Deck 2: Logistics and Information Technology

Question 1

____ refers to a network of satellites that transmits signals that pinpoint the exact location of an object.

A)Global positioning systems
B)Geographic information systems
C)Electronic data interchange
D)Transportation management systems

Answer 1

A

Question 2

There are suggestions that widespread adoption of RFID will only occur when the price of read-only tags drops below ____ cents.

A)15
B)10
C)5
D)2

Answer 2

D

Question 3

____ help various stakeholders-employers,suppliers,customers-work together by interacting and sharing information in many different forms.

A)Office automation systems
B)Communication systems
C)Transaction processing systems
D)Decision support systems

Answer 3

B

Question 4

____ provide effective ways to process organizational business data,to perform calculations,and to create documents.

A)Enterprise resource planning systems
B)Transaction processing systems
C)Decision support systems
D)Office automation systems

Question 5

Which of the following is not a logistics-related decision support system?

A)simulation
B)application-specific software
C)transportation management systems
D)electronic data interchange
E)all are logistics-related decision support systems

Question 6

Spreadsheets represent what general type of information management system?

A)communication system
B)transaction processing system
C)decision support system
D)office automation system

Question 7

Automatic identification systems are an essential component in ____________.

A)every warehouse
B)point-of-sale systems
C)a logistics information system
D)dual distribution

Question 8

What has emerged as the measuring stock for logistics information technology in the 21st century?

A)the Internet
B)electronic data interchange
C)wireless communication
D)enterprise resource planning systems

Question 9

The most popular automatic identification system currently in use is ___________.

A)voice-data entry
B)radio frequency identification
C)magnetic strips
D)bar code scanners

Question 10

Which of the following is not considered a general software package?

A)spreadsheets
B)word processing
C)database management
D)presentation packages
E)all are general software packages

Question 11

The primary advantage of ____________ is that it enables a firm to test the feasibility of proposed changes at relatively little expense.

A)data mining
B)expert systems
C)simulation
D)benchmarking

Question 12

Which of the following is not a benefit to utilizing information in logistics?

A)greater knowledge and visibility across the supply chain
B)greater awareness of customer demand via point-of-sale data
C)better coordination of manufacturing,merchandising,and distribution through ERP tools
D)more streamlined order processing and reduced lead time
E)all are benefits

Question 13

____________ refers to the computer-to-computer transmission of business data in a structured format.

A)Data mining
B)ERP
C)EDI
D)VMI

Question 14

Which of the following statements about EDI is not true?

A)EDI can have high setup costs
B)EDI can result in increased inventory carrying costs
C)EDI can lead to increased billing accuracy
D)The Internet is likely a complement to,rather than substitute for,EDI

Question 15

The most relevant general software package for logisticians is:

A)word processing
B)e-mail
C)presentation packages
D)spreadsheets

Question 16

All of the following statements about logistics information systems are true,except:

A)"timely" can refer to the up-to-date status of information
B)internal sources of logistics information are relatively plentiful
C)"timely" can refer to how quickly a manager receives requested information
D)a LIS must be concerned with the nature and quality of data
E)all of the above are true

Question 17

A logistics information system begins with:

A)a logistics manager requesting information
B)a good computer system
C)lots of money
D)a customer order

Question 18

How do data and information differ?

A)data are a body of facts in a format suitable for decision making,while information is simply facts
B)they are the same
C)data are simply facts; information is a body of facts in a format suitable for decision making
D)data are associated with decision support systems; information is associated with ERP systems

Question 19

Which of the following statements about radio-frequency identification

A)Wal-Mart has been a major catalyst for RFID usage in logistics
B)RFID only offers read capabilities
C)RFID can store large quantities of data
D)RFID has helped to reduce the occurrence of inventory stockouts

Question 20

Electronic data interchange represents what general type of information management system?

A)communication system
B)transaction processing system
C)decision support system
D)office automation system

Question 21

____ create and maintain consistent data processing methods and an integrated database across multiple business functions.

A)Logistics information systems
B)Enterprise systems
C)Decision support systems
D)Transaction processing systems

Question 22

Which of the following statements about ERP is false?

A)ERP's origins can be traced back to finance and manufacturing
B)ERP implementation costs can easily reach the tens of millions of dollars
C)In recent years,ERP vendors have begun to provide high-quality application-specific logistics capabilities
D)ERP glitches often have a logistical component to them

Question 23

What has emerged as the most popular application of on-demand software

A)Transportation management systems
B)Warehouse management systems
C)Inventory optimization
D)Collaborative forecasting

Question 24

The origins of contemporary ERP systems can be traced back to logistics and ____________.

A)manufacturing
B)marketing
C)finance
D)accounting

Question 25

A transaction processing system helps people work together by interacting and sharing information in many different forms.

Question 26

Which of the following statements is false?

A)orders associated with online retailing tend to be for smaller quantities than in-store retailing
B)online retailers are challenged by last mile considerations
C)online retailing and in-store retailing experience similar rates of product return
D)online retailing is characterized by open-case,rather than full-case,picking
E)all statements are true

Question 27

"Data" and "information" are synonymous terms.

Question 28

A general rule of thumb is that the actual time to implement ERP systems may range from ____________ to ____________ times longer than the time period specified by the ERP vendor.

