Ch. 6 Process selection and Facility Layout LearnSmart

Put the steps of line balancing in rank order with 1 being the first and 4 being the last step.

1. Assign tasks one at a time to the line, starting at the first workstation. 2. Calculate which tasks will fit the workstation being loaded 3. Apply heuristic rules if multiple tasks are possible 4. Use the tie-breaker rule if necessary

How many basic process types are there?

5

Which of the following attributes apply to Lean Process Design? (Select all that apply)

Can result in quicker response times and shorter lead times. Primarily focused on waste reduction. Can result in reduced inventory and floor space.

Efficiency in line balancing can best be described by which of the following statements?

Correct Answer: 100% - Percent Idle Time

A process which relies on additive manufacturing processes to create physical objects by applying successive layers of materials is ______.

Correct Answer: 3D printing

A Layout in the context of Operations is best defined as which of the following?

Correct Answer: A schematic diagram with configuration of work centers and equipment showing movement of work through the system.

Sometimes a small percentage of Idle Time is BETTER than a perfectly balanced assembly line, i.e., zero idle time. Why might this be the case?

Correct Answer: Absenteeism and worker fatigue, boredom Allows some margin for new workers not yet "up to speed" Variability in worker task completion times.

Which of the following statement(s) about Fixed-position layouts is/are correct? (Select all that apply)

Correct Answer: Administrative costs of coordinating activities can be significant. Lack of storage space can present problems. Used for Project process type, such as construction projects.

Which of the following statements about the effectiveness of process layouts are correct?

Correct Answer: An advantage of process layouts is their ability to satisfy a variety of processing requirements. An effective process layout is one that puts departments with high interdepartmental work flow near one another.

Which of the following terms is a synonym for production line?

Correct Answer: Assembly line

Select the best definition of line balancing in the context of product layouts.

Correct Answer: Assigning tasks to workstations so all have approximately equal processing times to achieve a synchronized flow on the line

Which of the following statements is correct about the disadvantages or risks of Automation in production?

Correct Answer: Automation requires high volumes of output.

Which of the following statements is correct about the advantages of Automation Technology in production.

Correct Answer: Automation tends to have low variability in output.

What are the five different process types? (Select all that apply)

Correct Answer: Batch Project Job Shop Repetitive Continuous

A Job Shop process type is chosen when a ____________ volume of high-variety goods are produced with a relatively high degree of flexibility in operation.

Correct Answer: Blank 1: low, small, or lower

The key aspects of an organization's process strategy are which of the following?

Correct Answer: Capital intensity and flexibility

What do businesses consider when implementing Sustainable Production? (Select all that apply)

Correct Answer: Carbon footprint and toxic emissions Energy use, efficiency, and waste reduction Worker health and safety

Lean design is often translated into practice using what type of layouts?

Correct Answer: Cellular

Which of the following tend to have low or very low variable costs?

Correct Answer: Continuous Repetitive

A Muther Grid may be more useful than From-To Charts for assigning department locations because of which of the following?

Correct Answer: Covers multiple dimensions of adjacency and ranks the importance of closeness.

Before tasks are assigned to workstations what must be known?

Correct Answer: Cycle Time Task Order of Precedence Heuristic Rules

Which of the following statements about cycle time is/are correct? (Select all that apply)

Correct Answer: Cycle time is a determinant of the number of workstations. Cycle time is the maximum time allowed at each workstation before the work moves on. Maximum cycle time is sum of all task times.

In designing service layouts the two key factors are which of the following?

Correct Answer: Degree of customer contact and degree of customization

Flexible processing systems are needed when which of the following conditions are present?

Correct Answer: Demand variety or uncertainty.

In layout design, the ideal situation is to do what first?

Correct Answer: Develop the layout

The two most useful types of From-To Charts for designing process layouts are which of the following?

Correct Answer: Distance between locations & interdepartmental work flow

A manufacturing engineer would like to calculate the theoretical minimum number of workstations to set up for a product line. How is the number of workstations determined?

Correct Answer: Divide the sum of all task times by the cycle time (Σt/CT

Which of the following are examples of Information Technology used in Operations? (Select all that apply)

Correct Answer: E-commerce, e-mail and the Internet Bar codes and radio frequency tags on goods for identification and tracking.

Adopting new process technology can have downsides as well as upsides. When weighing the benefits and risks, what are three broad areas of consideration?

Correct Answer: Economic, Integration, and Human.

What are the outputs of process selection and capacity planning?

Correct Answer: Facilities/equipment, Layout, Work Design

True or false: Process selection occurs only when new products or services are being planned.

Correct Answer: False

Which type of automation is typically the more expensive in regards to fixed costs?

