Deck 7: Extension: Learning Curves

Question 1

According to learning curve theory, for certain kinds of tasks the cost per unit decreases as the number of repetitions increases.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

When the task is fairly complex and has a longer duration, it will take a larger number of repetitions before improvement is observed.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

Learning curves are used primarily for mass production applications.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

If the elapsed time for the task is short and the activity is somewhat routine, a modest amount of improvement occurs during the first few repetitions.

Question 5

According to learning curve theory, the time reduction per unit decreases (improves) as the number of units increases.

Question 6

The learning curve principle would apply to a baseball pitcher learning to throw a curveball.

Question 7

The learning curve principle would apply to the number of students in a class: a class twice as large will learn 80 percent faster.

Question 8

The decrease in time between the second and fourth units will be equal to the decrease in time between the first and second units.

Question 9

A learning percentage of 95 percent indicates greater learning than a percentage of 90 percent.

Question 10

An 80 percent learning curve means that with each doubling of repetitions there will be a 20 percent decrease in time per unit.

Question 11

If we have never made the first unit but only think we know how much the labor time will be, we cannot draw a learning curve.

Question 12

If an 80 percent curve is appropriate for a task and the first unit takes 10 hours, the average time for the first two units would be eight hours.

Question 13

Learning curves are mostly relevant for complex, new activities that have not been done often.

Question 14

A learning curve for an overqualified worker is higher than that for an average worker.

Question 15

The learning curve is a basic tool for mass production-type activities because it can deal with large volumes of output.

Question 16

According to learning curve theory, every doubling of total output will produce a constant percentage decrease in time per unit.

Question 17

Suppose the first unit of output required 800 labor hours, and the second required only 640. How many hours will be reduced from the second unit to the fourth?

A) 128
B) 256
C) 512
D) 486
E) 322

Question 18

Negotiated purchasing results in lower unit costs for smaller quantities.

Question 19

For an 80 percent learning curve, if the first unit requires 10 hours, the second unit will require 8 hours and the third 6.4 hours.

Question 20

Learning curves generally apply to situations in which there is a high degree of human involvement and tasks are fairly repetitive.

Question 21

Suppose the first unit of output required 900 labor hours, and the second unit required only 810. At this rate, how many more units must be produced before labor requirements are less than 700 hours?

A) 2
B) 4
C) 6
D) 8
E) 10

Question 22

Once production is underway and the learning curve effect is occurring, successive changes made to the production process will cause the time per unit to:

A) continue following the original learning curve without any impact.
B) cause a scallop effect.
C) increase the unit time and result in a higher percentage learning curve.
D) decrease the unit time and result in a higher percentage learning curve.
E) decrease the unit time and result in a lower percentage learning curve.

Question 23

The more __________ a task, the less likely it is that a substantial learning curve will be in effect.

A) strategic
B) capital intensive
C) routine
D) tactical
E) unusual

Question 24

Which of the following is not a major caution or criticism of learning curves?

A) Learning rates may differ between organizations.
B) Projections should be regarded as approximations.
C) The base time must be carefully determined.
D) The curve may eventually tip upwards.
E) Carryover effects may alter the learning rate.

Question 25

A job is expected to have a 70 percent learning curve. The first unit has been completed in 20 hours. Accordingly, the second unit can be expected to take approximately how many hours?

A) 6
B) 9.8
C) 14
D) 20
E) 34

Question 26

A job has an 80 percent learning curve. If the first unit took 40 hours to complete, the fourth unit should take roughly how many hours?

A) 20
B) 25
C) 31
D) 35
E) 40

Question 27

Which one of the following would learning curves probably affect the least?

A) pricing new products
B) negotiated purchasing
C) layout analysis
D) scheduling
E) capacity planning

Question 28

Increasing volumes result in ___________ the learning curve.

A) moving up
B) moving down
C) moving off
D) moving away from
E) stabilization of

Question 29

A job is expected to have a learning curve of 90 percent. The third unit required 16 hours. The 12^th unit should take approximately how many hours?

A) 2.67
B) 4.83
C) 7.94
D) 10.31
E) 12.95

Question 30

In which of the following managerial activities would learning curves probably be the least useful?

A) negotiated purchasing
B) manpower planning
C) location analysis
D) budgeting
E) pricing new products

Question 31

It took exactly 10 hours to perform the first kidney transplant on a 100 percent learning curve. The second kidney transplant will take how many hours to perform?

A) 8 hours
B) 10 hours
C) 12 hours
D) A 100 percent learning curve cannot exist.
E) 5 hours

Question 32

The fact that human activities typically improve when they are done on a repetitive basis is described by a(n):

A) normal distribution curve.
B) learning curve.
C) binomial distribution curve.
D) exponential curve.
E) fatigue factor allowance.

Question 33

How long would a job with a 70 percent learning curve and a time of 20 hours for the first unit require (approximately, in hours) for the third unit?

A) 14.1
B) 11.4
C) 10.0
D) 7.8
E) 4.3

Question 34

A job has an 80 percent learning curve. The second unit required 12 hours to complete. Approximately how many hours will be devoted to the first five units (including those already completed)?

