Question 1

In a PERT network,the sequence of tasks that takes the longest to complete is called the:

Accepted Answer

The sequence of tasks that takes the longest time to complete is called the critical path in a PERT network. It is the sequence of tasks that cannot be delayed without delaying the project's entire completion time. Therefore, identifying the critical path is crucial for project managers to manage resources and time effectively.

Question 2

Millennium,Inc,a leading producer of environmentally friendly cleaning agents is looking for a site for a new production facility.The company is mainly focusing on sites that are close to major highways and rail hubs and are not too far from some major population centers.This suggests that an important location consideration for Millennium is:

Accepted Answer

The fact that Millennium is looking for a location close to major highways and rail hubs, and not too far from population centers, suggests that reducing time to market is an important consideration. This implies that the company is interested in quickly and efficiently getting their products to market to meet consumer demand. Therefore, access to cheap land, quality of life, and access to low cost labor may not be as important location considerations for Millennium in this case.

Question 3

At Stevens Manufacturing workers are organized in teams that combine their efforts to produce complex units of a final product.Stevens is using a facility layout known as a(n):

Accepted Answer

The answer of At Stevens Manufacturing workers are organized in...

Question 4

Last week John got a call from his contact,Eric at Alpine Telecomm in Switzerland,one of his company's largest international customers.As Eric put it,"This is a heads-up! Top management is asking operations to review our vendor's for ISO 14000 compliance." John's company should prepare to demonstrate:

Accepted Answer

ISO 14000 is a standard for environmental management systems, which focuses on managing and reducing the impact a company has on the environment. Therefore, John's company should be prepared to demonstrate its best practices for managing its impact on the environment to comply with ISO 14000. Choices A, B, and C are not directly related to ISO 14000 compliance.

Question 5

The purpose of determining the critical path on a PERT network is to:

Accepted Answer

The critical path on a PERT network is the sequence of tasks that takes the longest to complete, and it is essential to determine it to ensure that the project can be completed within the desired time frame. Knowing the critical path allows project managers to focus their efforts on the most critical tasks and allocate resources effectively.

Question 6

The purpose of a PERT network is:

Accepted Answer

PERT (Program Evaluation and Review Technique) networks are used to map out a project's tasks, dependencies, and timelines. PERT networks allow project managers to monitor the progress of a project and identify critical paths, which are the tasks that must be completed on time in order to ensure the overall project meets its deadline.

Question 7

As businesses strive for market expansion,companies add to their sales force,but opt to eliminate sales offices across the nation and internationally.How are these firms able to remotely operate a sales force that contributes toward increasing the bottom line?

Accepted Answer

With the use of teleconferencing technology and telecommuting, companies can effectively manage and communicate with their remote sales force. This allows for real-time collaboration and feedback, despite physical distance. Additionally, the use of an advanced MRP system can help with coordination and organization of sales activities. Moving manufacturing facilities may not necessarily be related to managing a remote sales force, and transporting sales professionals to headquarters on a bi-weekly basis may be too costly and time-intensive.

Question 8

A firm that is certified as meeting both ISO 9000 and ISO 14000 standards has demonstrated:

Accepted Answer

ISO 9000 specifies requirements for a quality management system, while ISO 14000 specifies requirements for an environmental management system. A firm that is certified for both standards has demonstrated effective management of both quality and environmental standards, indicating a world-class management approach. The other options are not directly related to ISO 9000 and ISO 14000 standards.

Question 9

X-Sport Industries is a U.S.-based manufacturer of sporting goods.Recently,it has decided to make a major push to sell its products in the European Union.In order to succeed in this new market X-Sport will need to:

Accepted Answer

Becoming certified in ISO 9000 standards is important for X-Sport Industries to ensure that their products meet the quality standards required for the European market. ISO 9000 certification indicates to customers that X-Sport has a standardized quality management system in place, which is highly valued by European customers. Converting financial assets into Euros and reducing wages of production workers are not directly related to the success of X-Sport's expansion into the European market. Avoiding reliance on the Deming cycle (a process improvement methodology) could also hinder X-Sport's ability to improve the quality of their products and processes in the long run.

Question 10

Production manager Marvin McNealy wants to link all the divisions and subsidiaries of his firm's computerized functions into a single,integrated software program that uses a single database.In order to achieve this goal,Marvin could make use of:

Accepted Answer

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) is designed to integrate all functions and departments within an organization into a single, unified system. This includes linking different divisions and subsidiaries through a shared database, which would help Marvin McNealy achieve his goal of integrating all computerized functions. Manufacturing resource planning (MRP) is a more specialized system focused on inventory control and production scheduling, while program evaluation and review techniques (PERT) and Gantt charts are scheduling tools used to manage projects.