Correct Answer: Fixed automation

For landscaping a home, which layout type would be used?

Correct Answer: Fixed-position layout

What are the benefits of using parallel workstations for a bottleneck?

Correct Answer: Flexibility Increased work flow

All of the following are advantages of Product layouts except which one?

Correct Answer: Flexibility in volume and design changes

Which automation technology evolved out of programmable automation?

Correct Answer: Flexible automation

Which of the following statements is true about flexible production systems?

Correct Answer: Flexible systems are often more costly and less efficient than non-flexible systems.

Which of the following statements about Cellular layouts is/are correct?

Correct Answer: Groups work as teams with limited supervision Improves flow in Batch process type Physical layout can be U-shaped

In addition to technical constraints, what other factors should be considered when assigning tasks to workstations?

Correct Answer: Human factors, equipment, and space limitations

Which of the following is/are examples of negative consequences of an unbalanced line? (Select all that apply)

Correct Answer: Idle time at faster workstations--waiting for the bottleneck Morale problems due to unequal work among employees

When does process selection need to be done or re-evaluated? (Select all that apply)

Correct Answer: In response to competition For new product introduction When technology changes

Which of the below statements about the disadvantages of Product layouts are correct? (Select all that apply)

Correct Answer: Inflexible systems respond poorly to changes in volume or product design. Division of labor creates dull, repetitive jobs

Choose the word(s) below which best describe(s) the work in Batch processing.

Correct Answer: Intermittent

Choose the word(s) below which best describe(s) the work in a Job Shop.

Correct Answer: Intermittent Customized

In service layout design, if customer contact and customization are both high, the process type and layout type are which of the following?

Correct Answer: Job Shop/Functional Layout

Which of the following tend to have low fixed costs?

Correct Answer: Job shop

Which of the following factors are requirements for process layout design?

Correct Answer: Key considerations such as adjacency needs between the departments Location of key utilities in the facility List of departments/work centers and their sizes Projection of the work flow through the system

Which of these is true of Layout decisions in operations system design?

Correct Answer: Layout decisions require substantial monetary investments

Which statement about From-To Charts is NOT correct?

Correct Answer: Low values between departments usually signify high adjacency needs.

Which of the following is NOT an input to process selection?

Correct Answer: Marketing Strategy

All of the following are obstacles to line balancing except which?

Correct Answer: More than one worker cannot be assigned to a given workstation.

What are some other external factors which might influence process layout design

Correct Answer: Noise levels at the various locations Ability to design a safe environment for employees and customers Size and location of restrooms

Choose the word(s) below which best describe(s) the work in Continuous processing.

Correct Answer: Non-discrete output No variety

What is an N/C machine?

Correct Answer: Numerically controlled

Which of the following statements is/are correct about Output Rate?

Correct Answer: Output rate must be calculated to find the range (min and max) of output possible for a given product. Output rate is a function of Operating Time and Cycle Time. The operations manager can request a desired output rate based upon projected demand.

To achieve a smooth flow of production, this approach identifies a bottleneck task and adds additional workstations there.

Correct Answer: Parallel workstations

Other alternative approaches to line balancing which remedy bottlenecks and excess idle time include which of the following?

Correct Answer: Parallel workstations Cross-training workers Mixed-model lines

Supermarkets generally use which of the following layout types?

Correct Answer: Process (Functional) layout

Which of the following statements about Process (Functional) layouts is/are correct?

Correct Answer: Process layouts are common in Service environments. Equipment is arranged by type rather than by processing sequence. Process layouts often use higher skilled labor than Product layouts do.

Which of the following statements about Layouts is correct?

Correct Answer: Process layouts are suited for Job Shop and Batch process types

Which of the following statement(s) about process selection is/are correct?

Correct Answer: Process selection can involve a substantial investment in equipment. Mismatches between operations capabilities and market demand can negatively impact competitiveness.

Which of the following statements about process technology is NOT true?

Correct Answer: Process technology includes the discovery and development of new or improved products.

_____ layouts and _____ layouts represent two ends of a continuum from small jobs to continuous production.

Correct Answer: Process, product

Which type of layout is most conducive to repetitive processing?

Correct Answer: Product

All of the following are advantages of Process (Functional) Layouts except which?

Correct Answer: Readily adapt to high volume output

Which statements about using Muther Grids for designing process layouts are correct

Correct Answer: Reads like a mileage chart between cities Ranks the importance of the closeness of one department to another Includes a rating for Undesirable Adjacency

All of the following terms are associated with Process layouts except which one?

Correct Answer: Repetitive processing

Which of the following statement(s) about the disadvantages of Process Layouts is/are correct?

Correct Answer: Routing and scheduling of operations pose continual challenges. Material handling is slow and inefficient. Equipment utilization rates are low.

