Deck 5: Process Focus

Question 1

Processes must be measurable and repeatable in order to apply the techniques of process management.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

A kaizen blitz is an improvement initiative that is gradual and continuous and is performed on a part-time basis.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

The outputs of service processes are not as well defined as manufactured products.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

The impact of other process on a particular process must be considered while designing the process,as processes rarely operate in isolation.

Question 5

The design aspect of process management focuses on continually seeking to achieve higher levels of performance,such as reduced variation,higher yields,fewer defects and errors,and smaller cycle times.

Question 6

A process is a sequence of linked activities that is intended to achieve some result,such as producing a good or service for a customer within or outside the organization.

Question 7

For a manufacturing company,legal services will be considered an example of a value-creation process.

Question 8

Value-creation process requirements are driven by internal customer needs.

Question 9

Control in manufacturing starts with purchasing and receiving processes.

Question 10

Identifying potential defects and errors and stopping a process before they occur is the best approach to avoid mistakes in a process.

Question 11

Support processes generally add value directly to a product or service.

Question 12

Assembly of products in a manufacturing plant is an example of a support process.

Question 13

Services that emphasize on professional judgement of the employees often succeed in providing good solutions to customer problems.

Question 14

The Kaizen philosophy requires a significant cultural change from all employees in the organization including the top management.

Question 15

Reduction in cycle time of a process leads to improvement in quality of products as it reduces the potential for mistakes and errors.

Question 16

Control is the activity of ensuring conformance to the requirements and taking corrective action when necessary to correct problems and maintain stable performance.

Question 17

Projects generally cut across organizational boundaries and require the coordination of many different departments and functions.

Question 18

Support processes generally require a higher level of attention than do value-creation processes.

Question 19

Process control is the responsibility of those who directly accomplish the work.

Question 20

Flowcharts enable management to study and analyze processes prior to implementation.

Question 21

In the case of a manufacturing company,which of the following is an example of a value-creation process?

A)Product designing
B)Human resource services
C)Public relations
D)Legal services

Question 22

Which of the following is true of support processes?

A)They align closely to an organization's core competencies and strategic objectives.
B)They are sometimes called core processes.
C)They require lesser attention from the employees compared to value-creation processes.
D)They add value directly to the product or service being produced.

Question 23

The materials supplied by a certified supplier do not require manufacturers to conduct routine testing on all the lots supplied.

Question 24

Which of the following is one of the three major activities in process management that focuses on achieving higher yields of products with reduced variation and fewer defects and errors?

A)Design
B)Control
C)Improvement
D)Process mapping

Question 25

The quality team at Nigre,a cosmetics company,is continuously involved in monitoring the production process to ensure that the products are meeting specifications.They are also responsible for taking corrective measures when they identify variations in the products.In the context of the three major activities involved in process management,the quality team at Nigre,is engaged in the _____ activity of process management.

A)improvement
B)design
C)mapping
D)control

Question 26

For a manufacturing company,which of the following is an example of a support process?

A)Product designing
B)Legal services
C)Testing of products
D)Product manufacturing

Question 27

The management team at Kyra Electronics,is looking for ways to achieve higher levels of performance.It is trying to obtain higher yields and reduce cycle times.In the context of the three major activities involved in process management,the management team at Kyra,is engaged in the _____ activity of process management.

A)mapping
B)improvement
C)design
D)control

Question 28

Value-creation processes are sometimes called _____ processes.

A)core
B)support
C)job enrichment
D)quality circle

Question 29

Value-creation processes differ from support processes in that value-creation processes:

A)provide the infrastructure for production or deliver processes to create or deliver the actual product.
B)rarely align with the organization's core competencies and strategic objectives.
C)generally do not add value directly to the product or service.
D)are driven by external customer needs.

Question 30

Benchmarking encourages employees to continuously innovate.

Question 31

Breakthrough improvement refers to discontinuous change,as opposed to the gradual,continuous improvement philosophy of kaizen.