A) 26
B) 36
C) 46
D) 56
E) 66

Question 35

A manager is trying to estimate the appropriate learning curve for a certain job. The manager notes that the first four units had a total time of 30 minutes. Which learning curve would yield approximately this result if the first unit took 10 minutes?

A) .70
B) .75
C) .80
D) .85
E) .90

Question 36

On a log-log graph, learning curves appear as:

A) upward-curving lines.
B) downward-curving lines.
C) straight lines.
D) lines which increase at a decreasing rate.
E) lines which decrease at a decreasing rate.

Question 37

A job with a 70 percent learning curve required 20 hours for the initial unit. The fourth unit should require approximately how many hours?

A) 6
B) 9.8
C) 14
D) 20
E) 34

Question 38

Sometimes improvements in labor requirements are more apparent than real because of:

A) fixed costs increasing.
B) automation.
C) mass production.
D) increases in indirect labor.
E) greater precision in estimating the learning rate.

Question 39

To which worker would learning curves be most applicable?

A) bus driver
B) printing press operator
C) assembly-line worker
D) auto service mechanic
E) baker or cook

Question 40

A job has a 70 percent learning curve. If the first unit took 10 hours to complete, the third unit should take roughly how many hours?

A) 7
B) 5.7
C) 5
D) 3.5
E) 4.9

Question 41

A manager wants to analyze the learning curve associated with producing one of his company's products. Accordingly, he has gathered the following data: $$\begin{array} { | l | l | } \hline \text { UNIT PRODUCED } &{ \text { TIME REQUIRED } } \\\hline \text { Second } & 5 \text { hours } \\\hline \text { Fourth } & 4 \text { hours } \\\hline\end{array}$$ Approximately how long will it take to produce the fifth through tenth units?

A) 15 hours
B) 16 hours
C) 18 hours
D) 20 hours
E) 21 hours

Question 42

A company is preparing a bid on a government contract for 40 units of a certain product. The operations manager estimates the assembly time required for the first two units to be 10.4 hours and 8.8 hours. Approximately how long will it take to produce the 25^th through 30^th units?

A) 23 hours
B) 49 hours
C) 29 hours
D) 38 hours
E) It is impossible to say without additional information.

Question 43

Unit times for a job exhibit a learning effect. If the second unit took 30 hours, and the fourth unit took 21 hours, roughly how many hours would you estimate the third unit took?

A) 29
B) 27
C) 25
D) 24
E) 21

Question 44

A manager wants to analyze the learning curve associated with producing one of his company's products. Accordingly, he has gathered the following data: $$\begin{array} { | l | l | } \hline \text { UNIT PRODUCED } & { \text { TIME REQUIRED } } \\\hline \text { Second } & 5 \text { hours } \\\hline \text { Fourth } & 4 \text { hours } \\\hline\end{array}$$ Approximately how long did it take to produce the first four units?

A) 15 hours
B) 16 hours
C) 18 hours
D) 20 hours
E) 21 hours

Question 45

A job will have a learning rate of 75 percent. If the third unit requires 10 hours, the 12^th unit should require about this many hours:

A) 5.6.
B) 6.5.
C) 7.4.
D) 8.3.
E) 9.2.

Question 46

A company is preparing a bid on a government contract for 40 units of a certain product. The operations manager estimates the assembly time required for the first two units to be 10.4 hours and 8.8 hours. Approximately how long will it take to produce the 15^th unit?

A) 4.3 hours
B) 5.5 hours
C) 4.7 hours
D) 6.9 hours
E) 3.4 hours

Question 47

A manager wants to analyze the learning curve associated with producing one of his company's products. Accordingly, he has gathered the following data: $$\begin{array} { | l | l | } \hline \text { UNIT PRODUCED } & { \text { TIME REQUIRED } } \\\hline \text { Second } & 5 \text { hours } \\\hline \text { Fourth } & 4 \text { hours } \\\hline\end{array}$$ What is the learning curve percentage?

A) 40 percent
B) 50 percent
C) 75 percent
D) 80 percent
E) 90 percent

Question 48

When are learning curves most relevant to managerial decision making in mass production settings?

A) late in product life cycles
B) in the maturity phase
C) in the decline phase
D) before processes are stabilized
E) never

Question 49

A company is preparing a bid on a government contract for 40 units of a certain product. The operations manager estimates the assembly time required for the first two units to be 10.4 hours and 8.8 hours. What is the expected time required to produce the 40^th unit?

A) 3.2 hours
B) 4.4 hours
C) 5.9 hours
D) 3.7 hours
E) 2.2 hours

Question 50

A company is preparing a bid on a government contract for 40 units of a certain product. The operations manager estimates the assembly time required for the first two units to be 10.4 hours and 8.8 hours respectively. What is the appropriate learning curve?

A) 70 percent
B) 75 percent
C) 80 percent
D) 85 percent
E) 90 percent

Question 51

Which of the following is an example of a carryover effect?

