Quiz 6: Process Selection and Facility Layout

Continuous processing is the best way to produce customized output.

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

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

Avoiding bottlenecks is the primary goal of product design.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Product layouts typically achieve high utilization of labor and equipment.

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

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

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

Information technology refers to competitive data.

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

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

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

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

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

Group technology is closely connected to cellular manufacturing.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

Heuristic rules for line balancing will guarantee an optimal solution.

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

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

Work design, technological change, and layout are inputs in capacity planning and process selection.

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: (I)technological changes. (II)competitive pressures. (III)fundamental changes in demand patterns. A)I only B)II only C)III only D)I and II but not III E)I, II, and III

Process choice is _____ driven. A)demand B)operations C)marketing D)process E)capacity

The key questions in the process selection task are: (I)How will the product/service be priced? (II)How much variety will be imposed on the process? (III)What is the target market for the product/service? (IV)At what volume will the process need to operate? A)I and III B)II and IV C)II and III D)I and IV E)III and IV

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

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

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

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

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

The type of processing system which is used for highly standardized products is A)continuous. B)intermittent. C)project. D)batch. E)unit.

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

Common reasons for redesign of layouts include: (I)efficient operations. (II)accidents or safety hazards. (III)new products or services. (IV)morale problems. A)I and II B)II and IV C)I and III D)II, III, and IV E)I, II, III, and IV

The advantages of automation include: (I)reduced output variability. (II)reduced variable costs. (III)machines don't strike or file grievances. (IV)machines are always less expensive than human labor. A)I and IV B)II and III C)I, II, and III D)I and III E)II and IV

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.

Which type of processing system tends to produce the most product variety? A)assembly B)job shop C)batch D)continuous E)mass customization

In which type of processing system would gasoline be produced from crude oil? A)job shop B)batch C)assembly D)continuous E)project

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

An example of automated services is A)online banking. B)build your own pizza. C)haircuts. D)massage parlors. E)financial advising.

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

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

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.

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

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.

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.

Which term is most closely associated with cellular manufacturing? A)part families B)assembly line C)robotics D)CAD E)CAM

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.

Product profiling links key product or service requirements to A)market conditions. B)order sizes. C)pricing strategies. D)schedule changes. E)process capabilities.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

A production line is to be designed for a job with three tasks. The task times are 0.4 minutes, 1.2 minutes, and 0.5 minutes. The maximum cycle time in minutes is A)0.4. B)0.5. C)1.2. D)2.1. E)0.7.

A production line is to be designed for a job with three tasks. The task times are 0.3 minutes, 1.4 minutes, and 0.7 minutes. For a single production line with no parallel activities, the minimum cycle time in minutes is A)0.3. B)0.7. C)1.4. D)2.4. E)0.8.

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.

The maximum allowable cycle time is computed as A)daily operating time divided by the desired output. B)desired output divided by the daily operating time. C)daily operating time divided by the product of the desired output and the sum of job times. D)the product of desired output and the sum of job times divided by daily operating time. E)1.00 minus station time.

If a line is balanced with 80 percent efficiency, the "balance delay" will be A)20 percent. B)80 percent. C)100 percent. D)unknown, since balance delay is not related to efficiency. E)depends on the next operation.

The main issue in the design of process layouts for service operations concerns the relative positioning of A)workstations. B)processing components. C)departments. D)entrances, loading docks, etc. E)manufacturing cells.

Which of the following is not an information requirement for the design of a process layout? A)a list of departments or work centers B)a projection of work flows between the work centers C)the distance between locations D)the cost per unit of distance to move loads E)a list of product cycle times for every product manufactured

Which of the following is not an approach that companies use to achieve a smooth flow of production? A)line balancing heuristics B)parallel workstations C)dynamic line balancing (cross-training workers) D)mixed model line E)Companies use all of these.

A common goal in designing process layouts is A)minimizing the number of workers. B)minimizing idle time. C)minimizing transportation costs. D)maximizing workstation productive time. E)maximizing transportation distances.

In the use of closeness ratings for process layouts, the code U means the closeness between two departments is A)(U)nknown. B)(U)nusually important. C)of (U)sual importance. D)(U)nimportant. E)(U)ndesirable.

