Exam 22: Vehicle Routing and Scheduling

Suppose that there are two products with the same first product time. However, product A has an improvement rate of 10% while product B has an improvement rate of 20%. How much longer will it take to make the 10^th unit of product A compared to product B?

In the logarithmic approach to learning curve calculations, you have used the formula T_N = T₁. (N^b). For a problem with a 92 percent learning rate, what is b?

The learning curve for a product is 80 percent. The first unit took 100 hours to complete. The manufacturer wants to determine how many hours the fifth unit will take by using the logarithmic method. The coefficient b for that calculation is approximately

__________ are based on the premise that people and organizations get better at their tasks as the tasks are repeated.

The learning curve rate is

The Learning-Curve Coefficients table reports that for 70 percent learning, the eighth unit has a unit time value of 0.343. Verify that table entry by use of the arithmetic method.

Learning curves can only be applied to labor.

A defense contractor has just started producing engines for a new government contract. The first engine took 800 hours to produce. If the learning curve is 80%, how long will it take to produce the first 20 engines? (Use at least three decimals in the exponent if you use the logarithmic approach, or use Table E.3 cumulative coefficient)

Which one of the following courses of actions would not be taken by a firm wanting to pursue a learning curve steeper than the industry average?

Your company is making experimental turbochargers for a new design of high-powered farm tractors. The production schedule for these new components is contained in the table below. The first turbocharger, a trial unit, took 900 hours to produce. Based on your experience with similar products, the learning factor is 85%. You have 20 employees, and each employee works 160 hours per month. How many hours will be required in each month? In which month(s) will overtime be required to meet the production schedule?

On an ordinary graph, unit times decrease at a decreasing rate, but on a log-log graph, the learning "curve" appears as a straight line.

The first unit of a product took 50 hours to build, and the learning curve is 80%. How long will it take to make the third unit? (Use at least three decimals in the exponent if you use the logarithmic approach.)

A small manufacturer builds wooden pleasure boats in a craftsman manner by traditional labor-intensive methods. The first boat is estimated to take 650 hours of skilled labor, which cost $40 per hour. They currently have three workers that can work 2,000 hours a year. They assume that there is a 90% learning rate. How many boats can they make in their first year?

It took 18 hours to complete the first two products with an 80% learning curve. How long did the second product take?

When learning curves are plotted on __________ scales, the "curves" become straight lines.

The first unit took 10 hours and the eighth unit took 1.25 hours. What is the learning curve?

A small manufacturer that offers "hand crafted" furniture has developed a new style of desk that they believe will be very successful in the marketplace. It is expected that the first desk will take about 60 hours of craftsmen's time to complete. They expect a 90% learning curve for this desk. How long will it take to make the 20^th desk? The firm is considering accepting an order for 25 desks. How many hours of labor will this require for all 25?

Learning curves can be used to establish budgets.

The first unit of a product took 900 hours to build and the learning curve is 90%. How long will it take to make the first 3 units? (Use Table E.3)

Describe the earliest application of learning curve concepts to industry.