Question 1

The Internet is a very popular place to locate your business today.

Accepted Answer

The internet has become an incredibly popular place to locate business and establish an online presence. This is due to the widespread usage of the internet as a means of communication and commerce.

Question 2

Seat-belts Unlimited,Inc.is located about 8 miles from two major auto assembly plants.The firm delivers seat-belts about every two hours to each of the plants.The assembly plants only accept the number of seat-belts that they will assemble into cars,during the next two hours after delivery.The auto plants embrace lean manufacturing.

Accepted Answer

The fact that the auto plants embrace lean manufacturing suggests that they aim to reduce waste and increase efficiency in the production process, which is consistent with the delivery of seat-belts every two hours to match their immediate needs.

Question 3

When considering the issue of facility location,it is important to find an isolated location so that work can get done without interruption from customers.

Accepted Answer

When considering facility location, it is not always necessary or desirable to find an isolated location. Depending on the business model or type of facility, being located in a high-traffic area or near customers may be beneficial for the business.

Question 4

Frolichstein Fabrics promotes itself as a specialty manufacturer that will produce according to customer specifications.This firm will probably be best served by using an intermittent process in production.

Accepted Answer

Intermittent processes are best suited for custom or specialty manufacturing, as they allow for greater flexibility and adaptability to meet specific customer requirements.

Question 5

Facility location is the process of selecting a geographic location for a company's operations.

Accepted Answer

Facility location is indeed the process of selecting a geographic location for a company's operations.

Question 6

Some companies will locate their production facilities near their suppliers.

Accepted Answer

Some companies may choose to locate their production facilities near their suppliers to have easier access to necessary raw materials and to potentially reduce transportation costs.

Question 7

Internet-focused strategies don't affect operations managers since it is not progressive for operations managers to negotiate in an interfirm environment.

Accepted Answer

Internet-focused strategies can have a significant impact on operations managers as they can facilitate inter-firm communication, collaboration, and coordination. Operations managers can benefit from these strategies by streamlining supply chain management, reducing lead times, and improving product quality and customer service. Therefore, it is not correct to say that internet-focused strategies do not affect operations managers.

Question 8

Manufacturing firms that want to minimize time-to-market are likely to choose facility sites that give them easy access to their preferred modes of transportation.

Accepted Answer

Easy access to preferred modes of transportation such as highways, railways, airports, and ports can significantly reduce shipping and transportation times, allowing manufacturing firms to minimize time-to-market.

Question 9

J & R Industries typically produces very large batches of standardized products used by plumbers,such as pipefittings and valves that must be produced in standard sizes.A continuous production process would work well for J & R.

Accepted Answer

A continuous production process involves producing standardized products in large batches, which fits the description of J & R Industries' production needs.

Question 10

In making a location decision,businesses seldom consider "quality of life" in various locations,because factors that influence quality of life have little or no impact on profits.

Accepted Answer

This statement is false. Businesses often consider quality of life in various locations, as it can impact factors such as employee satisfaction and retention, which in turn can affect productivity and profits. Additionally, a location with a high quality of life can attract customers and contribute to a positive brand image.

Question 11

Alice's Cookie Company makes a variety of cookies for corporate accounts and restaurants.On a good day,the orders can range from 600-800 cookies,with a variety of uniqueness,although the company is known for delicate shortbread and butter cookies.Some cookies have round shapes,but others are elongated rectangles,and yet others are triangles.The bakers can quickly change the cookie cutting machine to reflect the orders for the day,while computers program the ovens to make those cookies the light golden color they are known for across town.Refrigeration is also computer controlled.Alice's Cookie Company embraces flexible manufacturing and mass customization.

Accepted Answer

The text states that the company can quickly change the cookie cutting machine and use computers to program the ovens and refrigeration, which are characteristics of flexible manufacturing and mass customization.

Question 12

Trace and Tim own a company that rehabs old houses.Prior to buying a house,they use software to create and design the renovation of each room.The program provides them with an estimation of how much of each kind of material is needed,and the orderly progression of tasks that need to be completed.Trace and Tim use computer-aided design.

Accepted Answer

The passage clearly states that Trace and Tim use software to create and design the renovation of each room, and that the program provides them with estimations of necessary materials and the order of tasks. This is an example of computer-aided design (CAD).

Question 13

Many state and local governments offer tax incentives and government services to attract businesses.

Accepted Answer

Many state and local governments offer tax incentives, such as tax breaks, exemptions, and credits, to attract businesses. They also offer government services, such as assistance with permits, zoning, and workforce development, to help businesses grow and succeed.

Question 14

Computers and robots are only useful in continuous production processes where the same type of product is produced many times.

Accepted Answer

Computers and robots can be useful in both continuous and non-continuous production processes. They can be programmed to handle a wide variety of tasks and can be reprogrammed easily for different products or processes.

Question 15

According to the Making Ethical Decisions box,titled,"Stay or Leave",by law a firm must give employees 60 days notice of a facility or plant closing.

Accepted Answer

According to the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN), employers must give employees 60 days notice of a facility or plant closing.

Question 16

Featured Furnishings is a company that specializes in producing custom-made furniture.A continuous production process would be the most efficient way for Featured Furnishings to produce its products.

Accepted Answer

As the company specializes in producing custom-made furniture, a continuous production process may not be the most efficient way as each order would require unique specifications and designs. A batch production process or a job shop production process may be more suitable for the company.

Question 17

When it comes to location decisions,labor costs are no longer an important consideration for most manufacturing firms.

Accepted Answer

Labor costs are still an important consideration for many manufacturing firms, especially those that rely heavily on labor-intensive processes. However, other factors such as proximity to raw materials, transportation infrastructure, tax incentives, and access to skilled workers also play a significant role in location decisions.

Question 18

Although lean manufacturing attempts to reduce the amount of labor used in the manufacturing process,it typically does so by increasing the amount of most of the other resources used in the production process.

Accepted Answer

Lean manufacturing focuses on eliminating waste and improving efficiency, which may involve reducing labor or reallocating labor to more value-adding tasks. However, the ultimate goal is to optimize the use of all resources, including materials, energy, time, and talent, to generate maximum customer value with minimum waste. Therefore, lean manufacturing aims to achieve a balance among resources rather than simply reducing labor.

Question 19

Operations management planning is concerned with finding the ideal location for a business and also with materials requirement planning.It leaves decisions about purchasing and inventory control to marketing.

Accepted Answer

Operations management planning involves a wide range of activities, including but not limited to the location selection, material requirement planning, purchasing, and inventory control. Therefore, it does not leave decisions about purchasing and inventory control to marketing alone but collaborates closely with them along with other functional areas like finance and human resources.

Question 20

The Cooldaze Ice Company compresses carbon dioxide and cools it to a very low temperature to make dry ice.The method used by Cooldaze is an example of process manufacturing.

Accepted Answer

Process manufacturing involves creating a product through a series of steps or processes, typically using specialized equipment and involving chemical or mechanical transformations. The production of dry ice by compressing and cooling carbon dioxide involves a specific process and fits the definition of process manufacturing.

Quiz 9: Production and Operations Management