Question 1

American major appliance manufacturers have recently adopted a strategy that calls for better quality in their products.One method of implementing this strategy at the operations level is through _____.

Accepted Answer

Quality circles involve front-line workers in identifying and addressing quality issues in a systematic manner. This approach can help to ensure that quality is built into the product from the ground up and can lead to continuous improvement in the manufacturing process. Innovation circles, JIT, master control programs, and additional layers of management may also be useful in improving quality, but quality circles specifically involve workers in the process of identifying and addressing quality issues.

Question 2

The American petroleum refining industry has experienced serious productivity declines in the past several years.If the industry is to reverse this trend, companies such as Chevron and ExxonMobil, in addition to the government, must take an active role in stimulating productivity.All of the following represent ways to improve productivity except

Accepted Answer

The passage suggests that increased government regulation would not improve productivity. Instead, the passage suggests that government policies should be changed to promote productivity.

Question 3

Automation is expected to do all of the following except

Accepted Answer

Automation is expected to increase productivity, reduce manufacturing errors, and simplify retooling procedures. However, it is not expected to decrease productivity. It may lead to job displacement in some industries, but it is unlikely to bring changes to more than half of all jobs in the next ten years.

Question 4

Sarah regularly spends an entire working day ensuring that goods and services are produced in accordance with design specifications.Obviously ____ is important in her company.

Accepted Answer

Sarah's regular activity of ensuring that goods and services are produced in accordance with design specifications represents a quality control process. Therefore, the most important aspect in her company is quality control.

Question 5

The Motorola Corporation has begun a program that promises to improve employee motivation.This is an example of a way to ____ productivity.

Accepted Answer

The program initiated by Motorola is aimed at improving employee motivation, which would lead to an increase in productivity.

Question 6

Deere and Company, the maker of John Deere tractors, was one of the first firms to combine robotics and computer-integrated manufacturing.By doing this, it achieved more efficiently utilized facilities and greater flexibility in production.The method of production that has given Deere these tremendous improvements in operations is known as _____.

Accepted Answer

The method of production that Deere combined robotics and computer-integrated manufacturing to achieve more efficiently utilized facilities and greater flexibility in production is known as a flexible manufacturing system (FMS). Just-in-time inventory management, Q factor, short cycle manufacturing, and Theory Z are not the specific methods used by Deere in this scenario.

Question 7

The ____ is an award given by the president of the United States to organizations that apply and are judged to be outstanding in specific managerial tasks that lead to improved quality for both products and services.

Accepted Answer

The Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award is specifically given by the president of the United States to organizations that exhibit outstanding performance in specific managerial tasks that lead to improved quality for both products and services. The other answer choices are either not specific to the United States or do not pertain to quality management awards.

Question 8

The examination of the quality of work in process is called _____.

Accepted Answer

Inspection is the examination of the quality of work in process.

Question 9

Jennifer is a manager in a circuit manufacturing plant.A portion of the production process is extremely tedious and repetitive, and employees tend to become bored and careless when performing this task.What alternative could make this repetitive task quicker and less susceptible to error?

Accepted Answer

Robotics can perform repetitive tasks with precision, speed, and consistency. It reduces the chances of errors and boredom among employees.

Question 10

Robotics is the use of programmable machines to perform a variety of tasks by manipulating

Accepted Answer

Robotics involves the use of machines to perform tasks by manipulating materials and tools. The other choices are not accurate descriptions of robotics.

Question 11

When manufacturing a product like a computer or an automobile, planning takes place both before anything is produced and during the production process.

Accepted Answer

Planning is crucial in the manufacturing of a product, and it takes place both before any production begins and continues throughout the production process to ensure the final product meets the necessary standards and requirements.

Question 12

To ensure that work flows according to a timetable, operations managers use a procedure called _____.

Accepted Answer

Follow-up is a procedure used by operations managers to ensure that work progresses according to a timetable by checking and adjusting as necessary.

Question 13

Liz Claiborne, Inc.has a system that combines the use of computers to aid in the development of products and the use of computers to plan and control manufacturing processes.What is this combined system called?

Accepted Answer

The combined system is called computer-integrated manufacturing (CIM), as it integrates computer-aided design (CAD) with computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) to plan and control the manufacturing processes.

Question 14

All the activities managers engage in to produce goods and services are called operations management.

Accepted Answer

Operations management is the function of managing the processes that transform inputs into goods and services. It involves activities such as planning, organizing, directing, and controlling resources to ensure efficient and effective production of goods and services.

Question 15

____ is a disciplined approach that relies on statistical data and improved methods to eliminate defects from a firm's products and services.

Accepted Answer

Six Sigma is a disciplined approach that relies on statistical data and improved methods to eliminate defects from a firm's products and services. It is a quality management methodology that aims to achieve near-perfect results by reducing variation and defects in processes.

Question 16

As a scheduler, Wanda is concerned with the sequence of workstations that the materials will follow.This sequencing is called _____.

Accepted Answer

The sequencing of workstations that materials will follow is called routing. Product flow refers to the movement of finished products, critical path refers to the longest path of tasks in a project, inventory control refers to managing the amount and location of inventory, and timing refers to scheduling tasks in a certain order.

Question 17

The ____ function specifies when the materials will arrive at each station and how long they will remain there.

Accepted Answer

The function that specifies when the materials will arrive at each station and how long they will remain there is related to timing. Therefore, the correct answer is B.

Question 18

Productivity is the

Accepted Answer

Productivity is defined as the average level of output per worker per hour. This takes into account the output of all hourly workers and provides a measure of overall efficiency.

Question 19

Nancy Malone works for a California-based computer manufacturer.According to Nancy, the time required to develop a new product has decreased because of the increased use of ____ software.

Accepted Answer

CAD software (Computer-Aided Design) allows for the creation, modification, and optimization of a design. It is commonly used in product development and has significantly decreased the time required for design and prototyping.

Question 20

Deborah works for Northrop Grumman Corporation.She is assigned to a group of employees who work on solving quality issues the company is facing.Deborah participates in a(n) _____.

Accepted Answer

Quality circles are small groups of employees who work on solving quality issues within a company. They typically meet regularly to brainstorm and come up with solutions to improve the overall quality of the company's products or services. Therefore, Deborah's participation in this group indicates that she is working in a quality circle.

Quiz 8: Producing Quality Goods and Services