Manufacturing Process Decisions: Types, Cycle Time, and Layout
Chapter 3: Manufacturing and Service Processes
Multiple Choice Questions
Manufacturing Process Decisions
22) A manufacturing process decision affects:
- A) The type of workforce needed.
- B) The type of equipment needed.
- C) The type of products that can be made.
- D) All of the above are correct.
23) Highly automated batch processes that can reduce the cost of making similar groups of products are:
- B) Flexible manufacturing systems.
24) The time between completions of successive units on a production line is called:
- A) Cycle time.
25) An advantage of a production line process is:
- C) The per-unit cost of items produced on the line.
Manufacturing Process Types
26) The manufacturing process used to make a wide variety of highly customized products in quantities as small as one is a:
- C) Job shop.
27) A sporting apparel manufacturer that produces T-shirts to commemorate significant athletic achievements for proud students and alumni probably uses:
- B) Batch manufacturing.
28) The Devon Tower graces the Oklahoma City skyline and is officially the tallest building in the state. The manufacturing process used to produce this jewel is most probably:
- A) A fixed-position layout.
29) Which of these manufacturing processes is most likely dictated by the physical characteristics of the product being produced?
- D) Continuous flow.
Customization in Manufacturing
30) Products that are customized only at the very end of the manufacturing process are known as:
- B) Assemble-to-order.
31) Products that use standard components, but the final configuration of those components is customer-specific, are known as:
- C) Make-to-order.
32) Assemble-to-order occurs upstream from:
- D) Finishing.
Service Processes
33) The greater the emphasis on intangible activities, the more management’s attention will be directed to:
- B) Training employees.
34) The point where the customer interfaces directly with the service organization is:
- A) The front room.
35) A legal service in a corporate acquisition probably scores:
- C) High on customization and high on intangible activities.
Production Line and Takt Time
36) Champion Cooling has just signed a contract to assemble window air conditioners for another company. The list of tasks, including time requirements and immediate predecessors, follows. Initially, the plan was to make 300 units in an eight-hour day, but as the summer months approach, Champion Cooling finds themselves far behind in total production. They wish to reconfigure their production line in order to produce maximum output. What should their takt time be?
- D) 10
37) The process design team at a manufacturer has broken an assembly process into eight basic steps, each with a required time and predecessor, as shown in the table. They work a 7-hour day and want to produce at a rate of 360 units per day. What should their takt time be?
- A) 70 seconds
The process design team at a manufacturer has broken an assembly process into eight basic steps, each with a required time and predecessor, as shown in the table. There are 8 productive hours available in a day, and the manufacturer wishes to produce 400 units.
Line Balancing and Efficiency
38) What is the theoretical minimum number of stations?
- B) Five
39) Operations managers and process engineers design a line that contains seven stations. What is the percentage of idle time?
- A) 29.5%
40) The manager assigns tasks to workstations and breaks ties using a longest operation heuristic. That is, if two or three tasks could be assigned to a given station, the manager assigns the longest task first and then fills in the remaining time at the workstation as completely as possible. Using this approach, what task(s) would be assigned at the fourth station?
- B) M
41) The process design team at a manufacturer has broken an assembly process into eight basic steps, each with a required time and predecessor, as shown in the table. There are 7.5 productive hours available in a day, and the manufacturer wishes to produce 400 units. Balance the line by assigning tasks to workstations to fill up as much takt time as possible. Break ties by assigning the longest task first. What task(s) should be assigned at the third workstation?
- A) B and E
42) The table depicts an assembly line that has been balanced with a takt time of 2 minutes. What is the percent idle time of this balance?
- B) 10%
Office Layout and Transportation Cost
43) These three tables show the floor layout of 5 departments in an office building, the average number of daily trips between each pair of offices, and the distance between each pair of offices. What is the total cost of this layout if there is a $0.50 per foot transportation cost?
- C) $3037.50