Deck 8: Process Selection and Facility Layout

Question 1

There are three basic process types: input, processing, and output.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

A possible disadvantage of a product layout is an inflexible system.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

A job-shop processing system generally requires less-skilled workers than a continuous processing system.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

Information technology refers to competitive data.

Question 5

Flexible manufacturing systems bring the benefits of automation to continuous processes.

Question 6

The term "computer-aided manufacturing" refers primarily to the use of robotics in process control.

Question 7

Intermittent processing can take the form of batch processing or a job shop.

Question 8

Right-sized equipment tends to be larger than equipment used in traditional process layouts.

Question 9

As a general rule, continuous processing systems produce products with very little variety.

Question 10

A manufacturing cell allows the production of a wide range of very different products.

Question 11

Continuous production systems are typically very rigid and costly to change.

Question 12

Morale problems can be a reason for redesign of a facility layout.

Question 13

Product layouts can more easily adapt to variations in product requirements than process layouts can.

Question 14

Process layouts feature departments or other functional groupings of personnel or equipment.

Question 15

Product layouts typically achieve high utilization of labor and equipment.

Question 16

Continuous processing is the best way to produce customized output.

Question 17

In general, job-shop systems have a lower unit cost than continuous systems do because continuous systems use costly specialized equipment.

Question 18

Avoiding bottlenecks is the primary goal of product design.

Question 19

A cafeteria line would be an example of a process-focused layout.

Question 20

Repetitive processing systems repetitively rotate production through small batches of a variety of products.

Question 21

An idle percentage of zero means a line is perfectly balanced.

Question 22

Group technology is closely connected to cellular manufacturing.

Question 23

In some service industries, facility layout may influence sales volume and customer attitudes.

Question 24

Key aspects of the process selection challenge include _________ and __________.

A) information technology; marketing strategy
B) process flexibility; marketing strategy
C) capital intensity; process flexibility
D) marketing strategy; operations strategy
E) capacity planning; marketing strategy

Question 25

Accounting, purchasing, and inventory control are fairly routine with process layouts.

Question 26

The goal of line balancing is to assign tasks to workstations in such a way that the workstations have approximately equal time requirements.

Question 27

For a production line, daily capacity can be determined by dividing the daily operating time by the line's cycle time.

Question 28

The minimum number of workstations for a production line is determined in part by the desired output rate.

Question 29

Mismatches between operational capabilities and market demand can have a negative impact on an organization.

Question 30

The main issue in the design of process layouts concerns the relative positioning of the departments involved.

Question 31

An advantage of a U-shaped production line is that it facilitates teamwork and flexibility in work assignments.

Question 32

A process layout is more susceptible to shutdowns caused by equipment breakdowns than a product layout.

Question 33

Heuristic rules for line balancing will guarantee an optimal solution.

Question 34

Among the benefits claimed for cellular manufacturing are less material handling and reduced setup time.

Question 35

A disadvantage of a product layout can be high in-process inventory costs.

Question 36

In cellular manufacturing, machines and equipment are grouped by type (e.g., all grinders are grouped into a cell).

Question 37

Balance delay is another name for the percentage of idle time in a product layout.

Question 38

An optimal set of assignments for a production line cannot be obtained by assigning tasks to workstations in order of either: (1) the most following tasks;or (2) the sum of the task's time and the times of all following tasks.

Question 39

Balance delay is another name for the percentage of idle time in a process layout.

Question 40

The percentage of idle time in an assembly line is called cycle time.

Question 41

Job shops tend to be __________ while continuous processes tend to be __________.

A) in services; in manufacturing
B) short-term and capital intensive; long-term and labor intensive
C) small scale and flexible; large-scale and inflexible
D) standardized; customized
E) low cost-per-unit; high cost-per-unit

Question 42

Computer-integrated manufacturing integrates all of the following except ______________ with manufacturing.

A) consumer satisfaction surveys
B) engineering design
C) purchasing
D) production planning and control
E) order processing

Question 43

The substitution of machinery that has sensing and control devices for human labor is best described by the term:

A) automation.
B) feedback control.
C) computer-aided manufacturing.
D) computer-integrated manufacturing.
E) flexible manufacturing system.

Question 44

The advantages of automation include:

A) I and IV
B) II and III
C) I, II, and III
D) I and III
E) II and IV

Question 45

Process choice is _________ driven.

A) demand
B) operations
C) marketing
D) process
E) capacity

Question 46

As compared to rigid automation, the benefits of flexible manufacturing systems include:

A) reduced labor requirements.
B) higher efficiency.
C) larger batch sizes.
D) significantly lower fixed costs.
E) significantly lower variable costs.

Question 47

When new products or services are being planned, process selection occurs as a matter of course. Process selection also comes into play as a result of:

A) I only
B) II only
C) III only
D) I and II but not III
E) I, II, and III

Question 48

In which type of operation are you likely to see, at most, only minor variations in the product or service being produced using the same process and the same equipment?

A) a project
B) a job shop
C) repetitive production
D) batch processing
E) intermittent production

Question 49

Cellular layouts are associated with:

A) closeness ratings.
B) part families.
C) functional (or process) layouts.
D) assembly lines.
E) job shops.

Question 50

A group of machines including supervisory computer control, automatic material handling, and possibly robots is called:

A) computer-aided design.
B) a manufacturing cell.
C) computer-aided manufacturing.
D) computer-integrated manufacturing.
E) a flexible manufacturing system.

Question 51

Which of the following is not a process type commonly considered in making products or delivering services?

