Must Read Six Sigma Interview Questions & Answers [For Freshers & Experienced]

Consider this, you have been working in the sector of Quality management for quite a lot of time, and you feel stagnated. You are unable to get a raise, and the prospect of changing jobs is very daunting. You think by gaining a new skill, you will be able to write in on your resume, and with that, you will be able to get the raise you have been wanting for a long time now. Upon a quick google search, you stumble upon Six Sigma.

You learn the ins and outs of Six sigma, hoping that you will see the change you have been wanting just by virtue of it being present on your resume. Unfortunately, the new role comes with an interview, and for that, you feel you are underprepared because of which you are on edge, and everything is getting on your nerves.

You don’t know that this unease feeling that has been building inside of you is completely normal. You are not the first person who is scared of being interviewed. No matter how experienced one is, or how confident one is on their abilities, interviews have a tendency of getting better of us. Adding to an already nerve-wracking process of the interview is the fact that you have just amassed a new skill. A skill in which you are entirely unaware of the kind of questions that could be asked from you. 

Don’t worry! To help you out, we have prepared a comprehensive list of six sigma interview questions that you should go through before your interview and ideally during your preparation phase. To get the most out of these six sigma interview questions, you should try to answer them first on your own and then see the answers. This process alone should give you an accurate glimpse of where you stand and what areas you need to focus on more than the rest of the topics covered in these questions and answers. 

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Six Sigma Interview Questions & Answers

Q1. What exactly is six sigma?

Ans. As the name might suggest, six sigma is a set of methods that can be employed to improve any process’s overall performance. Six Sigma employs strategies to enhance the overall process of which this set of techniques is being used by merely finding the defects which are there and removing them. Six sigma also is responsible for removing the impact which various variables in a process will have on its final outcome.

The tools that are inside the Six Sigma toolkit are mainly empirical. The methods primarily focus on statistics to create a unique team within the organization, which happens to be experts in the fields mentioned above. Each step that is taken in applying Six Sigma in any organization is very well defined. Each of these steps has a well-defined target, which this technique is aiming to change.

Usually, the steps involved in any six sigma process range from reduction in the cycle time of the procedure, drop in the overall pollution which is caused by the process, reduction in both the operation cost and money spent elsewhere, improvement in the overall satisfaction of any customer and in the end improve the overall profit margin for the organization which is putting this method to use. 

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Q2. What are all variations present in the process of six sigma?

Ans. There are usually four variations which are present in the process of six sigma; all of them are mentioned below:

1. Mean: This variation is used for only select applications, and it is mainly used to calculate values. The values or interpretations measured using this method are then compared with the average of the entire range of values, which are present with basic statistical mathematics.

2. Median: This process identifies the min and the max value in the given range of values. Once we have the min and the max values with us, we simply divide them by two. In this method, all the variations which are present in the data are then compared with the midpoint value of the given data range.

3. Range: This method depends on the max and the min values which present in the given data.

4. Mode: It represents the value that is found the most in the given set of values.

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Q3. What are the key differences between the two techniques used in the Six Sigma, which are named as DMAIC and DMADV?

Ans. The DMAIC methods follow the following principle:

1. D stands for defining the system. In this step, we set up the customer base, which we have to tackle. This also the place where we set the goals of our projects.

2. M Stands for Measure. In this Step, we are supposed to gather all the relevant data and calculate the process capability.

3. A stands for Analysis. In this step, we have to perform a further investigation to determine the cause and its relationship with the effect. We also have to find out all the relationships in order actually to find the root cause and irradicate its existence. 

4. I stand for Improvement (or Improve to be precise). We have to improve the process that we started out with and optimize it in the process. We are supposed to use all sorts of advanced techniques, such as data analysis and statistical learning. Our main goal through this exercise is to actually improve the designs of the equipment, which is used in the process, and we also have to ensure that we make the process future error proof.

5. C stands for control. We are supposed to control the process to make sure that there are no deviations that would lead us astray from the target are present. We have complete control over the process, and we are supposed to implement control systems that would do this task of controlling the process for us. We can use things like statistical process monitor, Control systems, monitors that measure the changes in real-time, etc. which would control the process.

Whereas the DMADV method has five phases, which are listed below:

1. D defines the goals of design, which should be in line with what the customer demands. 

2. M is to measure and find out the CTQs ( CTQs means the things which are Critical To Quality). We also have to measure the process’s capabilities, how much the process can produce, and we also have to calculate the risk factor, which is associated with any process. 

3. A is to Analyse. The analysis that we do in this step is to find the alternatives to the design we already have installed in the process.

4. D is to design. We are supposed to design an alternative that is good and improved from the ones we have already installed. This design should be in line with the analysis, which we did in the step before this one.

5. V is to Verify. We are supposed to verify the design, which we made in the step prior. We can do so by setting up test runs, implementing the process, and letting the process run the rightful owner of the process.

Q4. What do you mean by the load testing process?

Ans. The answer to these six sigma interview questions is as follows. The testing of load process or load testing process is when all the load of the process is transferred on a software or computing solution, and based on how it performs, we change specific parameters. We are supposed to measure how well this computing solution performs. 

Q5. Let us say we needed to perform a load test and performance test. How would you differentiate between the two?

Ans. When we use the term performance test, we mean that it is a particular type of software testing type. The testing which we do in this method is done on specific performance metrics such as reactivity, sensitivity, and, most importantly, stability under particular workload conditions. 

While when we perform the load test, we just put the software we want to use and feed it with what we want and just measure its performance.

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Q6. What do you think are the three key elements which can improve the process of six sigma drastically?

Ans. You should be able to answer this question with ease if by now, after reading all the six sigma interview questions. The three central elements which are crucial for any six sigma process to actually make a sizeable impact on the process itself for which it is used are customers which the process is supposed to be targeting, the process itself on which the six sigma method is being used, and thirdly the employees. They could make all of this a grand success.

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What Next?

If you are curious to learn about data science, check out IIIT-B & upGrad’s PG Diploma in Data Science which is created for working professionals and offers 10+ case studies & projects, practical hands-on workshops, mentorship with industry experts, 1-on-1 with industry mentors, 400+ hours of learning and job assistance with top firms.