Question 32

The design activity of process management focuses on:

A)identifying new markets and product opportunities.
B)ensuring that the inputs to the process,such as materials,technology,and a trained workforce are adequate.
C)maintaining consistency in output by assessing performance and taking corrective action when necessary.
D)continually seeking to achieve higher levels of performance.

Question 33

A _____ is a temporary work structure that starts up,produces products or services,and then shuts down.

A)kaizen program
B)poka-yoke program
C)project
D)quality circle

Question 34

Which of the following is one of the three major activities in process management that focuses on maintaining consistency in output by assessing performance and taking corrective action when necessary?

A)Design
B)Improvement
C)Process mapping
D)Control

Question 35

Supplier certification processes can be time-consuming and expensive to administer.

Question 36

Suppliers include only those companies that provide materials and components that are required for manufacturing a product.

Question 37

Reengineering focuses on improving the existing procedures rather than eliminating them and reinventing the process.

Question 38

Which of the following is a reason why process management is important for organizations?

A)It assists organizations in recruiting the most suitable employees whose values match the culture of the organization.
B)It helps organizations to segment customers into natural groups in order to customize products that are better able to meet customers' needs.
C)It assists organizations in identifying opportunities for improving quality and operational performance.
D)It helps organizations to increase employee morale and commitment to the organization.

Question 39

Which of the following statements best describes process owners?

A)They have the authority to certify the processes used by the suppliers of their organization.
B)They have the authority to design the processes that will be used by the top management team in their organization.
C)They test the accuracy of the processes used in the marketing management.
D)They are accountable for process performance and have the authority to control and improve their process.

Question 40

To apply the techniques of process management,processes must be _____.

A)costly and time consuming
B)repeatable and measurable
C)centrally controlled and random
D)simple and lengthy

Question 41

As customization of services increases,_____ become(s) a bigger factor in the ability to provide high quality service to the customers.

A)professional judgement of the employees
B)processes and procedures
C)employee behavior
D)physical facilities

Question 42

A(n) _____ is a design tool that enables management to study and analyze processes prior to implementation in order to improve quality and operational performance.

A)Likert's scale
B)flowchart
C)quality manual
D)affinity diagram

Question 43

The organizations that emphasize more on the behavior of the employees rather than the processes and procedures involved are aiming to:

A)improve the efficiency and timing of their service.
B)improve the reliability of their service.
C)provide a friendly and personable environment to their customers.
D)minimize variations in their service standards.

Question 44

Which of the following statements is true regarding kaizen?

A)It involves only the top management of the organization.
B)It focuses on small,gradual,and frequent improvements.
C)It requires very large financial investments.
D)It attempts to achieve radical improvements in a very short time period.

Question 45

Process control in manufacturing starts with the _____ process.

A)assembly
B)delivery
C)purchasing
D)production

Question 46

The process of measuring a company's performance against best-in-class companies and using that information as a basis to define the company's targets,strategies,and implementation is known as _____.

A)total quality management
B)process mapping
C)benchmarking
D)reengineering

Question 47

Which of the following is true of the poka-yoke approach used for mistake-proofing processes?

A)It was developed by Kaoru Ishikawa.
B)It is ineffective in providing immediate feedback to the employees regarding the error in the process.
C)It helps to engage workers in continuous improvement activities.
D)Most of the techniques of poka-yoke are expensive and extremely complex to implement.

Question 48

After using an ATM machine,Deborah forgets to remove her card from the machine.This is an example of:

A)a treatment error between the server and the customer.
B)a customer error in preparation.
C)a customer error at the resolution stage of a service.
D)a customer error during an encounter.

Question 49

Which of the following can be regarded as a task error in a service process?

A)Lack of courteous behavior
B)Failure to acknowledge a customer
C)Unclean facilities
D)Working on the wrong order

Question 50

Strategically placed tray-return stands and trash receptacles remind customers to return trays in fast-food facilities.This is an example of a poka-yoke technique designed to prevent:

A)customer errors in preparation.
B)customer errors during an encounter.
C)customer errors at the resolution stage of a service.
D)treatment errors between the server and the customer.

Question 51

In the context of service errors,which of the following is an example of a treatment error?

