Deck 4: A: Product Design

Question 1

Core teams are teams of operations personnel that are empowered to plan and lead product development projects.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

Modular design supports mass customization by enabling quick assembly of modules to provide customized configurations for individual customers.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

A potential disadvantage of standardization is the possibility of obsolescence as a result of resisting modification to standardized parts or components.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

Lack of standardization can at times lead to serious difficulties and competitive struggles,particularly when systems are incompatible.

Question 5

The process of dismantling and inspecting a competitor's product to discover opportunities for product improvement is called prototyping.

Question 6

Modular design is a form of standardization.

Question 7

Internal research and development efforts are the primary source of ideas for new products for all business organizations.

Question 8

A major factor in reducing costs and increasing reliability is the standardization of parts.

Question 9

Standardization is beneficial for manufactured products but not for computer software applications.

Question 10

Patents are the only means organizations have at their disposal to ensure they profit from their research and development efforts.

Question 11

Basic research focuses on near-term commercial applications and is primarily carried out by business organizations.

Question 12

A structured development process involves use of project management techniques.

Question 13

Research and development refers to organized efforts that are directed toward increasing scientific knowledge and product or process innovation.

Question 14

The process of dismantling and inspecting a competitor's product to discover opportunities for product improvement is called "reverse engineering".

Question 15

Standardization refers to the extent to which there is absence of variety in a part or product.

Question 16

Designing production processes includes building prototypes of processes and revising the process if necessary.

Question 17

Production process design involves translating the "voice of the customer" into technical product or service specifications.

Question 18

Phased reviews for new product projects are intended to delay changes until close to the launch of new products so all changes needed can be dealt with at the same time.

Question 19

The basic need for a product and the rate of technological change significantly impact the length of time a particular product takes to pass through a given phase of the product life cycle.

Question 20

One of the main advantages of standardization is that it increases the potential variety of products.

Question 21

Manufacturability,i.e.ease of fabrication or assembly,is a key concern in product design because of its impact on cost,productivity,and quality.

Question 22

Reliability refers to the ability of a product to perform its intended function under extreme,abnormal conditions.

Question 23

Quality function deployment (QFD)is a structured approach for diagnosing sources of technical problems in production processes.

Question 24

"Concurrent engineering" refers to having newly trained engineers involved in product design.

Question 25

Design for Environment (DFE)stipulates product packaging should be biodegradable rather than re-used.

Question 26

"Concurrent engineering" brings people concerned with manufacturing into the design phase earlier than in the "throw-over-the-wall" approach.

Question 27

A major benefit of CAD is increased productivity of designers.

Question 28

The term failure as applied to reliability means that a part or item does not perform as intended.

Question 29

Concurrent engineering reduces the level of communication required among engineering design,marketing staff,and manufacturing.

Question 30

Robust design describes a product that will perform satisfactorily in a very narrow range of conditions.

Question 31

Service design often must take into account the degree of customer contact as it affects the degree of customization (variability).

Question 32

Design of services and choice of location are often closely linked.

Question 33

Delayed differentiation and modular design are tactics for mass customization.

Question 34

An advantage of modular design is that product failures can be easier to diagnose and remedy than non-modular design.

Question 35

"Quality Function Deployment" is a structured approach for ensuring that customer requirements are factored into every aspect of product planning and production.

Question 36

Product liability means that a manufacturer is liable for any injuries or damages caused by a faulty product because of poor workmanship or design.

Question 37

The practice of designing products so that they can easily be taken apart after use is not consistent with Design for Environment (DFE),the term used to describe techniques used to incorporate environmental concerns.

Question 38

Quality function deployment (QFD)is based on a set of matrices which relate customer requirements (what)to corresponding technical requirements (how).

Question 39

Design for assembly means focusing on reducing the number of parts in a product and the methods for putting it together.

Question 40

The Taguchi approach to design involves determining the specification settings that will result in robust design in terms of product deterioration,manufacturing,and conditions of use.

