Deck 14: Jit and Lean Operations

Question 1

In lean operations, input resources arrive for processing only after the preceding batch has been completed.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

A functioning MRP system is required prior to adopting lean planning and control systems.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

In the lean philosophy, producing more than two order quantities represents waste.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

Lean systems often use layouts that are based on group technology product requirements.

Question 5

The use of small lot sizes in lean operations is in conflict with the EOQ approach since setup costs tend to be significantly higher than holding costs.

Question 6

The four building blocks of lean operations are: product design, process design, personnel/organizational elements, and manufacturing planning and control.

Question 7

Setup time and its associated cost can often be reduced by the use of group technology.

Question 8

Quality and highly capable production systems are requirements for the successful implementation of lean operations.

Question 9

Fast and simple are two common threads that run through the four building blocks of lean operations.

Question 10

The small lot-sizing policy works well in a situation where both holding costs and setup costs are high.

Question 11

A benefit of small lot sizes in lean systems is that each product is produced less frequently.

Question 12

A basic requirement for operating with low inventories in lean systems is that major system problems must already have been solved and new problems will be solved as they appear.

Question 13

In the lean philosophy, the larger the lot size, the easier it is to schedule.

Question 14

Although inventories are maintained, the goal of lean operations is to minimize safety stock.

Question 15

Value-stream mapping is a technique focused on finding new ways of adding value for critical stakeholders such as customers.

Question 16

The ultimate goal of lean operations is a system characterized by the smooth, rapid flow of materials.

Question 17

The goal of lean operations is to produce output using fewer resources than traditional planning systems.

Question 18

In a lean environment, anything not essential to the product or process is viewed as waste.

Question 19

Lean operations are unable to easily handle changes of output or product mix.

Question 20

If a firm's product mix is 60% of product A and 20% each of products B and C, an optimal mix-model production schedule would be successive sequences of AAABC.

Question 21

One way of reducing the number of suppliers to the organization is to limit contacts to only one or two tiers of suppliers.

Question 22

Lean purchasing requires frequent contract bidding by multiple sources to ensure the buyer of competitive prices.

Question 23

Increased setup times equal increased work in process inventories.

Question 24

Kanban focuses on specific part numbers; CONWIP does not.

Question 25

"Autonomation" indicates that the firm is attempting to reduce its dependence on automated equipment.

Question 26

Lean systems typically require that suppliers be able to provide large lots at periodic intervals.

Question 27

Kanban is the Japanese term for autonomation.

Question 28

In lean operations, when work is completed at one work center, it is important to immediately move the completed work to the next work center to minimize idle time.

Question 29

The lean philosophy recognizes that some work-in-process inventories are a necessary investment to allow for smooth work-flow.

Question 30

Preventive maintenance will eliminate the need to carry supplies of spare parts.

Question 31

In the lean approach, inventories are reduced gradually, instead of eliminating inventories as rapidly as possible.

Question 32

A real advantage of the lean philosophy is the reduction of co-ordination effort required.

Question 33

A fundamental tenet of the lean philosophy is that workers are paid based on seniority.

Question 34

Engineering changes can be very disruptive to smooth operations and should not be made in the six month period following introduction of a new product.

Question 35

One problem with lean operations is that they can lead to much frustration and disappointment of people on the shop floor due to the need for continuously monitoring and expediting resource availability.

Question 36

In lean operations, a responsibility of the cross-trained worker is to check the quality of the work of others.

Question 37

Limited WIP lowers inventory carrying costs but reduces flexibility.

Question 38

One major difference between the use of kanban and MRP II in scheduling the products to be built is that kanban is primarily a manual system while MRP II uses computers.

Question 39

In a "pull system," a quantity of inventory in front of a workstation indicates problems at that workstation.

Question 40

"Preventive maintenance" is additional maintenance done immediately after a breakdown has occurred to help prevent any further breakdowns.

Question 41

Lean concepts include large lots to take advantage of the economies of scale.

Question 42

In a balanced system, cycle time is equal to Takt time.

Question 43

For a company with a product mix of 40% of product A and 30% each of products B and C, which of the following mixed-model sequences most reflects the lean philosophy?

A)AABBCCAABC
B)ABCABCABCA
C)AAAABBBCCC
D)BCABCABCAB
E)BBBAACCCAA

Question 44

Building up an inventory of standard parts or modules instead of immediately producing the finished end items is the essence of:

A)delayed differentiation
B)kanban
C)autonomation
D)andon
E)matrix management

Question 45

Which of the following would you not expect to see in a lean environment?

A)a flexible system
B)minimum inventory
C)little waste
D)reduced setup times
E)a significant number of daily schedule changes

Question 46

The single-minute exchange of die is a system for reducing defective product.

Question 47

It is important to lower the water (inventory) completely to expose all the rocks (problems).

Question 48

Which one of the following is not one of the building blocks that is the foundation of the lean philosophy?

A)product design
B)process design
C)personnel/organizational elements
D)manufacturing planning and control
E)kanban

Question 49

Which of the following does not contribute to reduced setup time and cost?

A)standardized setup tools
B)standardized setup equipment
C)custom setup procedures for each product
D)use of multipurpose equipment or attachments
E)use of group technology

Question 50

A benefit of the lean philosophy is the flexibility to respond quickly to changing customer requirements.

Question 51

A conveyance __________ signals parts movement.

A)Request
B)Routing
C)Bar code
D)Kanban
E)Kazian

Question 52

The lean philosophy suggests that workers are _________.

A)Assets
B)Liabilities
C)Interchangeable
D)Replaceable
E)To be phased out

Question 53

A benefit of lean systems is that lead times are increased allowing more time for processing.

