Exam 26: Learning Curves

A project manager bases his time and labor estimates on a learning curve of 86%.The actual learning curve turns out to be 89%.The manager,because of the decreased learning,will complete his project in more time and with more labor use than his estimate suggested.

Why do different organizations have different learning curves?

The learning curve may not be permanent; it can be disrupted by changes in process,personnel,or product.

A contractor builds large ships for the Department of Defense.A recent contract called for 12 amphibious landing platforms.It was originally estimated that the first of these would cost $1 billion and that 80 percent learning would be appropriate.In fact,the first ship cost $1.6 billion and the second $1.12 billion.What is the revised learning curve? What will be the total cost of the twelve ships? Is it higher or lower than the original estimate? If the defense department cuts the contract from 12 ships to 9,what happens to the average cost per ship?

Which of the following best conveys the essence of learning curves?

What cautions are in order when using learning curves?

The formula approach to learning curve calculations allows us to determine the hours required for any unit.

A manager is trying to estimate the appropriate learning curve for a certain job.The manager notes that the first four units had a total time of 30 minutes.Which learning curve would yield approximately this result if the first unit took 9 minutes? (Use Table E.3.)

The fundamental premise underlying learning curve analysis is that:

A learning curve:

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

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 10th unit of product A compared to product B?

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

Which of the following is a limitation of the use of learning curves?

The learning curve rate is:

If the learning curve for a process is 100 percent,then each unit in a series of units will have the same labor requirements.

You are about to undertake the manufacture of a labor-intensive electronics component.The first unit took 300 hours.You are not sure whether the learning curve 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?

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?

A 90% learning curve implies that each time the production volume is doubled,the direct time per unit is reduced to 90% of its previous value.

Your firm has expertise with a special type of hand-finished furniture.The learning curve is known to be 82%.If the first piece of furniture took 6 hours,how long will it take to make the second? How long will it take to make the fourth?