A)Working on the wrong order
B)Unclean facilities
C)Lack of courteous behavior
D)Doing work incorrectly

Question 52

Supply chains help organizations to create a competitive advantage in _____.

A)workforce engagement
B)process mapping
C)flexibility
D)benchmarking

Question 53

Which of the following is a type of customer error that results during an encounter?

A)Failure to follow the instructions provided
B)Failure to signal service inadequacies
C)Failure to bring the necessary materials for the encounter
D)Failure to understand the role in the service transaction

Question 54

When a service ranks low on the dimensions of customer contact,labor intensity,and customization,the service providers need to emphasize on _____ to provide a high quality service to the customers.

A)training provided to the employees
B)employee behavior
C)professional judgement of the employees
D)physical facilities and procedures

Question 55

Which of the following is the first step involved in designing a manufacturing process?

A)Defining the sequence of steps that need to be performed
B)Documenting the procedures and requirements in a flowchart
C)Analyzing the processes prior to implementation to improve quality
D)Conducting a detailed technical analysis of the characteristics of the product

Question 56

Which of the following is regarded as the best approach to prevent mistakes in a process because of its ability to avoid rework and wastage of time and resources?

A)Identifying potential defects and errors and stopping a process before they occur
B)Conducting a cost-benefit analysis to determine the impact of stopping a process
C)Designing potential defects and errors out of the process
D)Identifying defects and errors soon after they occur and quickly correcting the process

Question 57

_____ is defined as the fundamental rethinking and radical redesign of business processes to achieve dramatic improvements in critical,contemporary measures of performance,such as cost,quality,service,and speed.

A)Process mapping
B)Total quality management
C)Reengineering
D)Benchmarking

Question 58

Value-creation services that take the form of "projects":

A)are typically completed by individuals rather than by groups.
B)do not add value directly to the product or service.
C)tend to deliver unique products that are tailored to the specific needs of an individual customer.
D)are generally completed by a single department and they do not cut across organizational boundaries.

Question 59

After-action review or debrief is a process control approach used by organizations to:

A)reduce the cost of conducting a process.
B)improve the process by increasing the efficiency of the manufacturing systems.
C)decrease the time required for completing a process.
D)prevent the errors in a process from occurring again in the future.

Question 60

_____ is an approach for mistake-proofing processes,developed by Shigeo Shingo,that involves using automatic devices or simple methods to avoid human error.

A)Kaizen
B)Poka-yoke
C)Process mapping
D)Job enrichment

Question 61

How is the kaizen philosophy implemented at the Lexus plant in Cambridge,Ontario?

Question 62

What is the last step in K&N's process management framework?

A)Measuring and auditing to specifications
B)Evaluation and improvement
C)Mapping and documenting the process
D)Replicating the process to all applicable areas

Question 63

What is K&N's terminology for its employees?

A)Grand-aides
B)Representative members
C)Friendly team members
D)Group partners

Question 64

How does the cleanliness process at the Lexus plant in Cambridge support the achievement of high product quality?

Question 65

How are team members empowered at K&N?

Question 66

Explain the concept of "quality gates" at the Cambridge plant of Lexus with an example.

Question 67

Describe the various elements of a control system.

Question 68

Why do organizations focus on improving the agility and flexibility of their processes?

Question 69

How has the problem-solving process helped K&N?

Question 70

Briefly discuss the K&N process management framework.

Question 71

What are shipping quality audits at the Lexus plant in Cambridge?

Question 72

In K&N's process management framework,which of the following is considered during process control and improvement?

A)Equipment needs
B)Training team members
C)Operating procedures
D)Design of workstations

Question 73

What is meant by operational steps?

Question 74

Which of the following is considered during the design/redesign process in K&N's comprehensive system for process management framework?

A)Cycle time
B)Operating procedures
C)Measuring to specifications
D)Auditing to specifications

Question 75

Differentiate between value-creation processes and support processes.

Question 76

How does K&N deal with a formal new process or a process change?

Question 77

Define process management and list the major activities involved in process management.

Question 78

What is a supplier certification process? What is the purpose of this process?

Question 79

How does K&N identify work process improvements?