CPIM Module 4 D
Which of the following is an example of using the poka-yoke technique in process design? A rack system is designed to go in only one direction. Setup time is reduced by standardizing tooling. A coupling is designed to eliminate incorrect insertion. The number of types of fasteners is reduced from 20 to 5.
A coupling is designed to eliminate incorrect insertion.
A labor-intensive production line that requires specific skills is trying to increase its flexible capacity. How can this best be achieved? By establishing a focused factory By cross-training workers in various skills By hiring temporary staff with the necessary skills By automating the equipment to do some of the work
By cross-training workers in various skills
How can management show their support for small group improvement activities? By rewarding individual results By encouraging ownership of the task by empowering the group with authority By providing management intervention when needed By highlighting the group's success in the annual report
By encouraging ownership of the task by empowering the group with authority
Which of the following is an effective approach for implementing a continuous improvement program? Institute a management-by-walking-around philosophy. Hire a continuous improvement consulting firm. Educate a cross-functional team in problem-solving techniques. Incorporate quality circles throughout the company.
Educate a cross-functional team in problem-solving techniques.
What are three of the broad areas necessary to address how well the strategy execution process is performing? Quality, financial, employee turnover Customer, backorder/backlog, critical ratio Financial, customer, employees Operations, financial, schedule
Financial, customer, employees
Cross-trained workers are an important part of lean principles for which of the following reasons? Flexibility is increased because personnel can be moved around. Cross-training eliminates competition among workers. Compensation levels are flattened for easier management. Skills are developed for internal hiring.
Flexibility is increased because personnel can be moved around.
What should cross-functional project teams receive training in? Dealing with difficult people Microsoft Project Group dynamics Project management
Group dynamics
When a company seeks to measure the success of a change from a breakthrough improvement, as contrasted with a change from continuous improvement, what should they see? Lower capital expenditures Improved processes rather than higher employee morale Better processes and better short-term profit Higher profitability rather than improved processes
Higher profitability rather than improved processes
Which of the following methods encourages employee involvement in an organization? I. Implementing ideas quickly II. Recognizing employees for their ideas III. Promoting competition among employees I III I and II I, II, and III
I and II
Machine operators at a company are paid on an incentive system. Production, including scrap, is reported by the operator. No adjustment is made for parts found defective at final inspection. Verification of parts counts is not routinely done. Which of the following outcomes would be expected in this environment? I. Reported parts counts would tend to be higher than actual. II. The value of work-in-process inventory would be understated. III. Scrapped parts would tend not to be reported. I and II I and III II and III I, II, and III
I and III Production run on an incentive system will normally result in overstatements of actual production and poor scrap reporting simply because operators are paid by production output.
A quality-designed product will help prevent which of the following? Increased service-related costs Lot traceability issues Need for continuous improvement Competitive pricing
Increased service-related costs
Which of the following actions by a company is most likely to lead to job enrichment and increased employee satisfaction? Separating planning from execution Dividing jobs into specialized subtasks Controlling quality by inspection Increasing employee control over the process
Increasing employee control over the process Employee involvement and empowerment often results in employee pride, commitment, and a sense of ownership.
Which of the following performance measures of a distribution network best lends itself to continuous improvement initiatives? Asset utilization Quality Operating costs Cycle time
Quality
When a company is pursuing a program to achieve manufacturing excellence, which of the following objectives should receive the highest priority? Quality improvement Delivery reliability Volume flexibility Cost reduction
Quality improvement
When a strategy for continuous improvement is initiated, policies on which of the following areas are usually established first? Quality improvement Delivery dependability Cost reduction Flexibility
Quality improvement The first objective in a continuous improvement process is to improve quality. Once quality is improved, secondary projects for cost reduction, increased delivery dependability, and process flexibility can take place.
A company produces a household appliance in a highly competitive market. Which of the following quality commitments is the customer most interested in? Product warranty Quality of conformance Quality of design Product features
Quality of design
Which of the following benefits is considered to be the best motivator? Compensation Self-worth Additional responsibility Recognition
Recognition
Which of the following is true of major improvements, which are sometimes also known as breakthrough improvements? They are generally not successful. They typically depend on one or two highly skilled people. They are rarely inexpensive. They should be quick to implement.
They are rarely inexpensive.
