Ch. 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

A focused work center is well suited to the production of a large family of products requiring similar processing, even if their demands are not very stable.

FALSE

Heuristics are problem-solving procedures that mathematically optimize the solution.

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 dominant problem associated with the fixed-position layout is that workers are fixed in position, and they cannot be reassigned.

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

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

TRUE

________ is the pace (frequency) of production necessary (time per unit) to meet customer orders.

Takt time

Efficiency =

The total of all task times for the product divided by... [(Actual # of workstations)(Largest assigned cycle time)]

Minimum number of workstations =

The total of all task times for the product / Cycle time

What is the primary reason why retailers tend to locate high-draw items around the periphery of the store?

This arrangement will help to maximize customer exposure to other items in the store.

Which of the statements below best describes office layout? A) positions workers, their equipment, and spaces/offices to provide for movement of information B) addresses the layout requirements of large, bulky projects such as ships and buildings C) seeks the best personnel and machine utilization in repetitive or continuous production D) allocates shelf space and responds to customer behavior E) deals with low-volume, high-variety production

a

________ layouts deal with low-volume, high-variety production with like machines and equipment grouped together.

a process-oriented

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

a work cell

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? A) 4 minutes B) 5 minutes C) 6 minutes D) 7 minutes E) 8 minutes Answer: A

a: 4 minutes

Cross-docking refers to which of the following? A) Avoid placing materials or supplies in storage by processing them as they are received. B) The same docks can be used either incoming or outbound shipments. C) The same dock is used to unload and then reload the same truck. D) Warehouse docks are designed in the shape of a cross. E) Docks are placed in the warehouse according to the direction (north, south, east, or west) from which the truck is arriving.

a: avoid placing materials or supplies in storage by processing them as they are received .

Which of the following is NOT one of McDonald's seven major innovations? A) the Happy Meal B) drive-through windows C) breakfast menus D) play areas E) self-service kiosks

a: the happy meal

The major problem addressed by the warehouse layout strategy is:

addressing trade-offs between space and material handling.

Balancing a work cell is done:

as part of the process of building an efficient work cell.

In a product-oriented layout, what is the process of deciding how to assign tasks to workstations?

assembly-line balancing

Identify the five common layout heuristics used to assign tasks to workstations in assembly-line balancing.

(1) longest task (operation) time; (2) most following tasks; (3) ranked positional weight; (4) shortest task (operation) time; (5) least number of following tasks

If the schedule calls for the production of 120 units per day and 480 minutes of production time are available per day, the cycle time would be...

4 minutes

In the office relationship chart, which rating reflects the highest importance for two departments' closeness to each other? A) A B) E C) I D) O E) X

A

ASRS stands for...

Automated storage and retrieval system

A production line is to be designed to make 500 El-More dolls per day. Each doll requires 11 activities totaling 16 minutes of work. The factory operates 750 minutes per day. What is the required cycle time for this assembly line? A) 0.5 minutes B) 1.5 minutes C) 2 minutes D) 5,500 minutes E) 4.26 minutes

b: 1.5 minutes

Which of the following is NOT one of the requirements of cellular production? A) testing (poka-yoke) at each station in the cell B) adequate volume for high equipment utilization C) a high level of training, flexibility, and empowerment of employees D) being self-contained, with its own equipment and resources E) identification of families of products, often through the use of group technology codes or equivalents

b: adequate volume for high equipment utilization

Which of the following is NOT an advantage of work cells? A) reduced direct labor cost B) decreased equipment and machinery utilization C) heightened sense of employee participation D) reduced raw material and finished goods inventory E) reduced investment in machinery and equipment

b: decreased equipment and machinery utilization

Deloitte & Touche solved the empty desk problem by: A) assigning permanent desks. B) implementing a hoteling program. C) creating open offices. D) no longer allowing employees to work from home. E) reducing the number of allowable sick days per employee.

b: implementing a hoteling program

A product-oriented layout would be MOST appropriate for which one of the following businesses? A) fast food B) steel making C) insurance sales D) clothing alterations E) a grocery store

b: steel making

The work cell improves layouts by reducing

both floor space and direct labor cost

A production line is to be designed for a job with four tasks. The task times are 2.4 minutes, 1.4 minutes, 0.9 minutes, and 1.7 minutes. After line balancing, the largest possible assigned cycle time is ________ minutes, and the smallest possible assigned cycle time is ________ minutes. A) 1.8; 1.4 B) 1.6; 0.9 C) 6.4; 2.4 D) 2.4; 0.9 E) 6.4; 0.9

c

An assembly line consists of 158 tasks grouped into 32 workstations. The sum of all task times is 105 minutes. The largest assigned cycle time is 4 minutes. What is the efficiency of this line? A) 8 percent B) 21 percent C) 82 percent D) 100 percent E) 81 percent

c: 82%

An assembly line consists of 21 tasks grouped into 5 workstations. The sum of the 21 task times is 85 minutes. The largest assigned cycle time is 20 minutes. What is the efficiency of this line? A) 4.2 percent B) 17 percent C) 85 percent D) 100 percent E) 21 percent

c: 85%

Which of the following is NOT one of the factors complicating the techniques for addressing the fixed- position layout? A) The volume of materials needed is dynamic. B) At different stages of a project, different materials are needed; therefore, different items become critical as the project develops. C) Takt times at workstations are dynamic. D) There is limited space at virtually all sites. E) All of the above are complicating factors.