Question 41

The stage in the product life cycle where companies attempt to prolong a product's useful life by improving its reliability or reducing costs is:

A) incubation.
B) growth.
C) maturity.
D) saturation.
E) decline.

Question 42

Which of the following is not a stage in the life cycle of products and services?

A) Incubation
B) Growth
C) Adolescence
D) Saturation
E) Decline

Question 43

Which of the following is a disadvantage of standardization in product and service design?

A) Increased number of items held in inventory
B) Increased training costs
C) Decreased expenditures on perfecting designs
D) Decreased product variety
E) Economies of scale

Question 44

All of the following are sources of ideas for new or redesigned products EXCEPT:

A) successful sales strategies.
B) front-line employees.
C) suppliers of materials and parts/components.
D) reverse engineering.
E) all of the choices are sources.

Question 45

What does the product design process not usually involve?

A) Building a business case.
B) Building product prototypes, testing and redesigning if necessary.
C) Testing and validation
D) Designing for mass-customization.
E) Translating the "voice of the customer" into technical product specifications.

Question 46

Gillette,a market leader in shaving products was the first to produce a disposable shaver specifically designed for women.This was an example of which approach to finding new product ideas?

A) Listening to market complaints
B) Gaps in the market
C) Exploring niche markets
D) Using new technology
E) Creating new market space

Question 47

The process of dismantling and inspecting a competitor's new or revised product for the purpose of gleaning design ideas is called:

A) design by imitation.
B) product analysis.
C) reverse engineering.
D) benchmarking.
E) none of the choices are correct.

Question 48

Design changes are least likely during which stage of the product life cycle?

A) Incubation
B) Growth
C) Maturity
D) Saturation
E) Decline

Question 49

The quality function deployment (QFD)matrices are often referred to as the "House of Quality" because,when completed,they "house" all of the customer's quality requirements.

Question 50

Services should be designed to minimize variability in service requirements,thereby increasing the efficiency of service delivery processes.

Question 51

Ideas for new or improved designs can come from:

A) customers.
B) competitors.
C) research and development departments.
D) employees.
E) all of the choices are correct.

Question 52

Which of the following is not a typical source of ideas for new or redesigned products?

A) Front-line employees
B) Marketing research
C) Inventory records
D) Reverse engineering
E) Research and development

Question 53

Apple created the iPod and thus developed a personal portable stereo market for digitally recorded music.This was an example of which approach to finding new product ideas?

A) Listening to market complaints
B) Gaps in the market
C) Exploring niche markets
D) Using new technology
E) Creating new market space

Question 54

The usual phases for product design include which of the following?
I)Hire core team
II)Idea generation and preliminary assessment
III)Building a business case
IV)Development of product and processes
V)Launch

A) I, II, III, and IV
B) II, III, IV, and V
C) II, III, and IV
D) I, II, III, and V
E) I, II, III, IV, and V (all listed)

Question 55

Products are generally intangible; services are generally tangible.

Question 56

From focus groups,3M noticed consumers needed an extra hand when wrapping gifts so they created a Pop-up Tape Dispenser.This was an example of which approach to finding new product ideas?

A) Listening to market complaints
B) Gaps in the market
C) Exploring niche markets
D) Using new technology
E) Creating new market space

Question 57

Which of the following is not an action likely to be taken in the last phase of a product life cycle to prolong the product's life?

A) Improve the reliability of the product
B) Reduce production costs (and therefore the price)
C) Redesign the product
D) Increase production volume to reduce costs

Question 58

Successful organizations use which of the following elements to create new products and services and bring them to consumers?

A) Product approval committees
B) Core marketing team
C) Phase reviews
D) Structured development processes
E) All of the above elements are used.

Question 59

Which one of the following is not a common design for environment (DFE)practice?

