Deck 4: Process Selection

Question 1

The throughput ratio (TR)is the ratio of the total processing time for the job divided by

A) total waiting time.
B) utilization.
C) total waiting time plus total processing time.
D) 100.

Answer 1

total waiting time plus total processing time.

Question 2

Service level and capacity utilization are performance measures of a _____ process.

A) make-to-stock
B) make-to-order
C) assemble-to-order
D) All of the above are true.

Answer 2

make-to-stock

Question 3

A large office with a printing department,a drafting department with all of the engineers located together,and all of the managers located together in a large suite of offices is an example of

A) an assembly line process.
B) a batch process.
C) a project process.
D) a continuous process.

Answer 3

a batch process.

Question 4

The type of processing system that is used for complex jobs with a unique or creative set of activities and where automation is virtually impossible is

A) mass production.
B) continuous production.
C) project.
D) batch.

Question 5

An example of a business/industry that uses batch flow and makes to stock is

A) oil refining.
B) machine shop.
C) customized paintings.
D) hospital.

Question 6

Mass customization makes use of the concept of

A) economies of scale.
B) economies of scope.
C) economies of variety.
D) economies of customization.

Question 7

Batch flow production systems have a number of characteristics.Which of the following is typically NOT a characteristic of batch flow production systems?

A) Low throughput volume.
B) Greater ability to customize products or services.
C) Throughput ratios (TR) commonly exceeding 70%.
D) Lower investment in raw materials and finished goods inventory than an assembly line.

Question 8

The type of processing system that is used for highly standardized products such as oil and gasoline is

A) mass production.
B) continuous process.
C) project.
D) batch.

Question 9

Mass customization is defined as

A) producing whatever the customer wants.
B) making a small variety of products by use of mass production.
C) producing a large variety of products at approximately the same cost as mass production.
D) customizing products using economies of scale.

Question 10

An example of an industry that produces a few major discrete products and uses a product layout is

A) commercial printer.
B) heavy equipment.
C) automotive assembly.
D) sugar refinery.

Question 11

An important lesson from the product-process matrix is

A) give importance to product choice decisions over process choice decisions.
B) give importance to process choice decisions over product choice decisions.
C) give importance to aligning product choice decisions and process choice decisions.
D) most firms should operate off the diagonal to achieve competitive status.

Question 12

Which of the following are the three forms of mass customization?

A) Modular production, postponement, and efficient customer response.
B) Fast changeover, modular production, and make-to-stock.
C) Modular production, postponement, and fast changeover.
D) Assemble-to-order, modular production, and value analysis.

Question 13

Which of the following is among the factors that influence process selection?

A) Capital requirements
B) Labor
C) Technology
D) All of the above

Question 14

The type of processing system that has high product variety and moderate capital investment is

A) line.
B) continuous production.
C) project.
D) batch.
E) mass production.

Question 15

Referring to the product-process matrix,if a company has a few major products with high demand and a jumbled flow (job shop)process,we know the company

A) has a company strategy.
B) is on the diagonal of the matrix.
C) is further in its product life cycle than its process life cycle.
D) is further in its process life cycle than its product life cycle.

Question 16

Process efficiency is usually highest in which type of process?

A) Assembly line
B) Batch
C) Project
D) Job shop

Question 17

Assembly lines have a number of characteristics.Which of the following is typically NOT a characteristic of assembly lines?

A) Low flexibility concerning design and volume changes.
B) High volume (output) levels.
C) Use of general-purpose equipment.
D) Low per-unit manufacturing cost.

Question 18

Assembly lines have a number of characteristics.Which of the following is typically NOT a characteristic of assembly lines?

A) Narrow range of labor skill (low skill) requirements for an individual.
B) Highly standardized designs.
C) High equipment utilization and efficiency rates.
D) Variable-path work flows.

Question 19

A _____ operation uses a process layout,while a ______ operation uses a product layout.

A) batch, assembly line
B) assembly line, batch
C) job shop, batch
D) continuous, assembly line

Question 20

Which of the following is NOT one of the five classifications of process flows or forms?

A) Batch
B) Project
C) Variable
D) Continuous

Question 21

A neighborhood hardware store mixes a gallon of paint to match a customer's color choice while the customer waits.This is which form of mass customization?

A) Modular production
B) Fast changeover
C) Postponement
D) Additive manufacturing

Question 22

Batch flow production systems have a number of characteristics.Which of the following is typically NOT a characteristic of batch flow production systems?

A) Facility layout organized into work centers.
B) Variable-path work flows.
C) High skill labor requirements.
D) Special-purpose equipment.

Question 23

Which process best aligns with 3-D printing capability?

A) Continuous flow
B) Assembly line
C) Batch processing
D) Job shop

Question 24

An organization's process strategy must be linked with product plans and management's competitive priorities.Which company below is most likely to choose a batch flow production system?

