BUS4101 Quality Management
Midterm Exam Review (Qns & Ans)
2025
Question 1:
Case Study: A manufacturing firm has recently overhauled its
operations by implementing Total Quality Management (TQM).
The company’s leadership has set a vision that emphasizes
customer satisfaction, continuous improvement, and employee
involvement across all plant operations.
Question: Which of the following elements is considered a
cornerstone of TQM?
A. Strict hierarchical control
B. Emphasis on short‑term cost cutting
C. Continuous improvement culture involving all employees
D. Outsourcing quality control functions entirely
©2025
, Correct ANS: C. Continuous improvement culture involving
all employees
Rationale: TQM relies on engaging all employees in
continuous improvement and quality enhancement processes and
emphasizes long-term customer satisfaction and process
improvement, rather than short‑term fixes or hierarchical control.
---
Question 2:
Case Study: A service company uses Six Sigma to reduce
process variation and defects in its service delivery. The team
follows the DMAIC process (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve,
Control) during a quality improvement project.
Question: In the DMAIC framework, which phase is primarily
concerned with identifying the root causes of defects?
A. Define
B. Measure
C. Analyze
D. Control
Correct ANS: C. Analyze
©2025
, Rationale: The Analyze phase of DMAIC focuses on exploring
process data to identify root causes of variations and defects. This
phase is essential to understand which factors contribute to poor
quality before designing improvements.
---
Question 3:
Case Study: A retail corporation introduces Lean principles to
improve efficiency and eliminate waste. As part of this initiative,
the company maps its value streams and identifies areas for waste
elimination.
Question: Which of the following wastes is NOT typically
targeted by Lean methodologies?
A. Overproduction
B. Waiting Time
C. Extra Inventory
D. Employee empowerment
Correct ANS: D. Employee empowerment
Rationale: Lean focuses on eliminating wastes such as
overproduction, waiting, transportation, overprocessing,
inventory, motion, and defects. Employee empowerment is a
positive quality and not considered “waste.”
©2025
, ---
Question 4:
Case Study: A multinational organization has implemented ISO
9001 as part of its quality management system. This standard
aims to ensure that products and services consistently meet
customer requirements.
Question: What is a primary benefit of an ISO 9001
certification?
A. It guarantees zero defects in production
B. It provides a framework for continuous improvement and
customer satisfaction
C. It reduces the need for employee training
D. It automatically improves market share
Correct ANS: B. It provides a framework for continuous
improvement and customer satisfaction
Rationale: ISO 9001 certification ensures that organizations
establish a systematic quality management system focused on
continual improvement and meeting customer expectations. It
does not guarantee perfection, nor does it directly manage market
share.
©2025
Midterm Exam Review (Qns & Ans)
2025
Question 1:
Case Study: A manufacturing firm has recently overhauled its
operations by implementing Total Quality Management (TQM).
The company’s leadership has set a vision that emphasizes
customer satisfaction, continuous improvement, and employee
involvement across all plant operations.
Question: Which of the following elements is considered a
cornerstone of TQM?
A. Strict hierarchical control
B. Emphasis on short‑term cost cutting
C. Continuous improvement culture involving all employees
D. Outsourcing quality control functions entirely
©2025
, Correct ANS: C. Continuous improvement culture involving
all employees
Rationale: TQM relies on engaging all employees in
continuous improvement and quality enhancement processes and
emphasizes long-term customer satisfaction and process
improvement, rather than short‑term fixes or hierarchical control.
---
Question 2:
Case Study: A service company uses Six Sigma to reduce
process variation and defects in its service delivery. The team
follows the DMAIC process (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve,
Control) during a quality improvement project.
Question: In the DMAIC framework, which phase is primarily
concerned with identifying the root causes of defects?
A. Define
B. Measure
C. Analyze
D. Control
Correct ANS: C. Analyze
©2025
, Rationale: The Analyze phase of DMAIC focuses on exploring
process data to identify root causes of variations and defects. This
phase is essential to understand which factors contribute to poor
quality before designing improvements.
---
Question 3:
Case Study: A retail corporation introduces Lean principles to
improve efficiency and eliminate waste. As part of this initiative,
the company maps its value streams and identifies areas for waste
elimination.
Question: Which of the following wastes is NOT typically
targeted by Lean methodologies?
A. Overproduction
B. Waiting Time
C. Extra Inventory
D. Employee empowerment
Correct ANS: D. Employee empowerment
Rationale: Lean focuses on eliminating wastes such as
overproduction, waiting, transportation, overprocessing,
inventory, motion, and defects. Employee empowerment is a
positive quality and not considered “waste.”
©2025
, ---
Question 4:
Case Study: A multinational organization has implemented ISO
9001 as part of its quality management system. This standard
aims to ensure that products and services consistently meet
customer requirements.
Question: What is a primary benefit of an ISO 9001
certification?
A. It guarantees zero defects in production
B. It provides a framework for continuous improvement and
customer satisfaction
C. It reduces the need for employee training
D. It automatically improves market share
Correct ANS: B. It provides a framework for continuous
improvement and customer satisfaction
Rationale: ISO 9001 certification ensures that organizations
establish a systematic quality management system focused on
continual improvement and meeting customer expectations. It
does not guarantee perfection, nor does it directly manage market
share.
©2025
