Question 1

The stage of the product life cycle in which process innovation becomes an important way to increase efficiencies is:
A)Launch
B)Growth
C)Maturity
D)Decline

Accepted Answer

Process innovation becomes important in the maturity stage because the product is well established in the market, but competition is high and profit margins are decreasing. Therefore, companies need to focus on reducing costs and increasing efficiencies in order to maintain profitability.

Question 2

A project team interested in identifying and correcting potential quality problems in a product design would find which one of the following tools most useful?
A)QFD
B)FMEA
C)Value analysis
D)DFM

Accepted Answer

FMEA (Failure Mode and Effects Analysis) is a tool that helps identify potential failure modes in a product design and their effects on the overall system. This allows the team to proactively take steps to prevent these failures from occurring, leading to improved quality in the final product. QFD (Quality Function Deployment) is a tool for translating customer needs into product design requirements, Value Analysis is a tool for identifying areas where costs can be reduced without compromising product quality, and DFM (Design for Manufacturability) is a tool for designing products that are easy to manufacture and assemble. While these tools are helpful in their own ways, FMEA is the most directly applicable to identifying and correcting potential quality problems in a product design.

Question 3

In conducting a failure modes effects analysis, the following data were developed for three modes Mode 1: Severity = 5, Occurrence = 2, and Undetectability = 7 Mode 2: Severity = 3, Occurrence = 6, and Undetectability = 5 Mode 3: Severity = 7, Occurrence = 2, and Undetectability = 4
Which has the highest risk?
A)Mode 1
B)Mode 2
C)Mode 3
D)Mode 1 and Mode 2 are equal in having highest risk

Accepted Answer

B

Question 4

Sequential product development projects are likely to have ____________ development costs and ____________ development times than concurrent engineering product development projects.
A)Higher; longer
B)Higher; shorter
C)Lower; longer
D)Lower; shorter

Accepted Answer

The answer of Sequential product development projects are likely to...

Question 5

Which of the following statements is true regarding product/process innovation?
A)Innovation projects are operational processes.
B)Product and process development activities are usually closely linked.
C)Product/process design is a part of the resource/technology supply chain.
D)All of these statements are true.

Accepted Answer

All of these statements are true because innovation projects are considered operational processes, product and process development activities are typically closely linked, and product/process design is indeed a part of the resource/technology supply chain.

Question 6

The stage of a product/process innovation in which managers determine the target values of product attributes, volume, and price is:
A)Product and market testing.
B)Product and process planning.
C)Detailed design and development.
D)Concept development.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The stage of a product/process innovation in...

Question 7

_______________ transform product specifications and new process technology into a new or revised production system.
A)New process design and development projects
B)New product design and development projects
C)Concurrent engineering projects
D)Operations management projects

Accepted Answer

New process design and development projects are specifically focused on transforming product specifications and new process technology into a new or revised production system. This involves the design and development of new processes that can be integrated into existing production systems, as well as the development of new equipment, software, and other tools that can be used to improve efficiency and effectiveness in the production process. New product design and development projects are focused on the design and development of new products, rather than the production process itself. Concurrent engineering projects involve the simultaneous design of both the product and the production process, while operations management projects are focused on improving the efficiency and effectiveness of existing production systems.

Question 8

High-quality innovators typically gain which advantages?
A)They can fund more new design and development projects than other firms.
B)They satisfy customers more effectively, building strong brand image and customer loyalty.
C)They can sell at lower prices or lower the total sales needed for a new product to pay back its initial development costs.
D)None of these.

Accepted Answer

High-quality innovators who satisfy customers more effectively build brand image and customer loyalty, leading to a competitive advantage over other firms. While A and C may be potential advantages, they are not necessarily exclusive to high-quality innovators and do not guarantee their success. D is not a valid option as high-quality innovators do generally gain advantages.

Question 9

The main purpose of quality function deployment (QFD) is:
A)To base product and process design decisions more directly on what the customer thinks is important.
B)To clearly identify the functional groups within the organization that have a direct influence on quality.
C)To expand the quality function and eliminate the need for statistical process control.
D)To set up a plan for the deployment of statistical quality control tools throughout the organization.

Accepted Answer

The main purpose of QFD is to directly link customer needs and desires to product and process design decisions, making sure that the final product meets customer expectations. This involves translating customer needs into technical requirements, prioritizing these requirements, and ensuring they are incorporated into every stage of product development. QFD does not eliminate the need for statistical process control or set up a plan for deploying statistical quality control tools, although it may work in conjunction with these tools.

Question 10

Xanadu Inc.has a project team interested in reducing the projected production cost of a new product.The team would find which one of the following tools most useful?
A)QFD
B)FMEA
C)DFM
D)CAD/CAE

Accepted Answer

Design for Manufacturability (DFM) is specifically aimed at reducing production costs. It involves designing a product with the manufacturing process in mind, so that the production process is simplified, and the number of errors or quality issues is reduced. This tool would therefore be the most useful for the project team trying to reduce production costs.

Question 11

A disadvantage of "component standardization" is that it:
A)Increases development time.
B)Increases development cost.
C)Increases the difficulty of inventory management.
D)None of these are disadvantages.

Accepted Answer

Component standardization actually helps in reducing development time, lowering costs, and simplifying inventory management, meaning none of the listed options are disadvantages of component standardization.

Question 12

Fast innovators typically gain which advantages?
A)They produce a more continuous stream of new product introductions that create a greater and more constant market awareness of their brands.
B)They have fewer problems in launching new products and fewer failures in the marketplace.
C)They can sell at lower prices or lower the total sales needed for a new product to pay back its initial development costs.
D)All of these

Accepted Answer

The answer of Fast innovators typically gain which advantages?
A)They produce...