A) capacity that was used on older products but that can be used on new products
B) previous experience that is relevant to the current scenario
C) existing products that are still in the maturity phase of their life cycle
D) forecasting errors from previous product lines
E) old supplier contracts that must still be honored

Question 52

To which of the following challenges are learning curves important considerations?

A) capacity planning
B) product designs
C) process layouts
D) output-based compensation
E) demand forecasting

Question 53

A manager is trying to estimate the learning rate for a new job. The first unit took 16 hours and the fourth unit required about 13 hours. The learning rate is:

A) 70 percent.
B) 75 percent.
C) 80 percent.
D) 85 percent.
E) 90 percent.

Question 54

A manager wants to analyze the learning curve associated with producing one of his company's products. Accordingly, he has gathered the following data: $$\begin{array} { | l | l | } \hline \text { UNIT PRODUCED } &{ \text { TIME REQUIRED } } \\\hline \text { Second } & 5 \text { hours } \\\hline \text { Fourth } & 4 \text { hours } \\\hline\end{array}$$ How long did it take to produce the first unit?

A) 5 hours
B) 6 hours
C) 6.25 hours
D) 6.33 hours
E) 6.5 hours

Question 55

In which of the following scenarios would an 80 percent learning curve be especially relevant?

A) the pursuit of an innovation strategy to stay ahead of competitors
B) the pursuit of a flexibility-based strategy to increase customer satisfaction
C) the pursuit of a customization-based strategy to command premium prices
D) the pursuit of a time-based strategy to gain market share
E) the pursuit of a quality-based strategy to gain customer loyalty

Question 56

A company is preparing a bid on a government contract for 40 units of a certain product. The operations manager estimates the assembly time required for the first two units to be 10.4 hours and 8.8 hours. Which unit, if any, will require approximately one-half the time of the first unit?

A) 18^th unit
B) 19^th unit
C) 20^th unit
D) 21^st unit
E) 22^nd unit

Question 57

A job has an 80 percent learning curve. If the first unit took 50 hours to complete, the third unit should take roughly how many hours?

A) 40
B) 36
C) 35
D) 32
E) 10

Question 58

A manager wants to analyze the learning curve associated with producing one of his company's products. Accordingly, he has gathered the following data: $$\begin{array} { | l | l | } \hline \text { UNIT PRODUCED } & { \text { TIME REQUIRED } } \\\hline \text { Second } & 5 \text { hours } \\\hline \text { Fourth } & 4 \text { hours } \\\hline\end{array}$$ Approximately how long will it take to produce the 10^th unit?

A) 1 hour
B) 2 hours
C) 3 hours
D) 4 hours
E) 5 hours

Question 59

A company is preparing a bid on a government contract for 40 units of a certain product. The operations manager estimates the assembly time required for the first two units to be 10.4 hours and 8.8 hours. What is the average time per unit for the first 30 units?

A) 4.7 hours
B) 5.9 hours
C) 5.6 hours
D) 4.5 hours
E) 3.6 hours

Question 60

A company is preparing a bid on a government contract for 40 units of a certain product. The operations manager estimates the assembly time required for the first two units to be 10.4 hours and 8.8 hours. If a contract for 30 units is canceled after the first 20 units, approximately how much of the expected total direct labor will have been expended to that point?

A) 73 percent
B) 55 percent
C) 61 percent
D) 50 percent
E) It is impossible to say without additional information.

Question 61

Ron has noted that the first accounting problem he did in a set of similar problems took him one hour, and the ninth problem took 24 minutes.
(A) Estimate Ron's learning curve.
(B) About how long did it take Ron to do his set of 10 problems?

Question 62

The third unit of a 10-unit job required 7.3 hours to complete. The fourth unit has been worked on for two hours, but it is not yet finished. Estimate the remaining amount of time that will be needed to finish this 10-unit job if the work has an 80 percent learning curve.

Question 63

Assembly of a model airplane has a learning curve of 80 percent. The estimated time to assemble a second identical model airplane is 40 hours. Determine approximately how much time will be required for:
(A) the eighth unit.
(B) the first 10 units.

Question 64

Sally suspects strongly that there is a learning curve associated with solving problems assigned for operations management. She notes that it took her approximately 33 minutes to solve the first problem and 17 minutes to solve the fifth problem.
(A) Estimate Sally's learning percentage.
(B) Using your answer from part A, estimate how long it will take Sally to finish the three remaining problems.

Question 65

Developing work assignments in a job shop in a certain firm has a learning curve of 80 percent. If the second set of assignments takes 12 minutes, determine the length of time required for the following:
(A) the fifth set.
(B) sets 3, 4, and 5 together.

Question 66

It takes a worker with a 90 percent learning curve 72.9 minutes to complete the fourth unit of a seven-unit job. Estimate the amount of time the worker spent on the first two units.

Question 67

Suppose the first unit required 800 hours and the second unit required only 680. Which of the following times for the fourth unit would be consistent with a true learning curve scenario?

A) 492
B) 587
C) 578
D) 603
E) 583

Question 68

An order we just received has a 90 percent learning curve associated with it. The second unit of the total 25-unit order had a unit time of 36 minutes. What will the total time be for the entire order (all 25 units)?