Question

1. Which of the following factors would NOT be part of a process to improve a business’ competitive positioning in a global marketplace?

1. Focusing on customers.
2. Practicing continuous improvement.
3. Relying on the Internet to unite companies.
4. Reducing product quality to keep costs low.

2. Which of the following statements concerning the U.S. service sector today is most accurate?

1. This sector has grown much more rapidly than the manufacturing sector.
2. It has become the low-wage sector of the U.S. economy.
3. It focuses less on quality and more on reducing costs of production.
4. The service sector has achieved extremely high productivity gains according to government reports.

3. An operations manager at a wood processing plant in Oregon notices that there is significant scrap and inefficiencies in the plant’s operations. Which of the following techniques would he be most interested in implementing?

1. CAD/CAM
2. facilities layout
3. mass customization
4. lean manufacturing

4. Designing and making custom-made guitars is an example of which of the following processes?

1. Intermittent process
2. Assembly process
3. Analytic system
4. Continuous process

5. A company that makes fireplace mantles uses computer modeling in order to ensure that the process used makes the most efficient use of resources. The company is equipped with _____________ technology.

1. CAD/CAM
2. production management
3. dite selection
4. process manufacturing

6. __________ is the process managers use to continually monitor all phases of the production process to ensure that quality is being built into the product from the beginning and that quality is not being “inspected” into the product at the end of the process.

1. Process manufacturing
2. Statistical quality control (SQC)
3. Six Sigma quality
4. Statistical process control (SPC)

7. Anna worked for over an hour trying to set-up her new smart phone by following the brochure directions and even going online to access services. She finally gave-up and used the online locator to find the service provider’s nearest location to her home. Businesses know their products can be complicated and many customers prefer on-site service visits. Brick-and-mortar locations need to ________ in order to compete for the business of busy customers.

1. locate rather sparsely, so most customers would find it more convenient to do business online
2. locate inside smaller stores to save revenue
3. offer outstanding customer service
4. bundle complimentary services

8. The Toyota™ assembly plant in Tennessee purchases several thousand unassembled parts for automobiles and then performs final assembly of the vehicles before delivering them to dealers all over the nation. Purchasing parts several days or weeks before they are assembled would increase the total cash outlay the plant has tied-up in inventory at any given time. In order to reduce the expense of large inventories, most assembly plants have successfully adopted ____________ inventory systems.

1. balanced
2. Baldridge
3. just-in-time
4. strategic alliance

9. The project manager building a new underwater dolphin exhibit at a large urban zoo is reviewing the chronological sequence of activities that must be completed on the project and the estimated time of completion of each activity. He is studying the _________.

1. total quality management process
2. PERT technique
3. Gantt chart
4. lean manufacturing process

10. The following PERT network lists all the different tasks that must occur in order for West Coast Aquatics Swim Club to successfully host a regional swim meet at the Frank Fiscallini Swim Center. The darkened boxes are the critical path because __________.

1. these are tasks that the swim meet director could consider for elimination if time becomes “critical"
2. critical path also means “off the beaten path.” These are the tasks that could distract the swim meet director. They should be assigned to an assistant, so the director can concentrate on other tasks not highlighted
3. this represents the path of tasks that will take the longest to complete
4. this represents the path of tasks that will take the least amount of time to complete

Answer 1

1. D. Reducing product quality to keep costs low. Reducing product quality to keep costs low IS factors would NOT be part of a process to improve a business’ competitive positioning in a global marketplace.

2. A. This sector has grown much more rapidly than the manufacturing sector.

3. D.  Lean Manufactoring.  Lean Manufactoring IS  techniques would he be most interested in implementing.

4. A.  Intermittent Process.

5. A. CAD/CAM. A company that makes fireplace mantles uses computer modeling in order to ensure that the process used makes the most efficient use of resources and effective design of their products. The company is equipped with CAD/CAM TECHNOLOGY.

6. B. Statistical Quality Control (SQC).

7. C. offer outstanding customer service and efficient locations

8. C . just-in-time. The Toyota assembly plant in Tennessee purchases several thousand unassembled parts for automobiles and then performs final assembly of the vehicles before delivering them to dealers all over the nation. Purchasing parts several days or weeks before they are assembled would increase the total cash outlay the plant has tied up in inventory at any given time. In order to reduce the expense of large inventories, most assembly plants have successfully adopted JUST IN TIME.

9. B.  PERT technique. The project manager building a new underwater dolphin exhibit at Chicago's Shedd Aquarium is reviewing the chronological sequence of activities that must be completed on the project and the estimated time of completion of each activity. He is employing the PERT TECHNIQUES.

10. C.  this represents the path of tasks that will take the longest to complete. The following PERT network lists all the different tasks that must occur in order for West Coast Aquatics Swim Club to successfully host a regional swim meet at the Frank Fiscallini Swim Center. The darkened boxes are the critical path because  this represents the path of tasks that will take the longest to complete.