c: Takt times at workstations are dynamic

Which one of the following is NOT common to repetitive and product-oriented layouts? A) a high rate of output B) specialized equipment C) ability to adjust to changes in demand D) low unit costs E) standardized products

c: ability to adjust to changes in demand

For which of the following operations would a fixed-position layout be MOST appropriate? A) assembling automobiles B) producing TV sets C) constructing a highway tunnel D) refining of crude oil E) running an insurance agency

c: constructing a highway tunnel

One of the major advantages of process-oriented layouts is: A) high equipment utilization. B) large work-in-process inventories. C) flexibility in equipment and labor assignment. D) smooth and continuous flow of work. E) small work-in-process inventories.

c: flexibility in equipment and labor assignment

A hospitals layout most closely resembles which of the following? A) product oriented B) work cell C) job shop D) project E) retail

c: job shop

Which of the following does NOT support the retail layout objective of maximizing customer exposure to products? A) Locate high-draw items around the periphery of the store. B) Use prominent locations for high-impulse and high-margin items. C) Maximize exposure to expensive items. D) Use end-aisle locations. E) Convey the store's mission with the careful positioning of the lead-off department.

c: maximize exposure to expensive items

Which of the following is NOT a heuristic rule for assigning tasks to workstations in a product layout? A) longest tasks first B) in order of most number of following tasks C) median tasks first D) shortest tasks first E) in accordance with positional weight

c: median tasks first

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? A) yes, with exactly 100 minutes to spare B) no, but four workstations would be sufficient C) no, it will fall short even with a perfectly balanced line D) yes, but the line's efficiency is very low E) cannot be determined from the information given

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

Workspace can inspire informal and productive encounters if it balances what three physical and social aspects? A) proximity, privacy, and persuasion B) privacy, persuasion, and permission C) proximity, privacy, and permission D) proximity, persuasion, and permission E) proximity, persuasion, and passion

c: proximity, persuasion, permission

The assumptions necessary for a successful product-oriented layout include all EXCEPT which of the following? A) adequate volume for high equipment utilization B) standardized product C) volatile product demand D) adequately standardized supplies of raw materials and components E) All of the above are appropriate assumptions.

c: volatile product demand

A process layout problem consists of 4 departments, each of which can be assigned to one of four rooms. The number of different solutions to this problem is ________, although all of them may not have different material handling costs. A) 1 B) 4 C) 16 D) 24 E) unknown

d: 24

Four hundred and eighty minutes of production time are available per day. The schedule calls for the production of 80 units per day. Each unit of the product requires 30 minutes of work. What is the theoretical minimum number of workstations? A) 2 B) 3 C) 4 D) 5 E) 6

d: 5

Which of the following is NOT an information requirement for solving a load-distance problem to design a process layout? A) a list of departments or work centers B) a projection of work flows between the work centers C) the distance between locations D) a list of product cycle times E) the cost per unit of distance to move loads

d: a list of product cycle times

In assembly-line balancing, the theoretical minimum number of workstations is: A) the ratio of the sum of all task times to cycle time. B) always (when a fraction) rounded upward to the next larger integer value. C) not always possible to reach when tasks are actually assigned to stations. D) all of the above. E) none of the above.

d: all of the above

The fixed-position layout would be MOST appropriate in which of the following settings? A) a fast-food restaurant B) a doctor's office C) a casual dining restaurant D) a cruise ship assembly facility E) a washing machine assembly line

d: cruise ship assembly facility

The concept of customizing in a warehouse layout: A) is possible, but it causes serious loss of oversight of the quality function. B) cannot be considered seriously in todays high efficiency factories. C) is theoretically sound, but several years away in practice. D) incorporates value-added activities in warehouses. E) locates stock wherever there is an open location.

d: incorporates value-added activities in warehouses

The major problem addressed by the process-oriented layout strategy is:' A) the movement of material to the limited storage areas around the site. B) how to design a continuous flow process. C) the provision of low-cost storage with low-cost material handling. D) minimizing difficulties caused by material flow varying with each product. E) balancing product flow from one work station to the next.

d: minimizing difficulties caused by material flow varying with each product

Which of the following constitutes a major trend influencing office layouts? A) downsizing B) globalization C) environmental issues D) off-site employees E) health issues

d: off-site employees

Which of the following is a common heuristic for assembly line balancing? A) first come, first served B) least preceding tasks C) earliest due date first D) ranked positional weight E) most preceding tasks

d: ranked positional weight

Which of the following is TRUE regarding fabrication lines? A) They are the same thing as assembly lines. B) They are the same thing as focused factories. C) They are a special type of process-oriented layout. D) They are usually machine-paced as opposed to worker-paced. E) They require completely different line balancing techniques than do assembly lines.

d: they are usually machine-paces as opposed to worker-paced

cycle time is computed as

daily operating time divided by the scheduled output.