A)1 ½ ; 2
B)2; 3
C)2; 4
D)3; 4

Question 29

All of the following are potential costs associated with ERP implementation,except:

A)employee training
B)upgraded computer hardware
C)data conversion
D)system testing
E)all are costs

Question 30

____________ has been identified as the biggest information technology that companies face today.

A)Software viruses
B)The cost of technology
C)Information security
D)Employee resistance

Question 31

Office automation systems provide effective ways to process personal and organizational business data,to perform calculations,and to create documents.

Question 32

Efficient data mining is dependent upon ____________.

A)Good forecasting tools
B)Top management commitment
C)High-speed technology
D)Data warehouses

Question 33

In a reverse auction,____________.

A)Multiple sellers invite bids from one buyer
B)One buyer invites bids from multiple sellers
C)One buyer invites bids from one seller
D)Multiple sellers invite bids from multiple buyers

Question 34

Warehouse management systems represent an example of what general type of information management system?

A)Communication system
B)Transaction processing system
C)Decision support system
D)Office automation system

Question 35

Which of the following is not a potential benefit of transportation management systems?

A)Fewer stockouts
B)Reduced fuel consumption
C)Decreased empty vehicle miles
D)Reduced transportation expenditures
E)All of the above are benefits

Question 36

The most relevant general software package for the logistician is the spreadsheet.

Question 37

The effective and efficient use of information allows organizations to either reduce costs or improve customer satisfaction.

Question 38

____________ refers to the application of mathematical tools to large bodies of data in order to extract correlations and rules.

A)Fuzzy logic
B)Factor analysis
C)Data mining
D)Linear regression

Question 39

Which of the following is not a type of benefits that comes from electronic procurement?

A)Transactional benefits
B)Management information benefits
C)Compliance benefits
D)Production benefits
E)All of the above are benefits

Question 40

Approximately ____________ percent of the world's population currently uses the Internet.

A)15
B)25
C)35
D)45

Question 41

Application-specific software is a type of decision support system.

Question 42

Wal-Mart and its vendors make extensive use of data mining to improve supply chain efficiency and effectiveness.

Question 43

EDI is no longer an important logistics technology in the 21st century.

Question 44

The primary advantage of simulation is that it enables a firm to test the feasibility of proposed changes at relatively little expense.

Question 45

The idea behind point-of-sale systems is to provide data to guide and enhance managerial decision making.

Question 46

Radio-frequency identification is the most popular automatic identification system currently in use.

Question 47

In batch processing,data are collected and stored for processing at a later time.

Question 48

Activities that can be controlled by a warehouse management system include inventory management,determination of storage locations,and order shipping.

Question 49

One prominent drawback to radio-frequency identification

Question 50

Correlation analysis uses sophisticated quantitative techniques to find "hidden" patterns in large volumes of data.

Question 51

The attractiveness of ERP systems comes from their potential for lower costs as well as increased productivity and customer satisfaction.

Question 52

Global positioning systems often pay for themselves within six months.

Question 53

A logistics information system begins with a logistics manager requesting information and ends with the manager receiving regular and customized reports.

Question 54

It is suggested that widespread adoption of RFID will only occur when the price for read-only chips drops to 2 cents.

Question 55

One benefit to transportation management systems is fewer stockouts.

Question 56

Internal sources of logistics information are not always as plentiful as might be desired.

Question 57

Transportation companies that have implemented global positioning systems have reported increased worker productivity,reduced operating costs,and improved customer relations.

Question 58

"Timely" information can refer to its nature and quality.

Question 59

EDI is an example of a logistics-related transaction processing system.

Question 60

The Internet has emerged as the measuring stick for logistics information technology during the first decade of the 21st century.

Question 61

What is the total annual cost of maintaining the components inventory under the present system?

Question 62

Assume that Ballenger has switched to the JIT system and that he receives a surprise phone call from a competitor who is going out of business.The competitor wants to sell Ballenger 7,000 dome lights of the type listed on Exhibit 3-C.Should Ballenger buy them? If so,at what price?

Question 63

About 35 percent of the world's population currently uses the Internet.

Question 64

The smaller order quantities occasioned by online retailing tend to favor transport companies with extensive delivery networks and expertise in parcel shipments.

Question 65

The origin of ERP systems can be traced back to finance and manufacturing.

Question 66

What would be the total annual cost of maintaining the components inventory under the JIT system

Question 67

There are few logistical similarities between online and in-store retailing.

Question 68

There are suggestions that consultant fees for ERP implementations may be three times as costly as the software itself.

Question 69

If the JIT system is adopted,what changes,if any,should occur in the relationships between Ballenger's firm and his suppliers of components? Discuss.

Question 70

A general rule of thumb is that the actual time to implement an ERP system may range from 1 ½ to 2 times longer than the time period specified by the ERP vendor.

Question 71

Information technology should be regarded as a tool to help managers address organizational problems.

Question 72

People-related factors such as employee resistance have been identified as a major cause of information technology implementation failure.

Question 73

Electronic procurement uses the Internet to make it easier,faster,and less expensive for an organization to purchase goods and services.

Question 74

The two logistics functions with highest degree of Internet usage are warehousing and transportation.

Question 75

One reason for the popularity of on-demand software is that is pay-per use formula allows customers to avoid high capital investment costs.

Question 76

The return rates associated with e-commerce are quite similar to those associated with other kinds of retailing.

Question 77

In a reverse auction,one seller invites bids from multiple buyers.

Question 78

In recent years,ERP vendors have begun to provide high-quality application-specific logistical capabilities.

Question 79

Software viruses are viewed as the most important information technology issue that companies face today.