What is the responsibility of the leader of a small group improvement activity? To report the team's decisions to management To make decisions when there is no consensus To facilitate the group's activities To give the team a project name
To facilitate the group's activities
What is the role of upper management in a quality organization? To provide resources and training for quality activities To hire outside resources to provide quality oversight To supervise the quality functions and activities To facilitate the quality teams
To provide resources and training for quality activities
The role of the quality department in implementing total quality management (TQM) includes which of the following? Serving as team leads for self-directed work teams Training employees on quality concepts and techniques Testing products for conformance to specifications Evaluating suppliers based on quality of material received
Training employees on quality concepts and techniques
A person dominates the discussion in a meeting. Another individual requests additional input from other members of the group. This second person is the: extrapolator. supervisor. gatekeeper. sensei.
gatekeeper. Gatekeeping is a group technique to effectively manage a situation, discussion, or meeting.
Workplace organization refers to: consolidation of management levels through employee empowerment. changing from a hierarchical to a matrix structure to support a pull system. having operations organized in a sequential and synchronous flow. having a clean area with a place for everything and everything in its place.
having a clean area with a place for everything and everything in its place.
A successful employee involvement (EI) program: invests production personnel with the power to improve operations. is a stand-alone event. is good for employee morale but seldom results in significant improvements. meticulously follows management directives.
invests production personnel with the power to improve operations.
To demonstrate support for a quality improvement process, management should provide: leadership. financial backing. consultants. discipline.
leadership.
A management style of employee empowerment enables workers to: authorize work orders. hire and fire personnel. perform management evaluations. make improvements in their workplace.
make improvements in their workplace.
Top management's role in implementing total quality management (TQM) includes: hiring outside individuals to drive the implementation process. overcoming cultural barriers to employee involvement. aligning the corporate vision with individual needs. participating in self-directed work teams.
overcoming cultural barriers to employee involvement.
The basic requirement of the design of a manufacturing process is to meet: management cost objectives. product specifications. line balancing standards. production schedules.
product specifications.
A design for a product or service that plans for intended performance in harsh environments is called: protective design. robust design. environmental design. sustainable design.
robust design. Robust design is design for a product or service that plans for intended performance even in the face of a harsh environment.
A group of people who independently work to manage their actions to achieve a defined output is a: work cell. middle management group. self-directed work team. quality circle.
self-directed work team.
Strategic continuous improvement activities facilitated by management include: pure market research. affinity groups in which a variety of products are assessed. setting direction, developing resources, and deploying resources. finding opportunities, acquiring capabilities, and delivering product.
setting direction, developing resources, and deploying resources.
All of the following factors are required to implement effective cross-functional teams except: shared vision. total quality management. change management. employee empowerment.
total quality management.
When a temporary underload of capacity is experienced, a company should consider: selling off surplus equipment. training production personnel. laying off personnel. taking the annual physical inventory.
training production personnel.
What is a benefit of cross-training employees? Reduced need to hire from outside Retaining proprietary knowledge in-house Additional problem-solving ideas generated due to cross-trained knowledge More consistent salary levels
Additional problem-solving ideas generated due to cross-trained knowledge
Which of the following objectives typically characterizes an employee involvement program? Solving problems Providing a forum for communication Decentralized decision making All of the above
All of the above
Which of the following is the best way to begin changing employee behavior? Implement a human resource information system. Simplify and flatten the organizational structure. Change the performance measurement and reward system. Provide more timely and explicit management directives.
Change the performance measurement and reward system.
Group members engaged in continuous improvement activities often encounter which of the following obstacles? Management involvement Training requirements Conflicting goals Meeting schedules
Conflicting goals
Which of the following takes place in group consensus building? There was 100% participation in the agreement. The majority of the members agree with the decision. Each member supports the decision whether or not they agree with it. The members have reached 100% agreement on the decision.
Each member supports the decision whether or not they agree with it.
Job analysis includes which of the following? Recruitment, selection, compensation, and performance appraisal Identifying and communicating what is required Job description and selection Determination of skills, abilities, and responsibilities of the person doing the job
Determination of skills, abilities, and responsibilities of the person doing the job Job analysis is the process of gathering information about the significant task-oriented activities and requirements needed in employees.
