Constructed Response Practice

1. CR-6. Training and Development

As a new quality manager of a small single facility manufacturing company, you have been asked
by the V.P of Operations to develop a continual improvement training program.
Describe the steps you will take to develop the training program and ensure its successful
delivery. Describe the challenges that must be overcome during implementation.
Answer must include 3 elements:
1. Steps to develop a training program
2. How to ensure the successful delivery of a training program
3. Describe the challenges when implementing a training program.
2. CR-3. Management
A larger competitor from another city has just bought out the midsize company you work for.
Although the takeover was friendly, dramatic improvements will be necessary to continue
operations at the current facility. The new president has asked you, the vice president for
quality, to summarize various approaches to continuous improvement and recommend the one
that will be most beneficial for the current environment.
Identify the approaches you would mention and describe how you would determine which is
best. List some potential benefits and pitfalls with each.
Answer must include 4 elements:
1. Identify more than one continuous improvement approach
2. How to determine best approach
3. List benefits of each approach
4. List potential pitfalls of each

3. CR-1. Leadership
As the new director of quality, you discover that no formal quality system exists and that typical
production yields are below 80 percent. You also discover that a key customer has elected to
take its business elsewhere because of continued product reliability problems. To make matters
worse, you have inherited a staff of two mechanical inspectors, and your predecessor did not
allocate any money in the budget for building the quality function.
Explain how you would proceed to solicit managements support for development of a quality
management system including staffing and capital requirements and expected return on
investment.
Answer must include 4 elements:
1. Steps to develop a more formal Quality Management System
2. Describe potential staffing needs
3. Describe potential capital requirements.
4. Describe expected return on investment.

Constructed Response Practice

4. CR-5. Supplier Management
One of your major clients has asked you, a quality management consultant, to assist in the
development of a supplier quality program.
Describe the activities and steps that should be included in setting up the program. Explain the
expected results and challenges to overcome during implementation.
Answer must include 3 elements:
1. Describe activities and steps to develop a supplier quality program
2. Explain the expected results of a supplier quality program
3. Explain the challenges that must be overcome.
5. CR-3. Management
Your company is developing and implementing a plant-wide information system. As the quality
manager, you are responsible for defining requirements for the quality information system
(QIS), a module of the plant-wide system.
What are the most important elements to consider when developing the QIS? What steps
should be taken to implement a QIS? Who should be on the implementation team and why?
Answer must include 4 elements
1. Important elements to consider when developing the QIS
2. Implementation Steps
3. Team members
4. Rationale for each team member
6. CR-4. Customer Focus
As a result of a strategic planning process, your organization has decided to conduct a mail
survey to determine customer satisfaction with the newest product. You have been assigned
primary responsibility for this activity.
Describe the sequence of activities you will undertake and the key considerations you will make
when developing and conducting the survey.
Answer must include 3 elements
1. Sequence of activities for a customer satisfaction survey
2. Key considerations for developing the survey
3. Key considerations for conducting the survey

Constructed Response Practice

7. CR-3. Management
A project team has been formed to analyze a recurrent problem with a critical process
parameter. As the leader of the task team, you are responsible for ensuring that an appropriate
approach is taken to evaluate and confirm the root cause of the problem.
Describe the steps you would take to determine root cause along with tools used at each step.
What next steps would you recommend once root cause is determined?
Answer must include 3 elements
1. Steps to determine root cause
2. Tools used
3. Next steps
Constructed Response Sections from CMQ/OE Body of Knowledge
CR-1. Leadership
Demonstrate knowledge of the quality manager's role in organizational leadership and as quality champion and
customer advocate. Deploy change agent strategies in support of organization-wide continuous improvement efforts.
Develop teams and participate on them in various roles.
CR-2. Strategy Development and Deployment
Develop and maintain organizational focus on the importance of quality and performance excellence. Create quality
policies and procedures in support of the strategic plan, and integrate those policies and processes into the tactics
developed to support the strategic plan.
CR-3. Management
Demonstrate management abilities in human resources, financial, risk, and knowledge management applications.
Use effective communication methods in various situations to support continuous improvement efforts. Select and
use appropriate tools and methodologies to plan, implement, and evaluate projects. Develop, deploy, and evaluate
quality plans that can be used throughout the organization. Evaluate and recommend appropriate quality models or
systems to implement in various situations.
CR-4. Customer Focus
Identify and segment customers using a variety of criteria and tools. Identify and prioritize product or service design
and development on the basis of customer requirements and feedback. Solicit customer input proactively and
combine with market analysis and other research to achieve organizational goals, etc. Use customer expectations
and feedback to manage continuous improvement projects.
CR-5. Supplier Management
Develop and implement supplier management systems from selection process through partnership agreements.
Identify methods for assessing supplier performance at various levels of customer-supplier relationships.
CR-6. Training and Development
Demonstrate knowledge and ability in developing, implementing, and evaluating needs assessment, training delivery
methods, and outcomes of training efforts.