Question 13

"Concurrent engineering" is best described as:
A)The simultaneous implementation of engineering projects critical to the manufacture of new products.
B)Assigning multiple engineers to a project to ensure the accuracy of the work.
C)The simultaneous design and development of all the processes and information needed to manufacture a product, to sell it, to distribute it, and to service it.
D)Engineering techniques that seek to capture leading-edge knowledge and technology in the design phase of a new product.

Accepted Answer

Concurrent engineering is the simultaneous design and development of all the processes and information needed to manufacture a product, to sell it, to distribute it, and to service it. It involves various departments and teams working together to complete a project efficiently and effectively.

Question 14

An advantage of "early supplier involvement" is that it:
A)Generally leads to higher-quality products.
B)Decreases time to launch new products.
C)Avoids supply problems once the product is launched.
D)All of these.

Accepted Answer

Early supplier involvement involves collaborating with suppliers during the product development process to share resources, identify and reduce risks, and ensure quality standards are met. This approach not only leads to higher-quality products but also speeds up the time to launch new products and minimizes supply problems after the product is launched. Therefore, all the options provided in the question are correct.

Question 15

Overall, it is clear that well-managed innovation projects:
A)Apply only to manufacturing firms.
B)Increasingly involve input from multiple functions in a company.
C)Should always be executed sequentially.
D)All of these.

Accepted Answer

Well-managed innovation projects involve input from multiple functions in a company, not just manufacturing firms, and it is not always necessary to execute them sequentially. Therefore, option B is the best choice as it is the only one that correctly describes well-managed innovation projects.

Question 16

Companies usually first build working product prototypes in which stage of product/process innovation?
A)Concept development
B)Detailed design and development
C)Market testing
D)Commercialization

Accepted Answer

Working product prototypes are typically built during the detailed design and development stage of product/process innovation, after the concept has been fully developed and before market testing and commercialization.

Question 17

A growing emphasis on involving supply chain partners in product/process innovation is known as:
A)Portfolio planning
B)Launch and learn
C)Codevelopment
D)Design outsourcing

Accepted Answer

Codevelopment involves collaborating with suppliers and other partners in developing new products or processes, which is becoming increasingly important in supply chain management. Portfolio planning involves managing a company's portfolio of products, launch and learn focuses on quickly introducing a product to market and learning from customer feedback, and design outsourcing involves outsourcing the design of a product to a third party.

Question 18

The "house of quality" is best described as:
A)An approach in which customers use product prototypes version and provide feedback to developers.
B)A template that guides the translation of product features into technical product specifications.
C)Research efforts that gather detailed data describing customers' wishes, needs, likes, and dislikes regarding specific product features and functionalities.
D)A template that guides identification and translation of customer requirements into product specifications.

Accepted Answer

The "house of quality" is a method used in the product development process to identify and prioritize customer requirements, and then translate those requirements into product specifications. It involves creating a matrix or "house" that links customer wants and needs with technical features and design elements. Therefore, option D is the correct description of the house of quality. Option A refers to prototyping and user testing, option B is about translating product features to technical specifications, while option C is about gathering customer data, which are all related but not the exact definition of the house of quality.

Question 19

Acton Corporation has identified a way to combine several existing technologies into a new product.This is most likely to have occurred in a:
A)Research and advanced development project.
B)Radical breakthrough development project.
C)Next-generation or platform development project.
D)Enhancement development project.

Accepted Answer

Combining several existing technologies into a new product suggests an effort to create a next-generation or platform development project. This type of project often involves taking existing technologies and using them together to create something new and innovative. Research and advanced development projects involve exploring entirely new concepts, while radical breakthrough development projects involve completely new technologies. Enhancement development projects focus on making incremental improvements to existing products.

Question 20

A project aimed at finding new core products or processes is called a(n):
A)Research and advanced development project.
B)New platform development project.
C)Next generation development project.
D)Enhancement development project.

Accepted Answer

A research and advanced development project is focused on finding new core products or processes, making it the best choice for this question. B, C, and D may involve some level of innovation or improvement, but they do not specifically target the creation of new core products or processes.

Quiz 17: Process Mapping and Analysis

The stage of the product life cycle in which process innovation becomes an important way to increase efficiencies is:

A project team interested in identifying and correcting potential quality problems in a product design would find which one of the following tools most useful?

Sequential product development projects are likely to have development costs and development times than concurrent engineering product development projects.

Which of the following statements is true regarding product/process innovation?

The stage of a product/process innovation in which managers determine the target values of product attributes, volume, and price is:

_______________ transform product specifications and new process technology into a new or revised production system.

High-quality innovators typically gain which advantages?

The main purpose of quality function deployment (QFD) is:

Xanadu Inc.has a project team interested in reducing the projected production cost of a new product.The team would find which one of the following tools most useful?

A disadvantage of "component standardization" is that it:

Fast innovators typically gain which advantages?

"Concurrent engineering" is best described as:

An advantage of "early supplier involvement" is that it:

Overall, it is clear that well-managed innovation projects:

Companies usually first build working product prototypes in which stage of product/process innovation?

A growing emphasis on involving supply chain partners in product/process innovation is known as:

The "house of quality" is best described as:

Acton Corporation has identified a way to combine several existing technologies into a new product.This is most likely to have occurred in a:

A project aimed at finding new core products or processes is called a(n) :