Choose the word(s) below which best describe(s) the work in Repetitive processing.

Correct Answer: Technology-intensive Standardized goods or services Assembly line

What is the definition of a Fixed-position layout?

Correct Answer: The item being worked on remains stationary and workers, materials and equipment move as needed.

The main issue in designing process layouts concerns what?

Correct Answer: The relative locations of the departments

The maximum cycle time is equivalent to which of the following?

Correct Answer: The sum of all task times: Σt

Which of the following statements are true about Line Balancing?

Correct Answer: The tasks times added at a given workstation cannot exceed the cycle time. The precedence diagram is read from left to right when assigning tasks. Not every line can be perfectly balanced--usually there is some idle time.

Which of the following is true about Sustainable Production decisions?

Correct Answer: They affect people, the planet/environment, and the organization's profit or viability.

Which statement best describes the main objective in designing product layouts?

Correct Answer: To arrange workers and machines in the sequence that the operations will be performed.

Which of the following statements is/are correct about the Number of Workstations?

Correct Answer: To calculate, the desired cycle time must be known. If the Maximum Cycle Time is used, the number of workstations is 1. The number of workstations is a function of the desired output rate.

Which definition below best describes the basic objective of Layout Planning?

Correct Answer: To facilitate a smooth flow of work, material, and information through the system.

In process layout designs, why are departments with high interdepartmental work flow located near one another?

Correct Answer: To reduce transportation time between departments

True or false: Flexible automation requires significantly less changeover time than programmable automation.

Correct Answer: True

True or false: The main driver of process selection is customer demand.

Correct Answer: True

Choose the word(s) below which best describe(s) the work in a Project.

Correct Answer: Unique work Complexity varies

Which of the descriptions below do NOT apply to Cellular layouts?

Correct Answer: Useful in Repetitive processes

Which of the following is NOT included among economic considerations of process technology.

Correct Answer: Worker safety

In the context of line balancing, the line's capacity is _____.

Correct Answer: a function of its cycle time

3D printing uses a(n) ____________ manufacturing process to create objects.

Correct Answer: additive

Product or service profiling is used to ______.

Correct Answer: avoid a mismatch between product and process type

A measure of effectiveness that measures the percentage of idle time of the line is known as _____.

Correct Answer: balance delay

All of the following terms are associated with Product Layouts except ______.

Correct Answer: customization

Another term for cross-training workers is ______.

Correct Answer: dynamic line balancing

A Continuous process type is used for non-discrete highly standardized outputs when a very _________ volume and very _________ flexibility/variety is needed.

Correct Answer: high; low

The Repetitive process type, sometimes referred to as "Assembly," is selected when relatively ________ volume of more standardized goods or services is desired and thus a relatively _________ flexibility is tolerated.

Correct Answer: high; low

The advantages of the Repetitive/Assembly process type are the __________ unit cost and its efficiency for high volume operations.

Correct Answer: low

Products and services often go through life cycles that begin with ______ volume, which _____ as products or services become better known.

Correct Answer: low, increases

A Batch process type is selected when a ____________ volume and ___________ variety of goods or services is planned.

Correct Answer: moderate/moderate

A Project process type is unlike the other four types. It is for work that is ______________ with a unique set of objectives to be accomplished in a _____________ time frame.

Correct Answer: nonroutine; limited

Deciding on the way production of goods or services will be organized is ______.

Correct Answer: process selection

A smooth and rapid flow of large volumes of goods or services through a system is best achieved with ______.

Correct Answer: product layouts

The disadvantages of the Job Shop process type are the high unit cost, relative ______________ of production time, and complex planning and scheduling required.

Correct Answer: slowness

Repetitive and continuous processes require _____ inputs of _____ goods and services.

Correct Answer: steady, high-volume

Which elemental tasks are eligible to be assigned to a resource is based on ____________.

Correct Answer: technological constraints

Each of the following items would drive the need for layout planning except ______.

Correct Answer: unspent annual budget at the end of the year

The three primary questions that guide process selection concern ______

Correct Answer: variety, flexibility, and volume

Job shop and batch processing may mean that suppliers have to be able to deal with _____ order quantities and _____ of orders.

Correct Answer: varying, timing

Which of the following are examples of Information Technology used in Operations?

Correct Answer: Bar codes and radio frequency tags on goods for identification and tracking. E-commerce, e-mail and the Internet

True or false: Product and Service Profiling is defined as linking key product or service requirements to process capabilities.

Correct Answer: True

True or false: Different layout types can be combined in production in a single facility such as fixed-position and Process.

True

True or false: Moving from one stage of a product/service life cycle to another can cause a process type to change.

True