Question 54

Value-stream mapping is concerned strictly with the flow of materials through a production system.

Question 55

Successful lean implementation requires much more than slogans and idealistic goals such as zero inventories and zero defects.

Question 56

In the lean philosophy, the ideal lot size is:

A)the economic order quantity
B)the economic run size
C)one unit
D)the capacity of the standard container
E)N= (DT(1+X))/C

Question 57

The comprehensive approach used in lean systems to deal with quality includes:

A)designing quality into products and processes
B)insisting vendors provide high quality materials
C)making workers responsible for producing high quality
D)A, B and C
E)100% inspection of raw materials, work-in-process and finished goods

Question 58

The ultimate goal of lean operations is to have:

A)no in-process inventories
B)cross-trained workers capable of handling every process
C)a smooth, rapid flow of materials through the system
D)no setup times
E)all of the above

Question 59

A successful conversion to a lean system requires that every vendor use lean approaches prior to the organization's implementation.

Question 60

Which of the following is not a benefit of small lot sizes in lean systems?

A)In-process inventory is considerably less.
B)Each product is produced less frequently.
C)Carrying costs are reduced.
D)There is less clutter in the workplace.
E)Inspection and rework costs are less.

Question 61

The Kaizen philosophy applies to ________.

A)Employee development
B)Safety stock
C)Waste
D)Supply Chain Management
E)MRP III

Question 62

The activities controlled in the same way by kanban and MRP II is the determination of:

A)rates of output
B)products to be built
C)materials required
D)capacity required
E)feedback information

Question 63

A system of lights used at each workstation to signal problems or slowdowns is:

A)command and control center
B)automation
C)andon
D)pull system
E)kanban

Question 64

Which of the following contributes to the competitive advantage enjoyed by firms using lean production?

A)Backup employees to cover for absenteeism
B)100% inspection to remove defects
C)Dedicated equipment to reduce unit costs
D)Safety stocks to prevent stock-outs
E)Greater flexibility to cope with change

Question 65

Which of the following is characteristic of the lean philosophy?

A)Inventories are an asset.
B)Lot sizes are optimized by formula.
C)Vendors are co-workers, essentially other departments of our organization.
D)Queues are a necessary investment.
E)all of the above

Question 66

The All Seasonings Company uses 3,200 glass jars at one of its jar-filling workstations each eight hours of production.The cycle time for a standard container, which holds 90 jars, averages 45 minutes.If management uses an efficiency factor of twenty percent, how many containers should be used?

Question 67

A kanban card is used to signal that:

A)work is needed at the work center
B)work is ready to be moved to the next station
C)a worker has run out of parts needed for further processing
D)a machine has broken down and needs immediate attention
E)a machine is ready for preventive maintenance

Question 68

A successful conversion to a lean system requires that the conversion:

A)be done as quickly as possible
B)begin at the start of the process and work forward
C)convert vendors to lean as one of the last steps
D)reduce setup times as one of the last steps
E)all of the above

Question 69

With regard to suppliers, lean systems typically require:

A)delivery of large lots at regular intervals
B)buyer inspection of goods and materials
C)multiple sources from which to purchase
D)long-term relationships and commitments
E)the lowest price possible

Question 70

Which of the following is not characteristic of preventive maintenance in lean systems?

A)maintaining equipment in good operating condition
B)replacing parts when they are worn but before they fail
C)workers maintaining their own equipment
D)eliminating supplies of spare parts to reduce capital investment
E)perceiving breakdowns as an opportunity for improvement

Question 71

The term that refers to the automatic detection of defects is:

A)kaizen
B)kanban
C)autonomation
D)automation
E)100% inspection

Question 72

A common objective of both MRP and the lean philosophy is to:

A)smooth production
B)minimize inventory
C)obtain high quality
D)reduce overhead
E)eliminate inventory

Question 73

With regard to suppliers, lean systems typically involve:

A)delivery of large lots on short notice
B)the highest quality at the lowest price
C)long-term relationships
D)multiple suppliers to assure continuous availability
E)dedicated staging areas for material

Question 74

The ultimate objective in a lean system is:

A)low to moderate levels of inventory
B)high quality, zero defects
C)minimal waste (less than 6%)
D)balanced and rapid flow
E)all of the above

Question 75

The Five S's don't include _______.

A)Sort
B)Straighten
C)Sanitize
D)Sweep
E)Standardize

Question 76

An operations strategy reflecting the lean philosophy of production should recognize that lean:

A)is most suited for non-repetitive manufacturing
B)cannot be implemented sequentially
C)requires a wholesale commitment from the outset
D)may provide a competitive advantage
E)all of the above

Question 77

A basic requirement for operating with the low inventories present in lean systems is:

A)Inventory space must be increased.
B)Inventory investment must be increased.
C)Major problems must be identified.
D)Major problems must have been solved.
E)Inventories must be reduced rapidly.

Question 78

A potential obstacle to conversion to a lean system is:

A)lack of management commitment
B)lack of worker cooperation
C)supplier resistance
D)all of the above
E)insufficient space to store the increased inventories

Question 79

Process design supporting lean doesn't include ______.

A)Production flexibility
B)Duplicate facilities
C)Setup time reduction
D)Minimal inventory storage
E)Small lot sizes

Question 80

Which of the following questions is not answered by value stream mapping?

A)Where does waste occur?
B)Which processes or sub-processes exhibit the most variability?
C)Where are the best opportunities to extract more value from customers?
D)Where are process bottlenecks?
E)Where do errors occur?