A) Company 1: manufactures standardized products with an emphasis on high product quality.
B) Company 2: manufactures high-volume products with an emphasis on low cost per unit.
C) Company 3: manufactures customized products with an emphasis on flexible product designs.
D) Company 4: manufactures commodity products with an emphasis on short and reliable delivery schedules.

Question 25

A company invests in water purification equipment that adds a step to its manufacturing process.This would be considered

A) pollution prevention.
B) pollution control.
C) pollution practices.
D) none of the above.

Question 26

Which of these factors should a company consider while deciding on a certain process choice?

A) Capital requirements, labor, technology, and market conditions.
B) Capital requirements, leadership skills, technology, and labor.
C) Technology, capital requirements, leadership skills, and market conditions.
D) Labor, raw material availability, market conditions, and capital requirements.

Question 27

The focus of the factory may take shape around several dimensions.Which of the following is NOT a dimension for focusing operations?

A) Process type
B) Volume of sales
C) Technology
D) Capacity

Question 28

Which of the following statements concerning make-to-order (MTO)is correct?

A) MTO eliminates the need for materials inventory.
B) MTO can include production of standardized products.
C) MTO orders are specified by the producer and stocked accordingly.
D) MTO performance is best measured by cost per item.

Question 29

A machine shop is able to produce a bracket with a wide variety of hole sizes using a computer-controlled drill that quickly rotates the proper drill bit into place to meet the customer order.This is which form of mass customization?

A) Modular production
B) Fast changeover
C) Postponement
D) None of the above

Question 30

Which of the following items is least suited for 3-D printing?

A) Replacement automotive side mirror housing.
B) Preliminary design of a new office building.
C) Leg brace for a growing child.
D) Plastic logo key chain fobs for a national sales promotion.

Question 31

The project form of operations has several common characteristics.Which of the following is typically NOT a characteristic of projects?

A) High skill labor requirements.
B) Easy ability to automate tasks.
C) An interdependent sequence of tasks.
D) Typical high costs of production.

Question 32

Which of the following would NOT be considered an advantage of 3-D printing?

A) It allows distributed manufacturing.
B) It allows production of items with hard-to-produce dimensional characteristics.
C) It is expected to quickly replace traditional manufacturing.
D) It is expected to come down in price.

Question 33

A company produces a variety of cast cement bird baths and outdoor sculptures and sells them to garden store retailers.This company most likely uses

A) job-shop process.
B) batch process.
C) assembly line process.
D) none of the above.

Question 34

Which of the following is most important when designing a new production process?

A) Pollution prevention
B) Pollution control
C) Pollution practices
D) All three are equally important

Question 35

A "focused factory" refers to

A) business process reengineering.
B) serving one mission or one order winner.
C) cost leadership, differentiation, and innovation.
D) lean production and process model of operations strategies.

Question 36

Which of the following is NOT a primary factor influencing process choice?

A) The availability of outsourced production.
B) Projected demand levels.
C) Rate of product innovation.
D) The nature of the labor force available.

Question 37

Which of the following is the most important role of marketing in the process selection decision?

A) Identifying points of differentiation for mass customization.
B) Stimulating demand in developing markets.
C) Providing translation of the voice of the customer.
D) Estimating and managing future demand.

Question 38

Make-to-stock (MTS)and make-to-order (MTO)choices each offer relative advantages and disadvantages.Which of the following statements is true?

A) MTO typically allows faster customer order response times.
B) MTS typically results in higher production system costs.
C) MTO typically allows for higher flexibility in product design offeringsD. MTO builds to replenish system inventories, rather than to customer orders.

Question 39

Continuous processes and assembly lines are very efficient but have little flexibility.

Question 40

Which of the following statements about the evolution of production process and product life cycles is FALSE?

A) The process evolution typically begins with a jumbled flow job-shop process and proceeds towards increasing product standardization, process mechanization, and automation.
B) Examining the interrelationship between product and process life cycles facilitates the understanding of the strategic operations options available to a company.
C) Companies may seek a certain position on the product-process matrix to achieve a competitive advantage and a market niche.
D) Companies that can move the furthest off the product-process matrix diagonal are the most successful.

Question 41

The key performance measure of a make-to-order process is the lead time.

Question 42

Mass customization uses a make-to-stock process.

Question 43

In a make-to-stock operation,the order penetration point is after fabrication and before final assembly.

Question 44

Mixing a variety of products with different volumes and different levels of standardization leads to a lack of focus.

Question 45

What are the three areas of process selection decisions that affect environmental impact?

Question 46

What are the major cross-functional issues related to process selection decisions?

Question 47

In a batch operation,each product must have the same flow path and must pass through all of the same work centers.

Question 48

An assembly line process requires high labor skills and high pay.

Question 49

Job shop operations typically use special-purpose equipment.

Question 50

Apply the concepts of plant-within-a-plant (PWP)and mass customization to service organizations.Discuss.

Question 51

In an assemble-to-order operation,the order penetration point is after fabrication and before final assembly.

Question 52

Most batch and job shop operations have throughput ratios of 90-100%.