Intermediate Quality Control Interview Questions (2026 Guide) Part 2 of 3

In this article, we will cover important Intermediate Quality Control Interview Questions related to 7 QC Tools, Quality Management System (QMS), 5S, 8 Wastes, 3G, 3M, Poka-Yoke, Kaizen, Six Sigma, Root Cause Analysis, CAPA, 8D, and PPM. These questions will help freshers as well as experienced professionals prepare confidently for quality engineering and quality assurance interviews in manufacturing industries.

What are 7-QC Tools?

Check Sheet
Control Charts
Fishbone or Cause & Effect Diagram
Histogram
Parato Chart
Scatter Diagram
Statification

What is Quality Management System?

Quality: The degree of fineness of any product.
Management: Activities to direct and control any organisation.
System: Set of an interacting activities.

QMS: It is a set of interacting activities that direct and control an organisation with regards to quality of the product and services.

QMS is a structured collection of

Policies (Quality Policy, Environmental Policy, Safety Policy),
Procedures (for NPD, Marketing, Purchase, Recruitment, Rework),
Processes and there associated responsibilities.

After defining responsibilities of policies, procedures, and processes, we can apply for certification:

ISO 9001:2016
IATF 16949:2016 (Automotive Industry),

2016 means company follows their rules, parameters of standard up to 2016.

Then Audits- NCs- Clear NCs- Re-Audit-Get Certification

Advantages of Quality Management System (QMS)

QMS gives us a confidence and a positive image of the company in the market.
We can market our product globally.
QMS assigns the roles and responsibilities of each person and department.
QMS simplifies the system to take corrective and preventive action against defect.
It helps us to provide customer satisfaction.
Cut down the cost and reduce wastages.
QMS gives us clarity, how we can improve our system based on measured records.

Click Here For Quality Management System (QMS) Complete Guide 2026

What are 5S?

5S is a Japanese concept. It is a housekeeping system in order to achieve high level of quality, safety so that worker must have excellent working environment.

Sort (Seiri): Remove unnecessary items from the workplace. Keep only what is needed.
Set in Order (Seiton): Arrange tools and materials in a neat and organized way for easy access.
Shine Seiso: Arrange tools and materials in a neat and organized way for easy access.
Standardize (Seiketsu): Create standard procedures to maintain consistency in the first 3 steps.
Sustain (Shitsuke): Follow and maintain the standards continuously with discipline.

In simple words, 5S helps create a clean, organized, and efficient working environment, which directly improves quality and productivity.

Click Here For Complete Guide on 5s Methodogly.

What are 8 Wastes of Lean?

Extra processing,
Extra movement of men-power,
More inventory,
Over production,
Rework,
Transportation,
Waiting,
Untilized men-power

What are the 3Gs?

Gemba (Actual Place) : Go to the spot
Gembutsu (Actual Thing): See the actual problem
Genjitsu (Actual Fact/ Data): Take real data and facts about the problem.

1. Gemba (Actual Place)

Go to the real location where the problem occurred (shop floor, production line, site).

👉 Example: Visit the machine where defects are happening instead of analyzing from the office.

2. Gembutsu (Actual Thing)

Check the actual product, material, or equipment involved in the problem.
👉 Example: Inspect the defective part physically instead of relying only on reports.

3. Genjitsu (Actual Facts/Data)

Collect real data and facts about the problem.
👉 Example: Check defect records, measurements, and production data.

Why 3G is Important and its example?

Prevents assumptions and guesswork
Improves accuracy in root cause analysis
Helps make data-driven decisions
Supports tools like 8D, 5M, and Lean

If there is a defect in production:

Gemba → Go to the production line
Gembutsu → Examine the defective product
Genjitsu → Check actual data and measurements

What are 3M of Lean?

In Lean Manufacturing and Quality Management, Muda, Mura, and Muri are known as the 3M of Lean. They represent the main causes of inefficiency and poor productivity.

1. Muda (Waste)

Muda means activities that do not add value to the customer.

Examples of waste (8 wastes) include:

Overproduction
Waiting
Transportation
Extra processing
Inventory
Motion
Defects
Unused talent

Example: Producing more parts than required creates inventory waste.

2. Mura (Unevenness)

Mura means inconsistency or imbalance in production or workflow.

Examples:

Sudden increase in workload
Uneven production schedules
Irregular machine utilization

Example: One operator is overloaded while another is idle.

3. Muri (Overburden)

Muri means excessive stress or overloading of people, machines, or systems.

Examples:

Workers doing repetitive heavy tasks continuously
Machines running beyond capacity
Unrealistic production targets

Example: Running a machine continuously without maintenance causing breakdowns.