A) Design for disassembly
B) Design to minimize use of hazardous materials
C) Design for re-use
D) Design for mass customization
E) design for energy efficiency

Question 60

Which of the following is an issue that designers must take into account in product design?

A) Legal, environmental and ethical issues
B) Reliability
C) Standardization
D) Environmental concerns
E) All of the issues listed must be taken into account

Question 61

The term that pertains to incorporating customer ideas in product design is:

A) Total quality management (TQM).
B) Computer aided design (CAD).
C) Quality function deployment (QFD).
D) Robust design.
E) Reverse engineering.

Question 62

Of the following,which is not strictly a legal or ethical consideration of product design?

A) Legislated automobile pollution standards and safety features
B) The range of conditions a product can operate within
C) Bans or regulations on the use of certain materials
D) Patents, trademarks and copyrights of competitors
E) Standards for building materials

Question 63

Remanufacturing means:

A) recovering materials from old products to be used in producing new products.
B) designing products so they can be easily taken apart.
C) a product has to meet the standards of government regulations.
D) standardized products whose design does not change over time.
E) refurbishing used products by replacing worn-out or defective components.

Question 64

The term "House of Quality" is associated with:

A) service blueprinting.
B) quality function deployment.
C) concurrent engineering.
D) robust design.
E) the Taguchi approach.

Question 65

Which of the following is not a benefit of component commonality?

A) It increases product reliability.
B) It provides savings in design time.
C) It provides savings in training time for technicians.
D) It provides savings based on bulk buying from suppliers
E) It reduces the inventory that dealers must carry.

Question 66

Which of the following is not a potential source of competitive advantage from product design?

A) Shortening the time to market
B) Designing environmentally friendly products
C) Decreasing emphasis on component commonality in product design
D) Satisfying customer needs for product variety
E) All of the choices are sources of competitive advantage.

Question 67

A structured approach for integrating customer requirements into every aspect of product development is known as:

A) total quality management.
B) customer satisfaction.
C) quality function deployment.
D) customer integration.
E) a product development team.

Question 68

Which of the following is not a key rule used to guide the design of services?

A) Have a unifying theme to support personnel working together.
B) Make sure the service delivery system can handle variability in requirements.
C) Include features and checks to ensure reliability.
D) Design the system to be user-friendly.
E) Minimize points of customer contact to reduce variability.

Question 69

The advantages of standardization include which of the following?
I)Extending the product life cycle
II)Fewer parts to deal with in inventory
III)Reduced time and cost to train employees
IV)Purchasing is more routine

A) I, II
B) I, IV
C) I, II, III
D) II, III, IV
E) I, II, III, IV

Question 70

In the area of product and service design the acronym CAD refers to:

A) conceptually appropriate design.
B) computer aided design.
C) commercial applications design.
D) competitive advantage design.
E) completely automated design.

Question 71

Which is not a key advantage of concurrent engineering?

A) It allows consideration of production capabilities.
B) It decreases the number of conflicts and challenges for manufacturing.
C) Cost and quality are taken into consideration in selecting suitable materials.
D) It allows for early procurement of key machinery.
E) It allows designers to work independently from manufacturing personnel.

Question 72

One possible disadvantage of modular design is:

A) training costs increase.
B) failure diagnosis is more complex.
C) the inability to disassemble some modules in order to replace a faulty part.
D) individual parts lose their identities.
E) inventory problems arise.

Question 73

Which of the following is not true about services?

A) Service design tends to focus on tangible factors.
B) Services are often created and delivered at the same time.
C) Most services involve some degree of customization.
D) Many services have low barriers to entry and exit.
E) The convenience of location is a major factor in service design.

Question 74

Service design generally differs from product design in which of the following ways?

A) Service design tends to focus on tangible factors more so than products.
B) There is less latitude in detecting and correcting errors prior to delivery for services.
C) Choice of location is less important for services.
D) Services typically have higher barriers to entry than products.
E) None of the choices are correct.