Which closeness rating reflects the undesirability of having two departments located near each other? A)A B)E C)I D)U E)X

Which closeness rating reflects the highest importance for two departments being close to each other? A)A B)E C)I D)U E)X

Which closeness rating reflects indifference on the nearness or lack of nearness of two departments? A)A B)E C)I D)U E)X

Heuristic rules are used primarily in which of these types of layouts? (I)Product (II)Process (III)Fixed-position A)I B)II C)I and III D)I and II E)II and III

Heuristic rules are usually applied when A)an optimum is necessary. B)a computer program is unavailable. C)a problem has a small number of alternatives. D)a problem has a large number of alternatives. E)other approaches have failed.

An advantage of a U-shaped production line is that A)it is less compact. B)communication is reduced among employees. C)workers are specialists. D)work assignments are more rigid. E)it is more efficient than a traditional product layout.

Which of these items would be most likely to be made with a fixed-position layout? A)a large, ocean-going cruise ship B)applesauce C)a computer chip D)toothpaste E)all of these

A layout in which workstations are grouped based on the operations needed to perform work on a set of similar items, or part families, is a A)cellular layout. B)job shop. C)assembly line. D)nonrepetitive process. E)continuous flow.

Which one of these drive a machine tool by communicating the details of the operations to be performed? A)CNC B)CIM C)CAD D)CAM E)automation

Which of the following is not a significant concern for process selection? A)variety in products/services B)flexibility of equipment C)volume of output D)pricing strategy E)flexibility of personnel

A company is designing a product layout for a new product. It plans to use this production line 8 hours a day in order to meet projected demand of 480 units per day. The tasks necessary to produce this product are: Without regard to demand, what is the minimum possible cycle time (in seconds)for this situation? A)162 B)72 C)54 D)30 E)6

A company is designing a product layout for a new product. It plans to use this production line 8 hours a day in order to meet projected demand of 480 units per day. The tasks necessary to produce this product are: If the company wants the output rate to be equal to demand, what is the desired cycle time (in seconds)? A)162 B)72 C)54 D)12 E)60

A company is designing a product layout for a new product. It plans to use this production line 8 hours a day in order to meet projected demand of 480 units per day. The tasks necessary to produce this product are: If the company wants the output rate to be equal to demand, what is the theoretical minimum number of workstations needed? A)3 B)4 C)5 D)6 E)7

A company is designing a product layout for a new product. It plans to use this production line 8 hours a day in order to meet projected demand of 480 units per day. The tasks necessary to produce this product are: If the company wants the output rate to be equal to demand, what would be the efficiency of this line with the theoretical minimum number of workstations? A)100 percent B)92.5 percent C)75 percent D)87.5 percent E)90 percent

A company is designing a product layout for a new product. It plans to use this production line 8 hours a day in order to meet projected demand of 480 units per day. The tasks necessary to produce this product are: If the company wants the output rate to be equal to demand, what is the last task performed at the second workstation if tasks are assigned in order of the most following tasks? A)u B)v C)w D)x E)y

QRS Corp. is designing a product layout for a new product. They plan to use this production line 10 hours a day in order to meet forecasted demand of 900 units per day. The following table describes the tasks necessary to produce this product: Without considering forecasted demand, what is the minimum possible cycle time for this production line? A)10 seconds B)20 seconds C)34 seconds D)38 seconds E)152 seconds

QRS Corp. is designing a product layout for a new product. They plan to use this production line 10 hours a day in order to meet forecasted demand of 900 units per day. The following table describes the tasks necessary to produce this product: For output to equal forecasted demand, what should be the actual cycle time for this production? A)32 seconds B)38 seconds C)40 seconds D)76 seconds E)152 seconds

QRS Corp. is designing a product layout for a new product. They plan to use this production line 10 hours a day in order to meet forecasted demand of 900 units per day. The following table describes the tasks necessary to produce this product: For output to equal forecasted demand, what is the theoretical minimum number of workstations needed? A)1 B)3 C)3.75 D)4 E)5

QRS Corp. is designing a product layout for a new product. They plan to use this production line 10 hours a day in order to meet forecasted demand of 900 units per day. The following table describes the tasks necessary to produce this product: For output to equal forecasted demand, what will be the efficiency of the production line that uses the least number of workstations? A)81 percent B)90 percent C)95 percent D)85 percent E)100 percent

QRS Corp. is designing a product layout for a new product. They plan to use this production line 10 hours a day in order to meet forecasted demand of 900 units per day. The following table describes the tasks necessary to produce this product: For output to equal forecasted demand, what will be the second task performed at the second workstation of the production line that uses the fewest number of stations? A)a B)b C)c D)d E)e

