concept
of the statistical control chart in a Bell Laboratories memorandum. In 1931 Dr. Shewhart published the
seminal “Economic Control of Quality of Manufactured Product” outlining statistical methods for use in
production and control chart methods.
Chapter 1 Student Solutions 1-1
,1.13S. What would motivate a business to compete for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award?
While the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award recognizes national role model practices across
multiple criteria, organizations use both internal and external assessments to understand current
performance levels, to identify gaps in organizational excellence, and to guide opportunities for
improvement. The Baldrige Excellence Framework encourages a systems perspective to reach goals,
improve results, and become more competitive. An organization could be motivated by many factors – for
example evolving customer requirements and expectations, a changing competitive environment, or
current performance results – with a focus on achieving ongoing success. Many organizations say that the
Baldrige evaluation process is one of the best, most cost-effective and comprehensive performance
assessments they can find, whether or not they receive the Baldrige Award1.
Your answer could differ based on your experience. You should recognize that the Baldrige Award
encompasses more than just product or service quality.
1. Baldrige Performance Excellence Program. 2017. 2017–2018 Baldrige Excellence Framework: A Systems Approach to Improving Your
Organization's Performance. Gaithersburg, MD: U.S. Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology.
https://www.nist.gov/baldrige
1.18S. How can lean and Six Sigma work together to eliminate waste?
Organizations experience many types of waste, including unnecessary transportation of material, excessive
inventory (both work in process and finished goods), waiting, overproduction (more than the customer or
downstream operation needs), and defects (leading to both rework and scrap). Traditional Six Sigma
DMAIC methods are aimed at eliminating defects and reducing variability at value-add operations and
address the waste of defects. Lean methods are typically used to tackle the waste between value-add
operations – reducing waste such as transportation, inventory, waiting, and overproduction.
Your answer could differ based on your experience. You should recognize that an organization does not
have to adopt either lean OR Six Sigma; there is a role for each methodology and often they overlap.
Chapter 1 Student Solutions 1-2
, Chapter 2 – The DMAIC Process
2.2S. What role does risk play in project selection and the Define step of DMAIC?
Common risks in project selection include a focus on projects driven by current problems (not based on
strategic business objectives), project scope (too large) and business impact (too narrow). In the Define
step of the DMAIC process, anticipating risks such as resource availability, schedule restrictions, technology
limitations, organizational readiness (and culture), and other factors allows for pro-active planning and
escalation (if needed).
Your answer could differ based on your experience. You should recognize that risks can arise from many
sources and may have varying impacts on project success.
2.6S. Explain the importance of tollgates in the DMAIC process.
At a tollgate, a project team presents its work to managers and “owners” of the process. In a six-sigma
organization, the tollgate participants also would include the project champion, master black belts, and
other black belts not working directly on the project. At a tollgate, a project is reviewed to ensure that it is
currently on track; tollgates also provide a continuing opportunity to evaluate whether the team can
successfully complete the project on schedule. Many organizations define specific deliverables that must
be completed in order to move to the next project step. For example, a Define tollgate may require a
project charter, identification of critical customer requirements, and a high-level process map such as a
SIPOC diagram.
Tollgates also present an opportunity to provide direction regarding the use of specific technical tools and
other information about the problem. Organizational problems and other barriers to success—and
strategies for dealing with them—also often are identified during tollgate reviews. Tollgates are critical to
the overall problem-solving process; it is important that these reviews be conducted very soon after the
team completes each step.
Chapter 2 Student Solutions 2-1
Introduction to
Statistical Quality
Control, Enhanced
eText, 8e Montgomery
(All Chapters)
,Chapter 1 – Quality Improvement in the Modern Business
Environment
1.4S. Can an understanding of the multidimensional nature of quality lead to improved product design or
better service?
Quality is often evaluated in terms of one or more desirable characteristics that a product or service
should have; these are also referred to as the “dimensions of quality.” Understanding customer
expectations across all dimensions enables organizations to design products and services that customers
will perceive as “high quality” and desirable. Recognizing the relative importance of these dimensions also
allows organizations to prioritize investments in quality improvements to maximize growth and
competitiveness.
