Question 1

The learning curve in the steel industry and the learning curve in heart transplant operations have both been estimated at 79%.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 2

Reevaluation of learning curves is inappropriate.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 3

A company negotiates a price for two aircraft that includes a reduction in labour on the second aircraft consistent with a 70% learning curve. Suppose the first aircraft took 100 hours. If the improvement rate changes to 20%, how will the total time to complete both aircraft change?

Accepted Answer

A)  no change 
B)  -10 hours 
C)  + 10 hours 
D)  -50 hours 
E)  + 50 hours 
A)  no change 
B)  -10 hours 
C)  + 10 hours 
D)  -50 hours 
E)  + 50 hours

Question 4

You are about to undertake manufacture of a labour-intensive electronics component. The first unit took 300 hours. You are not sure whether the learning rate is 70% or 80%. The initial phase of the contract calls for 6 of these components.
a. How much time will it take to complete all six at 70% learning?
b. How much time will it take to complete all six at 80% learning?

Accepted Answer

From Table E.3 in the text, 70

Question 5

A company is preparing a bid on a government contract for 20 units of a certain product. The operations manager estimates the assembly time required for the first two units to be 9.4 hours and 8.1 hours, respectively.
a. What is the appropriate learning curve?
b. What is the total time per unit for the 20 units?
b. What is the average time per unit for the 20 units?

Accepted Answer

(a)
 @#IMG-DLM& Results
 @#IMG-DLM& (b) The group

Question 6

"By tradition, learning rates are defined in terms of the complements of their improvement rates." Explain.

Accepted Answer

The improvement in labour usage might be

Question 7

The arithmetic approach (or successive doubling approach) to learning curve calculations allows us to determine the hours required for any unit.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 8

The first unit of a product took 80 work days. The learning curve is estimated to be 90%. The time for the fourth unit will be about ________ work days and the time for the first four units will be about ________ work days. (Use Table E.3 in the text.)

Accepted Answer

A)  51; 250 
B)  250; 51 
C)  65; 285 
D)  51; cannot be determined 
E)  65; cannot be determined 
A)  51; 250 
B)  250; 51 
C)  65; 285 
D)  51; cannot be determined 
E)  65; cannot be determined

Question 9

Learning curves can be applied to a variety of purposes internal to a firm, including

Accepted Answer

A)  labour forecasting. 
B)  scheduling. 
C)  establishing costs. 
D)  establishing budgets. 
E)  all of these. 
A)  labour forecasting. 
B)  scheduling. 
C)  establishing costs. 
D)  establishing budgets. 
E)  all of these.

Question 10

The learning curve for a product is 80%. 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

Accepted Answer

A)  -.0969. 
B)  -.2231. 
C)  -.3219. 
D)  .80. 
E)  1.903. 
A)  -.0969. 
B)  -.2231. 
C)  -.3219. 
D)  .80. 
E)  1.903.

Question 11

The fact that human activities typically improve when they are done on a repetitive basis is described by a

Accepted Answer

A)  normal distribution curve. 
B)  binomial distribution curve. 
C)  learning curve. 
D)  Poisson distribution curve. 
E)  repetition curve. 
A)  normal distribution curve. 
B)  binomial distribution curve. 
C)  learning curve. 
D)  Poisson distribution curve. 
E)  repetition curve.

Question 12

The second unit of production took 9 hours. If the learning curve is 90% how long did the first unit take?

Accepted Answer

A)  9 hours 
B)  10 hours 
C)  8.1 hours 
D)  8.5 hours 
E)  8.8 hours 
A)  9 hours 
B)  10 hours 
C)  8.1 hours 
D)  8.5 hours 
E)  8.8 hours

Question 13

The first unit took 10 hours and the third unit took 5.7 hours. What is the improvement rate?

Accepted Answer

A)  70% 
B)  30% 
C)  50% 
D)  90% 
E)  10% 
A)  70% 
B)  30% 
C)  50% 
D)  90% 
E)  10%

Question 14

Which one of the following statements about learning curves is true?

Accepted Answer

A)  A learning curve assumes that the direct labour requirements per unit will DECREASE at an INCREASING rate as cumulative production increases. 
B)  A larger learning curve rate implies faster (greater) learning. 
C)  A learning curve graph usually follows a negative exponential curve. 
D)  Learning curves can be used only for individuals, not for the whole organization. 
E)  A lower learning curve rate implies weakness in learning. 
A)  A learning curve assumes that the direct labour requirements per unit will DECREASE at an INCREASING rate as cumulative production increases. 
B)  A larger learning curve rate implies faster (greater) learning. 
C)  A learning curve graph usually follows a negative exponential curve. 
D)  Learning curves can be used only for individuals, not for the whole organization. 
E)  A lower learning curve rate implies weakness in learning.