The maker of the world-famous Chocolate Chip Cookies needs to design a product layout for a new product, Mint Chocolate Chip. The company plans to use this new production line 8 hours a day in order to meet projected demand of 1,440 cases per day. The following table describes the tasks involved in the production of a case of Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies. For output to equal projected demand, what should be the actual cycle time for this production line? A)56 seconds B)27 seconds C)20 seconds D)18 seconds E)14 seconds

The maker of the world-famous Chocolate Chip Cookies needs to design a product layout for a new product, Mint Chocolate Chip. The company plans to use this new production line 8 hours a day in order to meet projected demand of 1,440 cases per day. The following table describes the tasks involved in the production of a case of Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies. For output to equal projected demand, what is the theoretical minimum number of workstations needed? A)6 B)4.5 C)3 D)2.7 E)2

The maker of the world-famous Chocolate Chip Cookies needs to design a product layout for a new product, Mint Chocolate Chip. The company plans to use this new production line 8 hours a day in order to meet projected demand of 1,440 cases per day. The following table describes the tasks involved in the production of a case of Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies. For output to equal projected demand, what will be the efficiency of the production line that uses the theoretical minimum number of workstations? A)93.33 percent B)95 percent C)97 percent D)99 percent E)100 percent

The maker of the world-famous Chocolate Chip Cookies needs to design a product layout for a new product, Mint Chocolate Chip. The company plans to use this new production line 8 hours a day in order to meet projected demand of 1,440 cases per day. The following table describes the tasks involved in the production of a case of Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies. For output to equal projected demand, what will be the first task performed at the third workstation of the production line which uses the minimum number of stations? A)u B)v C)w D)x E)y

A company needs to rebalance a product layout for producing new plastic license plates. They plan to use the assembly line 6 hours in order to meet projected demand of 2,160 license plates each day. The following table describes the tasks involved in the production of this product: Without regard to projected demand, what is the minimum possible cycle time for this assembly line? A)0 seconds B)3 seconds C)9 seconds D)10 seconds E)28 seconds

A company needs to rebalance a product layout for producing new plastic license plates. They plan to use the assembly line 6 hours in order to meet projected demand of 2,160 license plates each day. The following table describes the tasks involved in the production of this product: For output to equal projected demand, what should be the actual cycle time for this assembly line? A)0 seconds B)3 seconds C)9 seconds D)10 seconds E)28 seconds

A company needs to rebalance a product layout for producing new plastic license plates. They plan to use the assembly line 6 hours in order to meet projected demand of 2,160 license plates each day. The following table describes the tasks involved in the production of this product: For output to equal projected demand, what is the theoretical minimum number of workstations needed? A)2 B)2.8 C)3 D)4 E)5

A company needs to rebalance a product layout for producing new plastic license plates. They plan to use the assembly line 6 hours in order to meet projected demand of 2,160 license plates each day. The following table describes the tasks involved in the production of this product: For output to equal projected demand, what will be the efficiency of the assembly line that uses the minimum number of workstations? A)0.0 percent B)6.7 percent C)70.0 percent D)93.3 percent E)100 percent

A company needs to rebalance a product layout for producing new plastic license plates. They plan to use the assembly line 6 hours in order to meet projected demand of 2,160 license plates each day. The following table describes the tasks involved in the production of this product: For output to equal projected demand, what will be the idle time at the second workstation of the assembly line that uses the minimum number of workstations? A)0 seconds B)1 second C)2 seconds D)3 seconds E)5 seconds

A company needs to locate three departments (X, Y, and Z)in the three areas (I, II, and III)of a new facility. They want to minimize interdepartmental transportation costs, which are expected to be $0.50 per load per meter moved. An analyst has prepared the following distances and flow matrices: What is the distance (in meters)from area III to area I in this new facility? A)0 B)10 C)20 D)30 E)40

A company needs to locate three departments (X, Y, and Z)in the three areas (I, II, and III)of a new facility. They want to minimize interdepartmental transportation costs, which are expected to be $0.50 per load per meter moved. An analyst has prepared the following distances and flow matrices: What is the total flow (loads per week)between department Y and department Z? A)140 B)160 C)200 D)250 E)300

A company needs to locate three departments (X, Y, and Z)in the three areas (I, II, and III)of a new facility. They want to minimize interdepartmental transportation costs, which are expected to be $0.50 per load per meter moved. An analyst has prepared the following distances and flow matrices: If departments X, Y, and Z were to be located in areas I, II, and III, respectively, what would be the total distance (in meters)loads would be moved each week? A)4,000 B)4,500 C)7,000 D)8,000 E)9,000