Your answer could differ based on your experience. You should recognize that customers can have multiple
requirements and focusing on a single dimension decreases competitiveness.
1.6S. What is the Juran Trilogy?
Dr. Joseph Juran proposed a quality management philosophy focused on three components: planning,
control, and improvement. Planning involves identifying external customers and their needs, and
designing products or services that meet these needs. Control is employed to ensure that the product (or
service) produced (delivered) meets requirements. Improvement aims to achieve performance and
quality levels that are higher than current levels.
1.9S. Who was Walter A. Shewhart?
Walter A. Shewhart is often called the father of modern quality control. In 1924, he introduced the concept
of the statistical control chart in a Bell Laboratories memorandum. In 1931 Dr. Shewhart published the
seminal “Economic Control of Quality of Manufactured Product” outlining statistical methods for use in
production and control chart methods.
Chapter 1 Student Solutions 1-1
,1.13S. What would motivate a business to compete for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award?
While the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award recognizes national role model practices across
multiple criteria, organizations use both internal and external assessments to understand current
performance levels, to identify gaps in organizational excellence, and to guide opportunities for
improvement. The Baldrige Excellence Framework encourages a systems perspective to reach goals,
improve results, and become more competitive. An organization could be motivated by many factors – for
example evolving customer requirements and expectations, a changing competitive environment, or
current performance results – with a focus on achieving ongoing success. Many organizations say that the
Baldrige evaluation process is one of the best, most cost-effective and comprehensive performance
assessments they can find, whether or not they receive the Baldrige Award1.
Your answer could differ based on your experience. You should recognize that the Baldrige Award
encompasses more than just product or service quality.
1. Baldrige Performance Excellence Program. 2017. 2017–2018 Baldrige Excellence Framework: A Systems Approach to Improving Your
Organization's Performance. Gaithersburg, MD: U.S. Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology.
https://www.nist.gov/baldrige
1.18S. How can lean and Six Sigma work together to eliminate waste?
Organizations experience many types of waste, including unnecessary transportation of material, excessive
inventory (both work in process and finished goods), waiting, overproduction (more than the customer or
downstream operation needs), and defects (leading to both rework and scrap). Traditional Six Sigma
DMAIC methods are aimed at eliminating defects and reducing variability at value-add operations and
address the waste of defects. Lean methods are typically used to tackle the waste between value-add
operations – reducing waste such as transportation, inventory, waiting, and overproduction.
Your answer could differ based on your experience. You should recognize that an organization does not
have to adopt either lean OR Six Sigma; there is a role for each methodology and often they overlap.
Chapter 1 Student Solutions 1-2
, Chapter 2 – The DMAIC Process
2.2S. What role does risk play in project selection and the Define step of DMAIC?
Common risks in project selection include a focus on projects driven by current problems (not based on
strategic business objectives), project scope (too large) and business impact (too narrow). In the Define
step of the DMAIC process, anticipating risks such as resource availability, schedule restrictions, technology
limitations, organizational readiness (and culture), and other factors allows for pro-active planning and
escalation (if needed).
Your answer could differ based on your experience. You should recognize that risks can arise from many
sources and may have varying impacts on project success.
2.6S. Explain the importance of tollgates in the DMAIC process.
At a tollgate, a project team presents its work to managers and “owners” of the process. In a six-sigma
organization, the tollgate participants also would include the project champion, master black belts, and
other black belts not working directly on the project. At a tollgate, a project is reviewed to ensure that it is
currently on track; tollgates also provide a continuing opportunity to evaluate whether the team can
successfully complete the project on schedule. Many organizations define specific deliverables that must
be completed in order to move to the next project step. For example, a Define tollgate may require a
project charter, identification of critical customer requirements, and a high-level process map such as a
SIPOC diagram.
Tollgates also present an opportunity to provide direction regarding the use of specific technical tools and
other information about the problem. Organizational problems and other barriers to success—and
strategies for dealing with them—also often are identified during tollgate reviews. Tollgates are critical to
the overall problem-solving process; it is important that these reviews be conducted very soon after the
team completes each step.
Chapter 2 Student Solutions 2-1
