Deck 4: Technology and Operations Management

Question 1

Customer relationship management (CRM) helps firms gain and maintain competitive advantage by:

A) encouraging them to produce standardized goods.
B) merging all demographic-based and behavior-based segments of markets.
C) studying which goods and services are purchased together.
D) prohibiting them from bundling goods and services together.

Answer 1

studying which goods and services are purchased together.

Question 2

Which of the following is a difference between firms that have high scalability and firms that have low scalability

A) Firms with high scalability incur extremely low fixed costs, whereas firms with low scalability incur extremely high fixed costs.
B) Firms with high scalability have variable costs as 80 to 85 percent of total costs, whereas firms with low scalability have variable costs as zero to five percent of total costs.
C) Firms with high scalability serve additional customers at extremely low incremental costs, whereas firms with low scalability serve additional customers at high incremental variable costs.
D) Firms with high scalability have a low contribution margin, whereas firms with low scalability have a high contribution margin.

Answer 2

Firms with high scalability serve additional customers at extremely low incremental costs, whereas firms with low scalability serve additional customers at high incremental variable costs.

Question 3

Scalability is a key issue in e-commerce.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

__________machine tools enable the machinist's skills to be duplicated by a programmable device that controls the movements of a tool used to make complex shapes.

A) Virtual control (VC)
B) Numerical control (NC)
C) Revision control (RC)
D) Movement control (MC)

Question 5

__________consist of two or more computer-controlled machines or robots linked by automated handling devices such as transfer machines, conveyors, and transport systems.

A) Computer-aided engineering (CAE) systems
B) Computer-aided design (CAD) systems
C) Enterprise planning systems (EPSs)
D) Flexible manufacturing systems (FMSs)

Question 6

Low scalability implies that serving additional customers requires low incremental variable costs.

Question 7

Which of the following is true of radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags

A) They can bring visibility and enhanced security to the handling and transportation of products.
B) They are used to segment markets based on demographic and behavioral characteristics.
C) They are used to create customized goods and services and deliver them faster at lower prices.
D) They can help small companies create counterfeit knock-offs of genuine products.

Question 8

_____ can be attached to objects and used to track and manage inventory and assets.

A) Proximity cards
B) Nanofountain probes
C) Resistance-temperature detectors
D) Radio-frequency identification tags

Question 9

__________refers to the application of the Internet, computer programs, and information systems to provide data, information, and analysis to facilitate the creation and delivery of goods and services.

A) Hard technology
B) Soft technology
C) Assistive technology
D) Adaptive technology

Question 10

_____ are the modern successor to bar codes.

A) Optical switches
B) Artificial intelligence programs
C) Electro-optical sensors
D) Radio-frequency identification tags

Question 11

The fixed costs of WeBuy&Sell.com, an e-commerce website, make up about 90 percent of the total costs incurred by the company. However, since its primary means of communication is web advertising, WeBuy&Sell.com has variable costs as low as 10 percent of its total costs. This allows WeBuy&Sell.com to earn high profits at a very low cost. According to the given scenario, WeBuy&Sell.com has _____.

A) zero scalability
B) low scalability
C) infinite scalability
D) high scalability

Question 12

Which of the following is a benefit of using technology

A) It increases the number of human service providers in firms.
B) It increases quality and productivity of firms.
C) It increases opportunities for employee empowerment.
D) It makes it easy for customers to change decisions and return goods.

Question 13

The use of technology has increased opportunities for employee creativity and empowerment.

Question 14

_____ allows all parts of the value chain to immediately recognize and react to changes in demand and supply.

A) Super-precision manufacturing
B) Rapid prototyping
C) Descriptive analytics
D) Electronic transaction capability

Question 15

Which of the following is true of customer relationship management (CRM)

A) A typical CRM system includes market segmentation and analysis.
B) It helps firms gain competitive advantage by making counterfeit knock-offs of genuine products.
C) It encourages the production of standardized goods for all customers to reduce manufacturing costs.
D) A CRM system prohibits firms from bundling goods and services together.

Question 16

In the context of technology in value chains, customer relationship management (CRM):

A) enables small firms to make counterfeit knock-offs of genuine products.
B) prohibits firms from bundling goods and services together.
C) encourages firms to produce standardized goods for all consumers to reduce manufacturing costs.
D) exploits the vast amount of data that can be collected from consumers.

Question 17

__________refers to using the Internet and technology to provide facilities that create and deliver time, place, information, entertainment, and exchange value to customers and support the sale of goods.

A) Outsourcing
B) Offshoring
C) E-service
D) E-readiness

Question 18

__________is a measure of the contribution margin required to deliver a good or service as the business grows and volumes increase.

A) Scalability
B) Process capability
C) Sustainability
D) Operability

Question 19

A(n)__________is an example of soft technology.

A) database system
B) bar-code scanner
C) image sensor
D) radio-frequency identification tag

Question 20

We Create Inc. is an electronics company. It designs, produces, and assembles desktop gadgets. The entire process is controlled by programmable robots, which are in turn linked to computers. These computers direct the robots to the appropriate task. In this context, We Create Inc. uses a(n) _____ to produce its goods.

A) partner relationship management system
B) enterprise resource planning system
C) employee experience management system
D) flexible manufacturing system

Question 21

Which of the following is a challenge of adopting technology

A) Technology leads to job shift and displacement.
B) The use of technology reduces product quality.
C) Technology deteriorates the standard of living of the world.
D) The use of technology disintegrates supply and value chain players.

Question 22

Identify a benefit of adopting technology.

A) Technology helps restructure old and less productive industries.
B) The use of technology increases opportunities for employee empowerment.
C) Technology increases opportunities for employee creativity.
D) The use of technology does not require adherence to any laws or regulations.

Question 23

_____ are tiny computer chips that can be placed on shipping containers, individual products, credit cards, prescription medicines, passports, livestock, and even people.

A) Bar codes
B) Radio-frequency identification tags
C) Thermocouples
D) Voice-recognition modules

Question 24

__________refers to equipment and devices that perform a variety of tasks in the creation and delivery of goods and services.

A) Hard technology
B) Soft technology
C) A database system
D) A neural network

Question 25

Valuetronics, an electronics company, is currently in the preproduction stage of launching one of its new stereo systems. In order to analyze the feasibility of the product, Valuetronics adopts an integrated system that allows it to manufacture the product before it physically exists, that is, the system allows Valuetronics to finalize the design of the stereo, analyze it, and do a test-run. In this context, Valuetronics is using a(n) _____.

A) enterprise resource planning (ERP) system
B) flexible manufacturing system (FMS)
C) computer-aided engineering (CAE) system
D) computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) system