Question 1

There are two primary goals associated with the handling and management of materials by individual firms or by multiple firms in the supply chain: minimize cost; and optimize customer service.

Accepted Answer

The primary goals of material handling and management in supply chains are to minimize costs and optimize customer service, ensuring efficiency and customer satisfaction.

Question 2

Workers in retail stores, warehouses or manufacturing facilities lose the equivalent of one full 40-hour workweek per year if they spend only 10 minutes a day searching for and gathering needed items.

Accepted Answer

If workers spend 10 minutes a day searching for items, over a year (assuming 5 workdays a week), this adds up to approximately 40 hours, equivalent to one full workweek.

Question 3

Small firms are unable to implement any automated materials handling systems because of their cost.

Accepted Answer

Small firms can implement automated materials handling systems, though cost can be a barrier, there are scalable and affordable solutions available for smaller operations.

Question 4

Car-in-lane materials handling equipment is best used where there are small quantities of a large number of SKUs.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Car-in-lane materials handling equipment is best used...

Question 5

From a materials handling perspective, shipping of products to customers involves preparing items for shipment and loading them onto transportation carriers.

Accepted Answer

Shipping involves preparing items for shipment, which includes packaging and labeling, and then loading them onto transportation carriers for delivery to customers.

Question 6

Unit-load AS/RS systems and mini-load AS/RS systems are the same; the terms are interchangeable.

Accepted Answer

Unit-load AS/RS systems handle larger, heavier loads typically on pallets, while mini-load AS/RS systems are designed for smaller, lighter items, often stored in totes or bins.

Question 7

A general rule of thumb is that in low interest rate environments, if a purchase involves buildings or land, buy it; if the purchases involves equipment, lease it.

Accepted Answer

In low interest rate environments, buying buildings or land can be advantageous due to potential appreciation and tax benefits, while leasing equipment can be more cost-effective due to depreciation and technological obsolescence.

Question 8

Major disadvantage of conveyors includes inaccurate order fulfillment, poor reliability and lack of flexibility once they are installed.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Major disadvantage of conveyors includes inaccurate order...

Question 9

Sortation devices in material handling are usually classified by the speed of their operation: slow, medium, or high speed.

Accepted Answer

Sortation devices are often categorized by their operational speed to match the requirements of different material handling systems, optimizing efficiency and throughput.

Question 10

The major advantages of conveyors include relatively low cost to acquire, efficient handling/flow, speed, and reduced costs.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The major advantages of conveyors include relatively...

Question 11

One form of an AS/RS is the carousel, which is a mechanical device that houses and rotates items for order picking.

Accepted Answer

A carousel is a type of Automated Storage and Retrieval System (AS/RS) that rotates items around a central axis, allowing for efficient order picking and storage.

Question 12

An automatic guided vehicle system (AGVS) requires a driver (i.e., it is not driverless) as it moves through a facility over defined paths.

Accepted Answer

An automatic guided vehicle system (AGVS) is designed to operate without a driver, using sensors and predefined paths to navigate through a facility autonomously.

Question 13

Fixed-position bar code scanners identify each carton on a conveyor and send that information to the sortation system controls, which then sends the carton to the correct location for shipment to customers.

Accepted Answer

Fixed-position bar code scanners are used in logistics to automatically identify and track items on a conveyor, allowing the sortation system to direct them to the appropriate destination.

Question 14

With respect to information transfer, the movement and storage functions require computerization at the electronic level, which requires computer-to-computer interface and involves data transmission. At the electronic level, machines and equipment are utilized.

Accepted Answer

The answer of With respect to information transfer, the movement...

Question 15

In Amazon distribution centers, robots bring the products to the worker rather than the worker going to the product slotting location or the items.

Accepted Answer

Amazon uses a system called "robotic fulfillment" where robots transport shelves of products to human workers, increasing efficiency and reducing the time workers spend walking around the warehouse.

Question 16

RFID tags can be either active or passive. Passive tags have a power source and can transmit signals.

Accepted Answer

Passive RFID tags do not have a power source; they rely on the energy from the RFID reader's signal to transmit data.

Question 17

A warehouse management system (WMS) keeps track of inventory in warehouse or distribution center and administers tasks such as receiving, putaway, storage, and order picking.

Accepted Answer

A warehouse management system (WMS) is designed to optimize and manage the operations within a warehouse or distribution center, including tracking inventory and handling tasks like receiving, putaway, storage, and order picking.

Question 18

Voice technology is increasing in its implementation because it frees the picker's hands and eyes. However, it is limited in that the present level of technology only involves the use of the English language.

Accepted Answer

Voice technology is not limited to the English language; it supports multiple languages, allowing for broader implementation across different regions and languages.

Question 19

Packaging serves two primary functions with the supply chain: marketing and logistics.

Accepted Answer

Packaging is designed to attract customers and convey brand information (marketing) while also protecting products during transportation and storage (logistics).

Question 20

A major advantage in the use of pallets in materials handling is that all pallets are of uniform size, which greatly facilitates domestic and international storage and transportation of materials.

Accepted Answer

Not all pallets are of uniform size; there are various standard sizes used in different regions and industries, which can complicate storage and transportation.

Quiz 7: Materials Management and Handling in the Supply Chain