Question 1

The future of operations management will be primarily concerned with heightened global competition and the need to provide customer service and satisfaction.

Accepted Answer

With increased globalization, companies will need to find ways to operate more efficiently and effectively to remain competitive. Providing excellent customer service will also be crucial as customers become more informed and have increasing expectations. Therefore, operations management will play an important role in meeting these challenges.

Question 2

One of the challenges facing operations management's ability to deal with heightened global competition while providing customer service and satisfaction is the impact of technology and fashions that create product churn.

Accepted Answer

Technology and fashions can quickly change product offerings, leading to a need for agile operations management to keep up with customer demand and competition.

Question 3

The only challenge facing operations management's ability to deal with heightened global competition while providing customer service and satisfaction is the impact of technology and fashions that create product churn.

Accepted Answer

While technology and fashions do present challenges, there are numerous other challenges that operations management faces in dealing with heightened global competition and providing customer service and satisfaction. Factors such as cost control, supply chain management, quality control, and talent retention also play key roles.

Question 4

One of the challenges facing operations management's ability to deal with heightened global competition while providing customer service and satisfaction is how to respond to resource scarcity.

Accepted Answer

Resource scarcity can limit the availability of materials, energy, and other inputs needed for production, which can affect the ability to meet customer demands and achieve operational efficiency. Addressing resource scarcity requires operations management to find ways to conserve and optimize the use of resources, as well as to identify alternative sources and develop sustainable practices. Failure to respond to resource scarcity can undermine a company's competitiveness and reputation, particularly in industries where sustainability and social responsibility are important factors for customers and stakeholders.

Question 5

With increasing pressure from customer choice, operations management will need to improve and maintain a service ethic.

Accepted Answer

As customers are becoming more selective and have increasing choices, operations management needs to improve and maintain their service ethics to meet customer expectations and retain them.

Question 6

One major issue facing operations mangers going forward is the need to keep present operations performing while constantly gearing up for delivering the promise of amazing new product and service offerings.

Accepted Answer

As businesses evolve and expand, operations managers must balance the need to maintain current operations with the necessity of innovating and bringing new products and services to market. This can be a difficult balancing act, as too much focus on one area can lead to neglect of the other.

Question 7

The ability to keep present operations performing while constantly gearing up for delivering the promise of amazing new product and service offerings will not be an issue going forward.

Accepted Answer

The ability to maintain current operations while also preparing for the introduction of new products and services is a significant challenge for many organizations, requiring careful balancing of resources, innovation, and strategic planning.

Question 8

One, perhaps dangerous, perspective on the future is that companies with massive market power can afford to ignore customer dissatisfaction

Accepted Answer

Companies with massive market power may become complacent and believe that customers have no alternative but to use their products or services, leading to a disregard for customer satisfaction. This could create a dangerous situation where customers are taken for granted and the company's market dominance is threatened by emerging competitors who are more customer-oriented.

Question 9

The challenge for operations managers in avoiding failure is to achieve very prompt process implementation for new products and services, coupled with excellent customer after-sales service, while pressured for time and the need to sustain a steady state operating condition.

Accepted Answer

The statement correctly highlights the difficult challenge faced by operations managers in avoiding failure, which includes the need to quickly introduce new products and provide quality customer service while managing ongoing operations.

Question 10

Product churn feeds conspicuous consumption through the forces of vagaries of technology and faction.

Accepted Answer

Product churn refers to the constant turnover of technology products, and conspicuous consumption refers to the desire to display one's wealth through the acquisition of expensive or luxurious items. The forces behind product churn and faction (consumers' loyalty to certain brands or products) can drive conspicuous consumption.

Question 11

Product churn provides manufacturers and service providers with long-term benefits, while delighting customers.

Accepted Answer

Product churn, or the regular release of new and improved products or services, benefits manufacturers and service providers by keeping them competitive and driving innovation. Additionally, customers enjoy the benefits of new technology and features, which can increase satisfaction and loyalty.

Question 12

Product churn does not provide manufacturers and service providers with long-term benefits, while delighting customers.

Accepted Answer

Product churn, when managed effectively, can lead to innovation and improvements in products and services, thereby delighting customers and providing manufacturers and service providers with long-term benefits through increased loyalty and sales.

Question 13

Product churn helps to increase sales and can secure customer loyalty.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Product churn helps to increase sales and...

Question 14

Product churn does not help increase sales and can secure customer loyalty.

Accepted Answer

Product churn refers to constantly introducing new products or discontinuing existing ones. While this may generate initial excitement and interest, it can also lead to customer confusion, frustration, and eventually, disloyalty. Instead, businesses should focus on improving existing products and providing consistent quality and value to secure customer loyalty and increase sales.

Question 15

Remanufacturing entails the dismantling of a product and then rebuilding it for a future use.

Accepted Answer

Remanufacturing involves disassembling a product, cleaning and repairing its components, and reassembling it to a new specification. This process is done to restore the product's functionality and performance to a level comparable to a new product.

Question 16

Remanufacturing can provide a mechanism for reducing the impact of resource scarcity on products in the future

Accepted Answer

Remanufacturing involves taking used products or components and refurbishing them to a like-new condition, which can extend their lifespan and reduce the need for new resources to be extracted and used in the production of new products. This can help alleviate the impact of resource scarcity on products in the future.

Question 17

Remanufacturing will not be able to reduce the impact of resource scarcity on products in the future

Accepted Answer

Remanufacturing involves the reuse of existing products and materials, which can help reduce the demand for new resources and mitigate the impact of resource scarcity on products in the future.

Question 18

Remanufacturing could assuage the problem of unsustainability caused by product churn.

Accepted Answer

Remanufacturing refers to the process of restoring used products to their original condition, thereby giving them a new lease of life. This can help reduce the amount of waste generated by our consumer-driven society and make products more sustainable. Remanufacturing is, therefore, a potential solution to address the problem of unsustainability caused by product churn.

Question 19

Remanufacturing cannot assuage the problem of unsustainability caused by product churn.

Accepted Answer

Remanufacturing can significantly reduce the environmental impact of product churn by reusing materials and components, thus conserving resources and reducing waste, contributing to sustainability.

Question 20

Renting resources is one method of increasing flexibility.

Accepted Answer

Renting resources allows individuals or businesses to have access to resources without having to invest large amounts of money upfront or committing to long-term ownership, thus increasing their flexibility to adapt to changing needs and circumstances.

Quiz 12: The Future of Operations Management