Question 15

If it took 1000 hours to produce the first unit of a product, and the learning curve is 70%, how long will it take to produce units 26 through 50?

Accepted Answer

A)  12,307 hours 
B)  8,404 hours 
C)  134 hours 
D)  3,903 hours 
E)  1,134 hours 
A)  12,307 hours 
B)  8,404 hours 
C)  134 hours 
D)  3,903 hours 
E)  1,134 hours

Question 16

To use the table of learning curve coefficients, you must specify the ________ and the ________.

Accepted Answer

learning r

Question 17

Which of the following statements comparing learning curve rates (L) to improvement rates is true?

Accepted Answer

A)  The learning rate is the same as the improvement rate. 
B)  The learning rate is a decimal value while the improvement rate is a percentage. 
C)  A 90% learning curve corresponds to a 10% rate of improvement. 
D)  Learning rates apply to labour only, while improvement rates apply to all resources. 
E)  "Learning rates" is American usage, while "improvement rates" is British. 
A)  The learning rate is the same as the improvement rate. 
B)  The learning rate is a decimal value while the improvement rate is a percentage. 
C)  A 90% learning curve corresponds to a 10% rate of improvement. 
D)  Learning rates apply to labour only, while improvement rates apply to all resources. 
E)  "Learning rates" is American usage, while "improvement rates" is British.

Question 18

Why do different organizations have different learning curves?

Accepted Answer

The rate of learning varies de

Question 19

The first unit of production took 10 hours with an 80% learning curve. How long will it take to complete both the first and second units?

Accepted Answer

A)  10 hours 
B)  8 hours 
C)  18 hours 
D)  9 hours 
E)  There is not enough information to solve the problem. 
A)  10 hours 
B)  8 hours 
C)  18 hours 
D)  9 hours 
E)  There is not enough information to solve the problem.

Question 20

Sally suspects strongly that there is a learning curve associated with solving problems assigned for operations management. She notes that it took her approximately 33 minutes to solve the first problem and 20 minutes to solve the fifth problem.
a. Estimate Sally's learning percentage.
b. Using your answer from part a, estimate how much longer it will take Sally to finish the three problems that remain.

Accepted Answer

(a) Her improvement from the first to fi

Exam 22: Learning Curves

The learning curve in the steel industry and the learning curve in heart transplant operations have both been estimated at 79%.

Reevaluation of learning curves is inappropriate.

A company negotiates a price for two aircraft that includes a reduction in labour on the second aircraft consistent with a 70% learning curve. Suppose the first aircraft took 100 hours. If the improvement rate changes to 20%, how will the total time to complete both aircraft change?

"By tradition, learning rates are defined in terms of the complements of their improvement rates." Explain.

The arithmetic approach (or successive doubling approach) to learning curve calculations allows us to determine the hours required for any unit.

The first unit of a product took 80 work days. The learning curve is estimated to be 90%. The time for the fourth unit will be about ________ work days and the time for the first four units will be about ________ work days. (Use Table E.3 in the text.)

Learning curves can be applied to a variety of purposes internal to a firm, including

The learning curve for a product is 80%. 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

The fact that human activities typically improve when they are done on a repetitive basis is described by a

The second unit of production took 9 hours. If the learning curve is 90% how long did the first unit take?

The first unit took 10 hours and the third unit took 5.7 hours. What is the improvement rate?

Which one of the following statements about learning curves is true?

If it took 1000 hours to produce the first unit of a product, and the learning curve is 70%, how long will it take to produce units 26 through 50?

To use the table of learning curve coefficients, you must specify the ________ and the ________.

Which of the following statements comparing learning curve rates (L) to improvement rates is true?

Why do different organizations have different learning curves?

The first unit of production took 10 hours with an 80% learning curve. How long will it take to complete both the first and second units?

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The first unit of a product took 80 work days. The learning curve is estimated to be 90%. The time for the fourth unit will be about work days and the time for the first four units will be about work days. (Use Table E.3 in the text.)

To use the table of learning curve coefficients, you must specify the and the .