Question 1

The learning curve may not be permanent; it can be disrupted by changes in process, personnel, or product.

Accepted Answer

The learning curve is not a fixed phenomenon and can be disrupted by changes in process, personnel, or product. For example, if a company changes its production process or introduces new technology, the learning curve can be disrupted as employees are forced to learn new skills or adapt to different work methods. Similarly, if there is a significant turnover in personnel or new employees are hired, this can also disrupt the learning curve as new workers may have different skill levels or work habits. Finally, changes in product design or materials can also disrupt the learning curve as workers may need to adjust to new requirements or specifications.

Question 2

The logarithmic approach to learning curve calculations allows us to determine the hours required for any unit.

Accepted Answer

The logarithmic approach to learning curve calculations involves using a logarithmic formula to calculate the number of hours required to produce each unit. This approach is useful because it allows us to project how long it will take to produce a certain number of units based on learning experience.

Question 3

A firm that successfully pursues a steeper-than-industry-average learning curve and manages costs down may still fail if, by underestimating a strong competitor, it fails to gain the added volume necessary for the learning curve to exist.

Accepted Answer

A firm's ability to pursue a steeper learning curve and manage costs is important, but it is also important to gain the necessary volume to sustain the curve. Underestimating a strong competitor can prevent a firm from gaining that volume, leading to failure. Therefore, the statement is true.

Question 4

If the first unit in a series of units takes 200 days to complete, and the learning curve is 80%, then the second unit will take 160 days.

Accepted Answer

This is correct according to the learning curve formula, which states that as the quantity of units produced increases, the time required to produce each unit decreases at a constant rate. At an 80% learning curve, the time required to produce each unit decreases by 20% for each doubling of the quantity produced. Therefore, the second unit would take 80% of the time required to produce the first unit, or 0.8 x 200 days = 160 days.

Question 5

Learning curves can be used to establish budgets.

Accepted Answer

Learning curves can help to establish budgets by providing information on how quickly costs of production will decrease as workers become more experienced and efficient. This information can be used to estimate future costs and budget accordingly.

Question 6

A project manager bases his time and labor estimates on a learning curve of 86%. The actual learning curve turns out to be 89%. The manager, because of the decreased learning, will complete his project in more time and with more labor use.

Accepted Answer

A higher learning curve (in this case, 89% instead of 86%) indicates that less time and effort will be required to complete the project. Therefore, if the actual learning curve is higher than the estimated one, the project will be completed in less time and use less labor, not more.

Question 7

In the logarithmic approach formula to compute the time for the Nth unit, TN = T₁Nᵇ, the exponent b is the learning curve rate L, expressed as a decimal.

Accepted Answer

The exponent b in the formula TN = T₁Nᵇ is related to the learning curve rate L, but it is not equal to L. Instead, b is calculated using the formula b = log(L) / log(2), where L is the learning rate expressed as a decimal.

Question 8

Learning curves can only be applied to labor.

Accepted Answer

Learning curves can be applied to any process or task, not just labor. They can be used to analyze and improve efficiency and productivity in industries such as manufacturing, healthcare, and technology.

Question 9

Experience curves are the opposite of learning curves-as one rises, the other falls.

Accepted Answer

Experience curves and learning curves both describe the phenomenon where costs decrease as experience and production volume increase, but they are not opposites. Both suggest improvement with experience, not a contrary relationship.

Question 10

Reevaluation of learning curves is inappropriate.

Accepted Answer

Reevaluation of learning curves, especially in the context of continuous improvement, is a common practice to track progress and identify areas for further development or optimization. Therefore, it is not inappropriate.

Question 11

Experience curves may be valid for industrial applications, but have no role in services such as health care procedures.

Accepted Answer

Experience curves, which demonstrate the relationship between cost reduction and cumulative production or experience, can also be applied to service industries such as healthcare procedures. As healthcare providers become more experienced and efficient in performing certain procedures, the costs may decrease due to a reduction in errors, improved skills, and better utilization of resources. Therefore, experience curves may have a role in both industrial and service sectors.

Question 12

A 90% learning curve implies that each time the production volume is doubled the direct time per unit is reduced to 90% of its previous value.

Accepted Answer

A 90% learning curve means that as production volume doubles, the direct time per unit decreases to 90% of its previous value. This is a common phenomenon in manufacturing and other industries where workers become more efficient and experienced as they become familiar with the production process.

Question 13

An 80% learning curve means that with each unit increase in production, labor requirements fall by 20%.

Accepted Answer

The answer of An 80% learning curve means that with...

Question 14

The arithmetic approach (or successive doubling approach) to learning curve calculations allows us to determine the hours required for any unit.

Accepted Answer

The arithmetic approach (or successive doubling approach) is not used for learning curve calculations, which typically involve a percentage reduction in time or cost for each doubling of units produced, indicating a geometric or exponential decrease, not an arithmetic or linear one.

Question 15

If the learning curve for a process is 100 percent, then each unit in a series of units will have the same labor requirements.

Accepted Answer

A 100 percent learning curve implies that there is no improvement or reduction in the time it takes to produce each subsequent unit, meaning each unit requires the same amount of labor.

Question 16

The earliest application of learning curves appears in the work of architect Frank Lloyd Wright.

Accepted Answer

The concept of learning curves was first applied in the context of manufacturing by the aircraft industry during World War II, not by Frank Lloyd Wright.

Question 17

On an ordinary graph, unit times decrease at a decreasing rate, but on a log-log graph, the learning "curve" appears as a straight line.

Accepted Answer

This is true. On a log-log graph, the logarithmic scaling compresses the larger values, making the curve appear as a straight line. This means that the rate of learning is proportional to the power of time in a log-log graph, resulting in a straight line instead of a curved one on an ordinary graph.

Question 18

The learning curve in the steel industry and the learning curve in heart surgery have both been estimated at 79 percent.

Accepted Answer

Both the steel industry and heart surgery have been studied for their learning curves, and in both cases, the learning curve has been estimated to be around 79 percent, indicating a similar rate of improvement in efficiency or reduction in costs with accumulated experience.

Question 19

Learning curves are based on the premise that people and organizations become better at their tasks as the tasks are repeated.

Accepted Answer

Learning curves represent a graphical representation of the phenomenon of learning from experience. The more a task is repeated, the more skilled individuals and organizations become at the task.

Question 20

The learning curve coefficient approach may be simpler to use than the logarithmic approach, but it requires the presence of a table of learning coefficients.

Accepted Answer

The statement is correct. The learning curve coefficient approach is easier to use but needs a table of coefficients, while the logarithmic approach needs mathematical calculations but does not require a table.

Quiz 25: Learning Curves