Deck 14: Jit and Lean Operations

Question 1

In a lean environment, anything not essential to the product or process is viewed as waste.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

In lean operations, input resources arrive for processing only after the preceding batch has been completed.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

If a firm's product mix is 60 percent of product A and 20 percent each of products B and C, an optimal mix-model production schedule would be successive sequences of AAABC.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

The use of small lot sizes in lean operations is in conflict with the EOQ approach since setup costs tend to be significantly higher than holding costs.

Question 5

Although inventories are maintained, the goal of lean operations is to minimize safety stock.

Question 6

In the lean philosophy, producing more than two order quantities represents waste.

Question 7

A functioning MRP system is required prior to adopting lean planning and control systems.

Question 8

Lean operations cannot easily handle changes of output or product mix.

Question 9

The small lot-sizing policy works well in a situation where both holding costs and setup costs are high.

Question 10

The ultimate goal of lean operations is a system characterized by the smooth, rapid flow of materials.

Question 11

Value stream mapping is a technique focused on finding new ways of adding value for critical stakeholders such as customers.

Question 12

Setup time and its associated cost can often be reduced by the use of group technology.

Question 13

A basic requirement for operating with low inventories in lean systems is that major system problems must already have been solved and new problems will be solved as they appear.

Question 14

In the lean philosophy, the larger the lot size, the easier it is to schedule.

Question 15

Fast and simple are two common threads that run through the four building blocks of lean operations.

Question 16

Lean systems often use layouts that are based on group technology product requirements.

Question 17

The four building blocks of lean operations are: product design, process design, personnel/organizational elements, and manufacturing planning and control.

Question 18

The goal of lean operations is to produce output using fewer resources than traditional planning systems.

Question 19

Quality and highly capable production systems are requirements for the successful implementation of lean operations.

Question 20

A benefit of small lot sizes in lean systems is that each product is produced less frequently.

Question 21

In lean operations, when work is completed at one work center, it is important to immediately move the completed work to the next work center to minimize idle time.

Question 22

In lean operations, a responsibility of the cross-trained worker is to check the quality of the work of others.

Question 23

One major difference between the use of kanban and MRP in scheduling the products to be built is that kanban is primarily a manual system while MRP uses computers.

Question 24

Increased setup times equal increased work-in-process inventories.

Question 25

Lean systems typically require that suppliers be able to provide large lots at periodic intervals.

Question 26

"Autonomation" indicates that the firm is attempting to reduce its dependence on automated equipment.

Question 27

Limited WIP lowers inventory carrying costs but reduces flexibility.

Question 28

In a pull system, a quantity of inventory in front of a workstation indicates problems at that workstation.

Question 29

Kanban is the Japanese term for autonomation.

Question 30

Engineering changes should not be made in the six-month period following the introduction of a new product.

Question 31

One way of reducing the number of suppliers to the organization is to limit contacts to two tiers of suppliers.

Question 32

Lean purchasing requires frequent contract bidding by multiple sources to ensure the buyer of competitive prices.

Question 33

Kanban focuses on specific part numbers; CONWIP does not.

Question 34

A real advantage of the lean philosophy is the reduction of coordination effort required.

Question 35

The lean philosophy recognizes that some work-in-process inventories are a necessary investment to allow for smooth work flow.

Question 36

One problem with lean operations is that they can lead to much frustration and disappointment of people on the shop floor due to the need for continuously monitoring and expediting resource availability.

Question 37

Preventive maintenance is additional maintenance done immediately after a breakdown has occurred to help prevent any further breakdowns.

Question 38

A fundamental tenet of the lean philosophy is that workers are paid based on seniority.

Question 39

In the lean approach, inventories are reduced gradually, instead of eliminating inventories as rapidly as possible.

Question 40

Preventive maintenance will eliminate the need to carry supplies of spare parts.

Question 41

Which of the following would you not expect to see in a lean environment?

A) a flexible system
B) minimum inventory
C) little waste
D) reduced setup times
E) a significant number of daily schedule changes

Question 42

A benefit of the lean philosophy is the flexibility to respond quickly to changing customer requirements.

Question 43

The lean philosophy suggests that workers are:

A) assets.
B) liabilities.
C) interchangeable.
D) replaceable.
E) to be phased out.