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

departments or work centers

If a layout problem is solved by use of heuristics, this means that: A) there is no other way to solve the problem. B) no computer software is available. C) the problem has only a few alternatives to evaluate. D) no optimum solution exists. E) a satisfactory, but not necessarily optimal solution is acceptable.

e: a satisfactory, but not necessarily optimal solution is acceptable

Slotting fees: A) are charged by retailers to stock a product. B) can amount to as much as $25,000. C) are not a part of Walmarts business practices. D) can reduce the ability of small businesses to introduce new products. E) all of the above

e: all of the above

Which of the following is a disadvantage of product-oriented layout? A) There is a lack of flexibility necessary for handling a variety of products. B) High volume is required because of the large investment needed to establish the process. C) Work stoppage at any one point can tie up the whole operation. D) There is a lack of flexibility necessary for handling a variety of production rates. E) All of the above are disadvantages of product-oriented layouts.

e: all of the above

A good layout requires determining: A) material handling equipment. B) capacity and space requirements. C) environment and aesthetics. D) cost of moving between various work areas. E) all of the above

e: all the above

Which of the following reduces product handling, inventory, and facility costs, but requires both (1) tight scheduling and (2) accurate inbound product information? A) phantom-docking B) random stocking C) ASRS D) customizing E) cross-docking

e: cross-docking

Which of the following is one of the main advantages of a product-oriented layout? A) high customer exposure rates B) employability of highly skilled labor C) high flexibility D) low capital cost E) low variable cost per unit

e: low variable cost per unit

The main goal of retail layout is: A) minimizing material handling cost. B) minimizing customer confusion regarding location of items. C) minimizing storage costs. D) minimizing space required. E) maximizing profitability per square foot of floor space.

e: maximizing profitability per square foot of floor space

Which of the following is TRUE of random stocking? A) Because items are stocked randomly, accurate inventory records are not necessary. B) Its results always minimize handling costs. C) Products have their own permanent storage spot. D) Each pick can be of only one product. E) None of the above is true.

e: none of the above

Which of the following is NOT a retail layout practice? A) Locate the high-draw items around the periphery of the store. B) Distribute power items throughout the store. C) Use end-aisle locations to maximize product exposure. D) Use prominent locations for high-impulse and high-margin items. E) All of the above are retail layout practices.

e: they are ALL retail layout practices

Balancing low-cost storage with low-cost material handling is important in which of the following? A) fixed-position layout B) process-oriented layout C) office layout D) repetitive and product-oriented layout E) warehouse layout

e: warehouse layout

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

elements of servicescapes

A(n) ________ line is a machine-paced product-oriented facility for building components.

fabrication

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

false

The project remains in one place and workers and equipment come to that one work area in a(n) ________ layout.

fixed-position

McDonald's seven major innovations are...

indoor seating, drive-through windows, breakfast menus, play areas, "Made by You" kitchen system, self-service kiosk, 21st century look.

Retail layouts are based on the notion that

maximizing customer exposure rate maximizes sales and profit

The objective of layout strategy is to develop an effective and efficient layout that will...

meet the firm's competitive requirements

The most common tactic to arrange departments in a process-oriented layout is to...

minimize material

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 central problem in product-oriented layout planning is:

minimizing the imbalance in the workloads among workstations.

A(n) ________ groups workers, their equipment, and spaces/offices to provide for comfort, safety, and movement of information.

office layout

The ________ uses non-numeric & closeness ratings to determine which departments should be located near one another and which departments should be kept farther apart.

office relationship chart or relationship chart

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.

Servicescape refers to the...

physical surrounding in which the service is delivered.

Cross-docking processes items as they are received, rather than

placing them in storage.

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

Job lots are groups or batches of parts...

processed together.

The ________ layout's main objective is to equalize the task time for each station.

product oriented

Category management is the use of computer software to evaluate the...

profitability of various merchandising plans for hundreds of categories.

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

A(n) ________ addresses flow, allocates space, and responds to customer behavior.

retail layout

________ are charges that manufacturers pay to get their products displayed.

slotting fees

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.

One drawback of a product-oriented layout is that work stoppage at any one point...

ties up the whole operation

Mathematically, takt time is:

total work time available divided by units required.

A process-oriented layout is the traditional...

way to support a product differentiation strategy.

A(n) ________ is a special product-oriented arrangement of machines and personnel in what is ordinarily a process-oriented facility.

work cell

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

workstation