A company needs to locate three departments (X, Y, and Z)in the three areas (I, II, and III)of a new facility. They want to minimize interdepartmental transportation costs, which are expected to be $0.50 per load per meter moved. An analyst has prepared the following distances and flow matrices: What are total weekly costs for the least costly process layout? A)$2,800 B)$3,150 C)$3,500 D)$4,000 E)$4,500

A company needs to locate three departments (X, Y, and Z)in the three areas (I, II, and III)of a new facility. They want to minimize interdepartmental transportation costs, which are expected to be $0.50 per load per meter moved. An analyst has prepared the following distances and flow matrices: How many least costly process layouts are there? A)1 B)2 C)3 D)4 E)5

A company needs to locate three departments (X, Y, and Z)in the three areas (I, II, and III)of a new facility. They want to minimize interdepartmental transportation costs, which are expected to be $0.50 per load meter moved. An analyst has prepared the following flow and distance matrices: What is the distance (in meters)from area III to area I of this new facility? A)0 B)10 C)20 D)30 E)40

A company needs to locate three departments (X, Y, and Z)in the three areas (I, II, and III)of a new facility. They want to minimize interdepartmental transportation costs, which are expected to be $0.50 per load meter moved. An analyst has prepared the following flow and distance matrices: What is the total flow (loads per week)between department Y and department Z? A)130 B)150 C)180 D)230 E)280

A company needs to locate three departments (X, Y, and Z)in the three areas (I, II, and III)of a new facility. They want to minimize interdepartmental transportation costs, which are expected to be $0.50 per load meter moved. An analyst has prepared the following flow and distance matrices: If the company were to locate departments X, Y, and Z in areas I, II, and III, respectively, what would be the total distance (in meters)loads would be moved each week? A)3,100 B)3,600 C)6,200 D)6,700 E)8,200

A company needs to locate three departments (X, Y, and Z)in the three areas (I, II, and III)of a new facility. They want to minimize interdepartmental transportation costs, which are expected to be $0.50 per load meter moved. An analyst has prepared the following flow and distance matrices: Which layout will minimize the total distance loads will be moved each week? A)X in 1; Y in 2; Z in 3 B)X in 1; Z in 2; Y in 3 C)Y in 1; X in 2; Z in 3 D)Z in 1; X in 2; Y in 3 E)Z in 1; Y in 2; X in 3

A company needs to locate three departments (X, Y, and Z)in the three areas (I, II, and III)of a new facility. They want to minimize interdepartmental transportation costs, which are expected to be $0.50 per load meter moved. An analyst has prepared the following flow and distance matrices: What are total weekly costs for an optimum layout? A)$2,600 B)$3,600 C)$6,200 D)$7,200 E)$8,200

Which of the following process types would be most likely to be used in the introductory phase of a product's life cycle? A)continuous B)repetitive C)project D)batch E)job shop

Which of the following process types would be most likely to be used in the maturity phase of a product's life cycle? A)repetitive B)intermittent C)project D)batch E)job shop

What is it about job shops that make them appropriate for products in the introductory phase of their life cycle? A)efficiency B)technology C)flexibility D)high volume capacity E)rigidity

What is it about repetitive processes that make them appropriate for products in the maturity phase of their life cycle? A)efficiency B)general-purpose technology C)possible variety D)low risk E)flexibility

Although they do not guarantee optimal solutions, _____ are useful in finding reasonable solutions when the number of possible options is overwhelming. A)cellular layouts B)heuristics C)logistics D)CAM E)CAD

The _____ process type requires _____ flexibility of equipment. A)repetitive; slight B)continuous; no C)batch; moderate D)job shop; high E)project; intermittent

Which of the following does not reflect sustainable production? A)creatively rewarding B)strategic design C)non-polluting D)conservation of energy E)economically efficient

Which of the following does not reflect lean process design general principles? A)waste reduction B)reduced inventory C)increased floor space D)quicker response times E)increased productivity

3D printing is also known by this name? A)computer-integrated manufacturing B)extrusion C)sintering D)additive manufacturing E)subtractive manufacturing

A company has an assembly line with 34 tasks. The longest task is 4.7 minutes and the total time for all tasks is 92 minutes. The line will operate for 615 minutes per day.What is the minimum cycle time? A)34 minutes B)4.7 minutes C)92 minutes D)130 minutes E)615 minutes

A company has an assembly line with 34 tasks. The longest task is 4.7 minutes and the total time for all tasks is 92 minutes. The line will operate for 615 minutes per day.What is the maximum cycle time? A)34 minutes B)4.7 minutes C)92 minutes D)130 minutes E)615 minutes