Question 44

In the lean philosophy, the ideal lot size is:

A) the economic order quantity.
B) the economic run size.
C) one unit.
D) the capacity of the standard container.
E) N = (DT(1 + X))/C.

Question 45

A conveyance __________ signals parts movement.

A) request
B) routing
C) bar code
D) kanban
E) kazian

Question 46

Lean systems often rely on a method of overhead allocation known as:

A) direct-labor allocation.
B) capital-charge allocation.
C) mixed-model accounting.
D) activity-based costing.
E) indirect-labor allocation.

Question 47

Which of the following is not a principle regarding the way lean systems function?
(I) Identifying customer values
(II) Focusing on processes that create value
(III) Elimination of waste to create flow
(IV) Increasing forecast accuracy
(V) Producing only according to customer demand
(VI) Optimizing on setup costs with long production runs
(VII) Striving for perfection

A) IV
B) II and IV
C) both IV and VI
D) IV and V
E) VI

Question 48

The comprehensive approach used in lean systems to deal with quality includes:

A) designing quality into products and processes.
B) insisting vendors provide high-quality materials.
C) making workers responsible for producing high quality.
D) designing in quality, insisting on quality materials, and making workers responsible for quality.
E) 100 percent inspection of raw materials, work-in-process, and finished goods.

Question 49

Although transitioning to a lean system can be a powerful means of improving performance, it is generally thought that using __________ along with lean can lead to even better results.

A) kaizen
B) ERP
C) six sigma
D) JIT
E) jidoka

Question 50

A benefit of lean systems is that lead times are increased, allowing more time for processing.

Question 51

In the Toyota Production System, waste and inefficiency are referred to as __________, and long-term reduction of this is referred to as __________.

A) jidoka; heijunka
B) muda; kanban
C) kaizen; heijunka
D) muda; kaizen
E) muda; jidoka

Question 52

Which of the following is not something commonly found in lean systems?
(I) Waste reduction
(II) Output match to a detailed forecast
(III) Visual controls
(IV) Quick changeovers
(V) Long production runs

A) both I and V
B) both II and V
C) both II and IV
D) both IV and V
E) both III and V

Question 53

Which of the following is not a benefit of small lot sizes in lean systems?

A) In-process inventory is considerably less.
B) Each product is produced less frequently.
C) Carrying costs are reduced.
D) There is less clutter in the workplace.
E) Inspection and rework costs are less.

Question 54

A lean-systems method of asking questions about a process is the __________ approach.

A) jidoka
B) 3 kanban
C) heijunka
D) 2 kaizen
E) 5W2H

Question 55

For a company with a product mix of 40 percent of product A and 30 percent each of products B and C, which of the following mixed-model sequences best reflects the lean philosophy?

A) AABBCCAABC
B) ABCABCABCA
C) AAAABBBCCC
D) BCABCABCAB
E) BBBAACCCAA

Question 56

Which one of the following is not one of the building blocks that is the foundation of the lean philosophy?

A) product design
B) process design
C) personnel/organizational elements
D) manufacturing planning and control
E) kanban

Question 57

Which of the following does not contribute to reduced setup time and cost?

A) standardized setup tools
B) standardized setup equipment
C) custom setup procedures for each product
D) use of multipurpose equipment or attachments
E) use of group technology

Question 58

The ultimate goal of lean operations is to have:

A) no in-process inventories.
B) cross-trained workers capable of handling every process.
C) a smooth, rapid flow of materials through the system.
D) no setup times.
E) all of the choices.

Question 59

Although lean systems tend to produce standardized product lines, to provide production variety without accompanying waste, lean producers often use __________ in __________.

A) standardized parts; modular designs
B) jidoka parts; kaizen designs
C) modular parts; flexible designs
D) capable parts; automated designs
E) heijunka parts; kanban designs

Question 60

Building up an inventory of standard parts or modules instead of immediately producing the finished end items is the essence of:

A) delayed differentiation.
B) kanban.
C) autonomation.
D) andon.
E) matrix management.

Question 61

Which of the following is characteristic of the lean philosophy?

A) Inventories are an asset.
B) Lot sizes are optimized by formula.
C) Vendors are coworkers, essentially other departments of our organization.
D) Queues are a necessary investment.
E) All of the choices.