A) continuous
B) batch
C) repetitive
D) job shop
E) subcontracting

Question 52

The estimation of costs is generally most difficult when the ___________ process has been chosen.

A) project
B) repetitive
C) continuous
D) batch
E) job shop

Question 53

Computer-aided manufacturing refers to the use of computers in:

A) product design.
B) decision making.
C) data analysis.
D) quality control.
E) process control.

Question 54

In an environment in which demand is both substantial and stable, __________ technology tends to be the best choice.

A) batch production
B) fixed automation
C) project production
D) programmable automation
E) flexible automation

Question 55

The type of processing system which is used for highly standardized products is:

A) continuous.
B) intermittent.
C) project.
D) batch.
E) unit.

Question 56

The process of assigning tasks to workstations in such a way that the workstations have approximately equal time requirements is called:

A) fair employment practices.
B) idle time analysis.
C) line balancing.
D) cycle time optimization.
E) capacity cycling.

Question 57

Which type of processing system tends to produce the most product variety?

A) assembly
B) job shop
C) batch
D) continuous
E) mass customization

Question 58

The key questions in the process selection task are:

A) I and III
B) II and IV
C) II and III
D) I and IV
E) III and IV

Question 59

An operations strategy for process selection should recognize that:

A) process selection seldom requires technical expertise.
B) engineering "white elephants" are uncommon.
C) there is little need to manage technology.
D) flexibility is not always the best choice.
E) most technical skills can be contracted out to consultants.

Question 60

Common reasons for redesign of layouts include:

A) I and II
B) II and IV
C) I and III
D) II, III, and IV
E) I, II, III, and IV

Question 61

A production line is to be designed for a job with three tasks. The task times are .4 minutes, 1.2 minutes, and .5 minutes. The maximum cycle time in minutes is:

A) .4.
B) .5.
C) 1.2.
D) 2.1.
E) .7.

Question 62

Product profiling links key product or service requirements to:

A) market conditions.
B) order sizes.
C) pricing strategies.
D) schedule changes.
E) process capabilities.

Question 63

Which of the following is not a characteristic of layout decisions in system design?

A) substantial investment of both money and effort
B) long-term commitment
C) significant impact on short-term efficiency
D) usually well received by operative personnel
E) can affect supplier or customer processes

Question 64

Laser technology used in surgical procedures is an example of technological advances in:

A) product.
B) facility layout.
C) process.
D) information.
E) reverse engineering.

Question 65

In a product layout, the task of deciding how to assign work to specific stations is referred to as:

A) process balancing.
B) task allocation.
C) line balancing.
D) work allocation.
E) station balancing.

Question 66

The minimum possible cycle time in a typical product layout with no parallel activities is determined by the:

A) longest task time.
B) shortest task time.
C) average task time.
D) total task time.
E) per-unit setup time.

Question 67

Layout design has many objectives, one of which is:

A) reduce bottlenecks.
B) move materials and workers simultaneously.
C) use workers and space efficiently.
D) hold material handling costs to 27 percent or less.
E) install computer terminals every 500 feet.

Question 68

A production line is to be designed for a job with three tasks. The task times are .3 minutes, 1.4 minutes, and .7 minutes. For a single production line with no parallel activities, the minimum cycle time in minutes is:

A) .3.
B) .7.
C) 1.4.
D) 2.4.
E) .8.

Question 69

Daily capacity of a product layout is determined by:

A) cycle time divided by operating time.
B) operating time divided by cycle time.
C) operating time divided by total task time.
D) total task time divided by cycle time.
E) cycle time divided by total task time.

Question 70

An example of automated services is:

A) online banking.
B) build your own pizza.
C) haircuts.
D) massage parlors.
E) financial advising.

Question 71

Which one of the following is not considered an important factor in retail layout design?

A) cost minimization
B) traffic patterns and traffic flow
C) opportunity to influence customer attitudes
D) degree of contact with the customer
E) degree of customization

Question 72

Which of the following is not true about process layouts when they are compared to product layouts?

A) higher in-process inventories
B) lower span of supervision
C) lower rates of output
D) more involved cost accounting
E) lower unit costs

Question 73

The type of layout which features departments or other functional groupings in which similar activities are performed is:

A) process.
B) product.
C) fixed-position.
D) mass.
E) unit.

Question 74

In which type of processing system would gasoline be produced from crude oil?

A) job shop
B) batch
C) assembly
D) continuous
E) project

Question 75

The grouping of equipment by the operations needed to perform similar work for part families is:

A) product layout.
B) cellular manufacturing layout.
C) functional layout.
D) fixed-position layout.
E) process layout.

Question 76

The type of layout in which workers, materials, and equipment are moved to the product as needed is:

A) process.
B) product.
C) fixed-position.
D) batch.
E) mass.

Question 77

Which term is most closely associated with cellular manufacturing?

A) part families
B) assembly line
C) robotics
D) CAD
E) CAM

Question 78

Which phrase most closely describes flexible manufacturing systems?

A) a variation of CAD
B) a more fully automated version of cellular manufacturing
C) manufacturing resource planning
D) a process layout with a manufacturing overlay
E) an approach that allows workers to begin work at a time of their choosing

Question 79

Which one of the following is not common to product layouts?

A) a high rate of output
B) specialization of labor
C) low unit costs
D) ability to adjust to changes in demand
E) special-purpose technology

Question 80

A service organization such as a hospital is likely to use a(n) ________ layout because of variability in customer processing requirements.

A) project
B) process
C) flow
D) assembly
E) nonrepetitive