Question 11

Becca works as a new product development engineer for a company that makes solar panels for residential and commercial purposes.Her company uses PERT network software for all development projects.As she nears the final month of her timeline for completing a new panel,Becca will focus on those activities that are:

Accepted Answer

Activities on the critical path are the most important because they directly affect the project completion date. As Becca nears the final month of her timeline, she should focus on completing the activities on the critical path to ensure that the project is completed on time.

Question 12

Courtney was planning a new product launch.She knew that the art department was ready to work on the promotional pieces now,but they couldn't start until the strategy group established the price point and the purchasing group obtained the paper needed to make the promotional piece.Establishing price points would take about a week and was dependent on manufacturing getting the costs to the strategy group.This was expected a week from today.The purchasing group indicated the paper could be obtained locally the same day it was requested.Assuming things go as planned and based on this information,when will the art department be able to begin work on the promotional pieces?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Courtney was planning a new product launch.She...

Question 13

A small hospital in a suburb of a large metropolitan area wants to further develop its operations and services in order to compete with other hospitals in the region.In analyzing the criteria for making this happen,location is a primary concern.If it constructs additional floors,it could increase the quality of a few services in its present location,but city regulations would require more parking.As it looks for new property,which of the following criteria would not be an important consideration for this facility?

Accepted Answer

"Time to market" is not a relevant criteria for a hospital looking for new property. This term typically refers to the amount of time it takes to bring a new product or service to market, which is not directly applicable to the hospital's situation. Access to good roads and interstate system, tax benefits, and skilled labor are all important criteria for a hospital's location decision.

Question 14

___________ is a technique to analyze and sequence tasks involved in completing a project,to estimate the time needed to complete each task,and to determine the minimum amount of time needed to complete each project.

Accepted Answer

PERT (Program Evaluation Review Technique) is specifically designed for project management and is used to analyze and sequence tasks involved in completing a project, estimate the time needed to complete each task, and determine the minimum amount of time needed to complete each project. The other options (ECON, LIFO, and GANTT) are not directly related to project management and cannot perform the same functions as PERT.

Question 15

Both PERT diagrams and Gantt charts are useful to managers concerned with:

Accepted Answer

Both PERT diagrams and Gantt charts are tools used to schedule and track project progress to ensure completion on time. They do not directly relate to calculating profit, estimating costs, or establishing lines of authority in an organization.

Question 16

The first step in the development of a PERT chart is:

Accepted Answer

The first step in the development of a PERT chart is to analyze the tasks and determine the sequence in which they must be performed. Once the tasks have been identified and their sequence determined, then estimates for the time and cost of each task can be made, leading to the creation of a complete PERT chart.

Question 17

Which of the following would be most helpful to a production manager who wanted to determine the minimum time required to complete a proposed project?

Accepted Answer

PERT (Program Evaluation and Review Technique) is a project management tool that helps determine the minimum time required to complete a project. It helps identify the critical path (the sequence of tasks that determines the shortest possible duration of the project) and allows for the estimation of completion time with a certain degree of accuracy. TQM (Total Quality Management) focuses on improving the quality of products and processes, CAD/CAM (Computer-Aided Design/Computer-Aided Manufacturing) helps with product design and production processes, and ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) helps manage various business functions such as accounting, HR, and inventory. While these are useful tools, they would not provide the minimum time required to complete a proposed project.

Question 18

A bar graph that shows what projects or tasks are in process and how much of each is completed is called a(n):

Accepted Answer

A bar graph that shows what projects or tasks are in process and how much of each is completed is called a Gantt chart.

Question 19

Superior Supplies largest customer recently implemented a just-in-time inventory system.As a supplier of materials to this customer,Superior Supplies will:

Accepted Answer

With a just-in-time inventory system, the customer expects to receive materials exactly when they are needed, which may require Superior Supplies to increase effort and incur higher transportation costs to meet those demands. They may also need to be more flexible in scheduling deliveries to align with the customer's needs. However, there is no evidence to suggest that quality should be compromised or that large quantities should be delivered at regular intervals.

Question 20

A PERT network consists of activities linked by arrows.Suppose two of the activities on the network are labeled "A" and "B".An arrow from "A" to "B" indicates that:

Accepted Answer

An arrow from "A" to "B" on a PERT network indicates that "A" must be completed before "B" can begin.

Quiz 9: Production and Operations Management