What is the first step in creating a team-based environment? Developing a project plan Developing a shared vision Developing a company hierarchy Developing a measurement plan
Developing a shared vision
Which of the following actions will most likely ensure end-user support for a new computerized information management system? Verifying that the system design is complete and capable of providing all features and capabilities identified by management Involving system users and stakeholders in reviews and approvals throughout the design and implementation process Communicating the strategic objectives of the new system and asking all personnel to support its implementation Providing high-quality training materials and detailed operating procedures for end users
Involving system users and stakeholders in reviews and approvals throughout the design and implementation process
In a continuous improvement environment, employee non-production time is acceptable for which of the following reasons? It is not acceptable, as 100% utilization should be the goal. It allows employees to use flextime. It allows time for employees to work on improvements. It shows management's trust that employees will find something to do.
It allows time for employees to work on improvements.
End-of-line inspection often fails to improve quality for which of the following reasons? It requires extensive personnel. It excludes quality circles. It disregards the causes of poor quality. Inspectors do not understand quality improvement techniques.
It disregards the causes of poor quality.
Which of the following is true of a continuous improvement activity such as developing a tool that facilitates quicker setup on a specific machine? It will likely be completed with two or three people from manufacturing within a work group. It should be completed by management. It should involve a cross-functional team. It should fall under the company's program management department and be subject to all the formal controls one would expect within the formal project management scope.
It will likely be completed with two or three people from manufacturing within a work group.
Which of the following is a three-pronged approach to managing quality? Triple bottom line Continuous improvement trilogy A3 problem-solving technique Juran trilogy
Juran trilogy The quality trilogy, or Juran trilogy, is a three-pronged approach to managing quality proposed by Joseph Juran.
Which group is responsible for defining and creating a corporate culture? Board of directors Management Each individual department Human resources
Management
Which of the following concepts supports an employee involvement initiative? Individual incentive schemes encourage improvement to the process. Workers must have access to their supervisors when discussing improvements and must accept that their word is final. Management should provide the vehicle to allow employees to solve problems themselves when possible. Employees should act as facilitators, not problem solvers.
Management should provide the vehicle to allow employees to solve problems themselves when possible.
Which of the following are examples of fringe benefits that can be used to enhance employee motivation? On-site workout facilities and sharing executive financial packages Personal travel services and sharing top management's personal goals and objectives Sharing sales associates' goals and commissions and flextime On-site child care and sharing company financial data
On-site child care and sharing company financial data
A supplier receipt has been rejected due to a sampling inspection process. What should production ask the quality department to do in order to keep the material plan valid? Perform 100% inspection on enough units to satisfy known demand. Expedite new replacement materials to the original required date. Accept the lot and perform 100% inspection to identify the rejected parts. Request that the material be replaced by material from another qualified supplier.
Perform 100% inspection on enough units to satisfy known demand. Sample inspection does not mean that all the parts are defective. Continuing to inspect may reveal that there are sufficient parts to satisfy production requirements.
Which of the following will have the greatest influence on an employee's evaluations and promotions? Problem-solving skills Setup time Product output Performance to standard
Problem-solving skills
Which of the following quality aspects is a function of incoming inspection? Performing 100% inspection to ensure outgoing quality Confirming that the supplier's process produces acceptable quality Comparing incoming receipts to previously received material Sampling a part's dimensions and rejecting the lot
Sampling a part's dimensions and rejecting the lot
A company's customer is implementing lean initiatives and has asked that the order receipt to ship time be reduced by 50%. This will have a significant impact on production and supporting departments. Which functional area should take the lead in evaluating this request and taking action? Senior management Sales Quality Production
Senior management
Which of the following may be used as a measure of flexibility? Output per employee Machine efficiency Skills per employee Reduction of burden rate
Skills per employee
The focus of hoshin planning is on developing which of the following? Definitions of standard work Training procedures Future employee skills requirements Strategies to address critical business needs
Strategies to address critical business needs
A prerequisite for effective self-directed teams typically is that the team members: willingly report to a team supervisor. are empowered to take responsibility for understanding and performing work. are at similar levels in the organization. have similar work experiences.
are empowered to take responsibility for understanding and performing work.
An important criterion for measuring a group's process is that the measurements should: chart the individual progress of each team member. be consistent with company objectives. be based on standard operating procedures. be linked to bonus compensation.
be consistent with company objectives.
A good team for solving complex business problems is: virtual. departmental. self-directed. cross-functional.
cross-functional.
The concept of using the experience, creative energy, and intelligence of all employees by treating them with respect and involving them in decision making is: employee involvement. employee empowerment. an employee assistance program. an employee stock ownership plan.
employee involvement.
