Deck 7: Lean Thinking and Lean Systems

Question 1

External setup time refers to

A) the time it takes workers to set up a machine during scheduled maintenance.
B) the time to complete setup activities that do not require that the machine be stopped.
C) the time it takes equipment vendors to set up the machine.
D) none of the above.

Answer 1

the time to complete setup activities that do not require that the machine be stopped.

Question 2

Which of the following statements regarding lean systems is FALSE?

A) Lean is a philosophy that emphasizes continuous improvement.
B) Lean is an approach that seeks to provide exactly what the customer requires and no more.
C) Lean is not applicable to low-volume manufacturing operations.
D) In a lean system, waste is any activity that does not add value.

Answer 2

Lean is not applicable to low-volume manufacturing operations.

Question 3

The ideal setup time for a lean system is

A) 5 minutes.
B) the time it takes the line to get ready.
C) 0 minutes.
D) 1 hour.

Answer 3

0 minutes.

Question 4

Which of the following is NOT a lean tenet?

A) Specify what about a product or service creates value from the customer's perspective.
B) Identify, study, and improve the value stream of the process for each product and service.
C) Improve value to customer by producing goods well in advance of demand.
D) Strive for perfection.

Question 5

Which of the following statements regarding lean systems is FALSE?

A) Lean systems are a "push" type of production planning system.
B) Lean systems emphasize reduction in setup (changeover) time.
C) Lean systems emphasize reduction in inventory levels.
D) Lean systems utilize "kanbans" to signal the need for production.

Question 6

Which of the following is NOT generally an element of a lean system?

A) Flexible workforce
B) MRP push system
C) Stable master schedule
D) Kanban pull system

Question 7

Supplier management in a lean system

A) may require co-location of supplier goods close to plants that receive delivery.
B) means an increase in the number of suppliers for each component.
C) generally involves short-term relationships with the buyer.
D) usually requires additional paperwork, as compared with a non-lean system.

Question 8

With regards to suppliers,lean systems typically require

A) delivery of large lots at frequent intervals.
B) buyer inspection of goods and materials.
C) multiple sources from which to purchase.
D) long-term relationships and commitments.

Question 9

Managing quality in a lean system

A) is easy.
B) means that product and service defects are never defined as waste.
C) is done by suppliers.
D) requires continuously exposing and correcting quality problems.

Question 10

The time it takes a container to complete an entire circuit consists of

A) move time, time used, and wait time.
B) wait time, run time, setup time, and idle time.
C) fill time, wait time, move time, time used, and time to be returned to be filled again.
D) none of the above.

Question 11

Why is a uniform load desirable in a lean system?

A) To balance the workload on all work centers.
B) To allow for production of safety stock.
C) To signal the need for more parts.
D) To increase the time for scheduled maintenance.

Question 12

Which of the following is NOT an element of lean?

A) