Question 1

Learning curves can be used to establish budgets.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 2

Which of the following is representative of a firm pursuing a learning curve strategy?

Accepted Answer

A) aggressive pricing policy 
B) focus on productivity improvement 
C) building on shared experience 
D) keeping capacity growing ahead of demand 
E) all of the above 
A) aggressive pricing policy 
B) focus on productivity improvement 
C) building on shared experience 
D) keeping capacity growing ahead of demand 
E) all of the above

Question 3

A project manager bases his time and labour 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 labour use.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 4

The seventh unit of production took 63.423 minutes while the ninth unit of production took 59.8 minutes.What is the improvement rate?

Accepted Answer

T(1)= 63.423/(7^b)= 59.8/(9^b)
b = -.234

Question 5

What problems in scheduling can arise if adjustments for learning curve effects in operations are not made?

Accepted Answer

Labour and productive faciliti

Question 6

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 7

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 8

A product was priced assuming an 80% learning rate.How much extra labour (in $)will be required on the 4th product if the learning rate is actually 90%? Assume that labour costs $10/hour and the first unit cost $100 to produce.

Accepted Answer

4^-.322 = .64 and 4^

Question 9

In the logarithmic approach formula to compute the time for the Nth unit,TN = T1Nb,the exponent b is the learning curve rate L,expressed as a decimal.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 10

Which of the following statements is most appropriate with respect to a 70% learning curve?

Accepted Answer

A) There will be a 70% decrease in direct labour per unit each time the production volume doubles. 
B) Each successive unit of production will take 70% of the direct labour of the previous unit. 
C) There will be a 30% decrease in direct labour per unit each time production volume doubles. 
D) Thirty percent of the production will be defective until full learning takes place. 
E) Seventy percent of the workforce is fully educated. 
A) There will be a 70% decrease in direct labour per unit each time the production volume doubles. 
B) Each successive unit of production will take 70% of the direct labour of the previous unit. 
C) There will be a 30% decrease in direct labour per unit each time production volume doubles. 
D) Thirty percent of the production will be defective until full learning takes place. 
E) Seventy percent of the workforce is fully educated.

Question 11

What can cause a learning curve to vary from a smooth downward slope?

Accepted Answer

Several factors can affect the

Question 12

Learning curves (or experience curves)were first applied to industry by ________ who was studying ________.

Accepted Answer

A) Frank Lloyd Wright;architecture 
B) Frank Gilbreth;worker efficiency 
C) T.P.Wright;air frame manufacture 
D) Lilian Gilbreth;factory efficiency 
E) Frederick W.Taylor;scientific management 
A) Frank Lloyd Wright;architecture 
B) Frank Gilbreth;worker efficiency 
C) T.P.Wright;air frame manufacture 
D) Lilian Gilbreth;factory efficiency 
E) Frederick W.Taylor;scientific management

Question 13

The first unit took 10 hours and the fourth unit took 8.1 hours to complete.What is the learning curve?

Accepted Answer

A) 100% 
B) 99% 
C) 95% 
D) 90% 
E) 80% 
A) 100% 
B) 99% 
C) 95% 
D) 90% 
E) 80%

Question 14

The learning curve for a product is 90%.The first unit took 10 hours to complete.The manufacturer wants to determine how many hours the fourth unit will take by using the logarithmic method.The coefficient b for that calculation is approximately

Accepted Answer

A) -.1053. 
B) -.1520. 
C) -.3219. 
D) .6931. 
E) 8.1. 
A) -.1053. 
B) -.1520. 
C) -.3219. 
D) .6931. 
E) 8.1.