Reducing all three helps improve productivity, quality, safety, and efficiency in manufacturing processes.

What is POKA-YOKE?

Poka-Yoke is a Japanese quality concept that means “mistake-proofing” or “error prevention.”
It is used to design processes, tools, or systems in a way that prevents human errors or immediately detects mistakes before defects are produced.

Fool Proofing or Mistake proofing method in process so that no chance of defect occurs.

The main goal of Poka-Yoke is:

Prevent defects
Improve quality
Reduce rework and rejection
Increase process reliability

Examples of Poka-Yoke

USB can be inserted only in one direction
Car seatbelt warning alarm
SIM card tray fitting in only one position
Fixture that allows a part to be placed correctly only one way

Types of Poka-Yoke

1. Prevention Type

Stops the mistake from happening.
Example: Connector that fits only correctly.

2. Detection Type

Detects the mistake before the next process.
Example: Sensor detecting missing components.

Benefits of Poka-Yoke

Reduces human error
Improves product quality
Saves cost and time
Reduces customer complaints

What is Kaizen?

Kaizen is a Japanese term that means “continuous improvement.” or Kaizen is a Japanese concept, which means small changes in the system for betterment or continual improvement.

It is a quality and productivity improvement approach where small, ongoing changes are made to processes, machines, methods, or workplace practices to improve efficiency, quality, and safety.

Kaizen focuses on:

Eliminating waste
Improving productivity
Reducing defects
Saving time and cost
Involving employees in improvement activities

Example: If workers rearrange tools near the workstation to reduce walking time, it is considered a Kaizen improvement.

Benefits of Kaizen

Better quality
Higher productivity
Reduced waste
Improved safety
Employee engagement

What are the key responsibilities of a Quality Control Inspector?

What is the importance of documentation in QC?

Difference (Easy Table)

Feature	Nominal Size	Tolerance
Meaning	Basic size	Allowed variation
Purpose	Design reference	Manufacturing limit
Example	50 mm	±0.02 mm

What is PPM?

What is root cause analysis?

What is Fish Bone Diagram?

What is 5 Why Analysis?

What is Six Sigma?

What is ISO certification?

What are the 5Ms?

The 5M categories help you systematically analyze where a problem might come from:

1. Man (People)

Human-related factors:

Skill level
Training
Human error
Fatigue or lack of attention

👉 Example: Operator not properly trained

2. Machine (Equipment)

Equipment or tools used in the process:

Machine breakdown
Calibration issues
Maintenance problems

👉 Example: Machine not calibrated correctly

3. Material

Raw materials or components:

Poor quality material
Wrong specifications
Supplier issues

👉 Example: Defective raw material supplied

4. Method (Process)

The way the work is done:

Incorrect procedures
Poor process design
Lack of standardization

👉 Example: No standard operating procedure (SOP)

5. Measurement

Inspection and data-related issues:

Incorrect measuring tools
Wrong data collection
Calibration errors

👉 Example: Faulty measuring instrument

6. Mother Nature

Sometimes industries expand this to 6M by adding:

Mother Nature (Environment) → temperature, humidity, etc.

Why 5M is Important and its examples?

Helps find root causes systematically
Prevents missing important factors
Improves problem-solving accuracy
Supports tools like 8D, Six Sigma, and Lean

If a product defect occurs:

Check Man → Was the worker trained?
Check Machine → Is the machine working properly?
Check Material → Is the raw material good?
Check Method → Is the process correct?
Check Measurement → Are results measured accurately?

What is 8 Disciplines (8D)?

8 Disciplines are method for problem solving. Every “D” has its own significant importance.

D1 – Team Formation: We will define C.F.T. (Cross Functional Team) of people with the right knowledge and skills related to problem.

D2 – Problem Description: Clearly describe the issue using data:

What is wrong?
Where did it occur?
When did it happen?
How big is the impact?

D3 – Implement Interim Containment Action:

Take temporary actions to protect the customer from the problem (e.g., sorting defective products, 100% inspection at customer’s end).

D4 – Root Cause Analysis:

Find the real cause of the problem (not just symptoms) using tools like:

5 Whys,
Fishbone/ Ishikawa Diagram

D5 – Corrective Action on Root Cause: Decide on solutions that will permanently fix the root cause.

D6 – Validate the Corrective Action: We will verify the effectiveness of the corrective action which we have taken.

D7 – Implement Preventive Action: Update systems, procedures, or training so the issue does not happen again.

D8 – Team Recognition: Acknowledge the team’s effort and success in solving the problem.