Question 62

With regard to suppliers, lean systems typically require:

A) delivery of large lots at regular intervals.
B) buyer inspection of goods and materials.
C) multiple sources from which to purchase.
D) long-term relationships and commitments.
E) the lowest price possible.

Question 63

The Five S's do not include:

A) Sort.
B) Straighten.
C) Sanitize.
D) Sweep.
E) Standardize.

Question 64

A production kanban card is used to signal that:

A) work is needed at the work center.
B) work is ready to be moved to the next station.
C) a problem exists.
D) a machine has broken down and needs immediate attention.
E) a machine is ready for preventive maintenance.

Question 65

The kaizen philosophy applies to:

A) employee development.
B) safety stock.
C) waste.
D) supply chain management.
E) MRP III.

Question 66

The ultimate objective in a lean system is:

A) low to moderate levels of inventory.
B) high quality, zero defects.
C) minimal waste (less than 6 percent).
D) balanced and rapid flow.
E) all of these.

Question 67

A successful conversion to a lean system requires that the conversion:

A) be done as quickly as possible.
B) begin at the start of the process and work forward.
C) convert vendors to lean as one of the last steps.
D) reduce setup times as one of the last steps.
E) all of the choices.

Question 68

A basic requirement for operating with the low inventories present in lean systems is:

A) Inventory space must be increased.
B) Inventory investment must be increased.
C) Major problems must be identified.
D) Major problems must have been solved.
E) Inventories must be reduced rapidly.

Question 69

Which of the following contributes to the competitive advantage enjoyed by firms using lean production?

A) backup employees to cover for absenteeism
B) one hundred percent inspection to remove defects
C) dedicated equipment to reduce unit costs
D) safety stocks to prevent stockouts
E) greater flexibility to cope with change

Question 70

The term that refers to the automatic detection of defects is:

A) kaizen.
B) kanban.
C) autonomation.
D) automation.
E) 100 percent inspection.

Question 71

An operations strategy reflecting the lean philosophy of production should recognize that lean:

A) is most suited for nonrepetitive manufacturing.
B) cannot be implemented sequentially.
C) requires a wholesale commitment from the outset.
D) may provide a competitive advantage.
E) all of the choices.

Question 72

With regard to suppliers, lean systems typically involve:

A) delivery of large lots on short notice
B) the highest quality at the lowest price
C) long-term relationships
D) multiple suppliers to assure continuous availability
E) dedicated staging areas for material

Question 73

Which of the following questions is not answered by value stream mapping?

A) Where does waste occur?
B) Which processes or subprocesses exhibit the most variability?
C) Where are the best opportunities to extract more value from customers?
D) Where are process bottlenecks?
E) Where do errors occur?

Question 74

Which of the following is not characteristic of preventive maintenance in lean systems?

A) maintaining equipment in good operating condition
B) replacing parts when they are worn but before they fail
C) workers maintaining their own equipment
D) eliminating supplies of spare parts to reduce capital investment
E) perceiving breakdowns as an opportunity for improvement

Question 75

When lean is used in the context of services, which of the following is most often the focus?

A) the labor content of the service
B) the time needed to perform a service
C) the inventory tied up in the service
D) the equipment used in the service
E) suppliers of inputs to the service

Question 76

A common objective of both MRP and the lean philosophy is to:

A) smooth production.
B) minimize inventory.
C) obtain high quality.
D) reduce overhead.
E) eliminate inventory.

Question 77

A potential obstacle to conversion to a lean system is:

A) lack of management commitment.
B) lack of worker cooperation.
C) supplier resistance.
D) all of the choices.
E) insufficient space to store the increased inventories.

Question 78

A system of lights used at each workstation to signal problems or slowdowns is:

A) a command and control center.
B) automation.
C) andon.
D) a pull system.
E) kanban.

Question 79

The activity controlled in the same way by both kanban and MRP is the determination of:

A) rates of output.
B) products to be built.
C) materials required.
D) capacity required.
E) feedback information.

Question 80

Process design that supports lean does not include:

A) production flexibility.
B) duplicate facilities.
C) setup time reduction.
D) minimal inventory storage.
E) small lot sizes.