OM Chapter 9

A fabrication line and an assembly line are both types of repetitive and product-focused layout, but only the fabrication line utilizes workstations.

False

Process-oriented layouts typically have low levels of work-in-process inventory.

False

Product-oriented layouts tend to have high levels of work-in-process inventories.

False

The biggest advantage of a product layout is its flexibility to handle a varied product mix.

False

The layout approach that addresses trade-offs between space and material handling is called the fixed-position layout.

False

The work cell layout, a special arrangement of machinery and personnel to focus on the production of a single product or group of related products, is for manufacturing applications and has no relevance to services.

False

Utilization of the total "cube" is the dominant consideration in office layout.

False

A hospital's layout most closely resembles which of the following?

Job Shop

Which of the following does NOT support the retail layout objective of maximizing customer exposure to products?

Maximize exposure to expensive items.

Which of the following is TRUE of random stocking?

None of these is true

Which of the following is NOT one of the factors complicating the techniques for addressing the fixed-position layout?

Takt times at workstations are dynamic.

Which of the following is TRUE regarding fabrication lines?

They are usually machine-paced as opposed to worker-paced.

A process-oriented layout is the traditional way to support a product differentiation strategy.

True

Category management is the use of computer software to evaluate the profitability of various merchandising plans for hundreds of categories.

True

Cross-docking processes items as they are received, rather than placing them in storage.

True

Cycle time is the maximum time that the product is allowed at each workstation.

True

Job lots are groups or batches of parts processed together.

True

One drawback of a product-oriented layout is that work stoppage at any one point ties up the whole operation.

True

One guideline for a retail layout is to locate high-draw items around the periphery of the store.

True

One guideline for determining the arrangement and space allocation of a retail store is to place high-impulse and high-margin items in prominent locations.

True

Servicescape refers to the physical surrounding in which the service is delivered.

True

The most common tactic to arrange departments in a process-oriented layout is to minimize material handling costs.

True

The work cell improves layouts by reducing both floor space and direct labor cost.

True

Balancing low-cost storage with low-cost material handling is important in which of the following?

Warehouse layout

"A special arrangement of machinery and equipment to focus on production of a single product or group of related products" describes what layout type?

Work cell

The fixed-position layout would be MOST appropriate in which of the following settings?

a cruise ship assembly facility

Which of the following is NOT an information requirement for solving a load-distance problem to design a process layout?

a list of product cycle times

If a layout problem is solved by use of heuristics, this means that:

a satisfactory, but not necessarily optimal, solution is acceptable.

Which one of the following is NOT common to repetitive and product-oriented layouts?

ability to adjust to changes in demand

The major problem addressed by the warehouse layout strategy is:

addressing trade-offs between space and material handling.

Which of the following is NOT one of the requirements of cellular production?

adequate volume for high equipment utilization

In assembly-line balancing, the theoretical minimum number of workstations is:

all of these

Balancing a work cell is done:

as part of the process of building an efficient work cell

ASRS stands for which of the following?

automated storage and retrieval system

Four hundred and eighty minutes of production time are available per day. Scheduled production is 120 units per day. What is the required cycle time?

4

In the office relationship chart, which rating reflects the highest importance for two departments' closeness to each other?

A

Slotting fees:

All of these

Which of the following is a disadvantage of product-oriented layout?

All of these are disadvantages of product-oriented layouts.

Cross-docking refers to which of the following?

Avoid placing materials or supplies in storage by processing them as they are received.

For which of the following operations would a fixed-position layout be MOST appropriate?

constructing a highway tunnel

Which of the following reduces product handling, inventory, and facility costs, but requires both (1) tight scheduling and (2) accurate inbound product information?

cross-docking

Cycle time is computed as:

daily operating time divided by the scheduled output

Which of the following is NOT an advantage of work cells?

decreased equipment and machinery utilization

The main issue in designing process-oriented layouts concerns the relative positioning of:

departments or work centers.

The objective of layout strategy is to:

develop an effective and efficient layout that will meet the firm's competitive requirements

Ambient conditions; spatial layout and functionality; and signs, symbols, and artifacts are all:

elements of servicescapes.

One of the major advantages of process-oriented layouts is:

flexibility in equipment and labor assignment.

Deloitte & Touche solved the empty desk problem by:

implementing a "hoteling" program.

The concept of customizing in a warehouse layout:

incorporates value-added activities in warehouses

A big advantage of a process-oriented layout is:

its flexibility in equipment and labor assignments

In assembly-line balancing, cycle time (the ratio of available production time to scheduled production) is the:

maximum time that a product is allowed at each workstation.

Which of the following is NOT a heuristic rule for assigning tasks to workstations in a product layout?

median tasks first

The most common tactic followed in process-layout planning is to arrange departments or work centers so they:

minimize the costs of material handling.

The typical goal used when developing a process-oriented layout strategy is to:

minimize the material handling costs.

The major problem addressed by the process-oriented layout strategy is:

minimizing difficulties caused by material flow varying with each product.

The central problem in product-oriented layout planning is:

minimizing the imbalance in the workloads among workstations.

A production line is to be designed for a product whose completion requires 21 minutes of work. The factory works 400 minutes per day. Can an assembly line with five workstations make 100 units per day?

no, it will fall short even with a perfectly balanced line

Which of the following constitutes a major trend influencing office layouts?

off-site employees

Because problems with fixed-position layouts are so difficult to solve well onsite, operations managers:

often complete as much of the project as possible offsite.

Which of the statements below best describes office layout?

positions workers, their equipment, and spaces/offices to provide for movement of information

Which type of layout features departments or other functional groupings in which similar activities are performed?

process-oriented

What layout strategy deals with low-volume, high-variety production?

process-oriented layout

Workspace can inspire informal and productive encounters if it balances what three physical and social aspects?

proximity, privacy, and permission

Which of the following is a common heuristic for assembly line balancing?

ranked positional weight

A product-oriented layout would be MOST appropriate for which one of the following businesses?

steel making

Which of the following is NOT one of McDonald's "seven major innovations"?

the Happy Meal

Solving a load-distance problem for a process-oriented layout requires that:

the difficulty of movement be the same for all possible paths.

The disadvantages of process-oriented layout come from:

the flexibility of general-purpose equipment.

Mathematically, takt time is:

total work time available divided by units required

The assumptions necessary for a successful product-oriented layout include all EXCEPT which of the following?

volatile product demand