Question 15

The first unit of a product took 832 hours to build,and the learning curve is 90%.How long will it take to make the 25th unit? (Use at least three decimals in the exponent if you use the logarithmic approach. )

Accepted Answer

A) time ≤ 500 hours 
B) 500  550 
A) time ≤ 500 hours 
B) 500  550

Question 16

It took 60 hours to make the first unit of a product.After the second and third units were made,the learning curve was estimated to be 80%.At $10 per hour,estimate the labour bill for the fourth unit.(Use at least three decimals in the exponent if you use the logarithmic approach. )

Accepted Answer

A) $400 or less 
B) from $400 to $420 
C) from $420 to $440 
D) from $1800 to $2000 
E) over $2000 
A) $400 or less 
B) from $400 to $420 
C) from $420 to $440 
D) from $1800 to $2000 
E) over $2000

Question 17

A defence 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. )

Accepted Answer

A) less than or equal to 1000 hours 
B) from 1000 to 8000 hours 
C) from 8000 to 8500 hours 
D) from 8500 to 10000 hours 
E) 10,000 or more hours 
A) less than or equal to 1000 hours 
B) from 1000 to 8000 hours 
C) from 8000 to 8500 hours 
D) from 8500 to 10000 hours 
E) 10,000 or more hours

Question 18

In the logarithmic approach to learning curve calculations,you have used the formula TN = T1.(Nb).Your manager shows you a problem for which b is specified as -.18442.What learning rate does that value represent?

Accepted Answer

The easiest way to answer is to assume T

Question 19

The learning curve coefficient approach may be simpler to use than the logarithmic approach,but it requires the presence of a table of learning coefficients.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 20

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.

Exam 25: Learning Curves

Learning curves can be used to establish budgets.

Which of the following is representative of a firm pursuing a learning curve strategy?

A project manager bases his time and labour 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 labour use.

The seventh unit of production took 63.423 minutes while the ninth unit of production took 59.8 minutes.What is the improvement rate?

What problems in scheduling can arise if adjustments for learning curve effects in operations are not made?

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?

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

A product was priced assuming an 80% learning rate.How much extra labour (in $)will be required on the 4th product if the learning rate is actually 90%? Assume that labour costs $10/hour and the first unit cost $100 to produce.

In the logarithmic approach formula to compute the time for the Nth unit,TN = T1Nb,the exponent b is the learning curve rate L,expressed as a decimal.

Which of the following statements is most appropriate with respect to a 70% learning curve?

What can cause a learning curve to vary from a smooth downward slope?

Learning curves (or experience curves)were first applied to industry by ________ who was studying ________.

The first unit took 10 hours and the fourth unit took 8.1 hours to complete.What is the learning curve?

The learning curve for a product is 90%.The first unit took 10 hours to complete.The manufacturer wants to determine how many hours the fourth unit will take by using the logarithmic method.The coefficient b for that calculation is approximately

The first unit of a product took 832 hours to build,and the learning curve is 90%.How long will it take to make the 25th unit? (Use at least three decimals in the exponent if you use the logarithmic approach. )

It took 60 hours to make the first unit of a product.After the second and third units were made,the learning curve was estimated to be 80%.At $10 per hour,estimate the labour bill for the fourth unit.(Use at least three decimals in the exponent if you use the logarithmic approach. )

In the logarithmic approach to learning curve calculations,you have used the formula TN = T1.(Nb).Your manager shows you a problem for which b is specified as -.18442.What learning rate does that value represent?

The learning curve coefficient approach may be simpler to use than the logarithmic approach,but it requires the presence of a table of learning coefficients.

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

Operations and Productivity

Operations Strategy in a Global Environment

Project Management

Forecasting

Design of Goods and Services

Managing Quality

Statistical Process Control

Process Strategy and Sustainability

Capacity and Constraint Management

Location Strategies

Layout Strategies

Human Resources,job Design,and Work Measurement

Supply-Chain Management

Outsourcing As a Supply-Chain Strategy

Inventory Management

Aggregate Planning

Material Requirements Planning Mrpand Erp

Short-Term Scheduling

Jit and Lean Operations

Maintenance and Reliability

Decision-Making Tools

Linear Programming

Transportation Models

Waiting-Line Models

Simulation

Filters

Learning curves (or experience curves)were first applied to industry by who was studying .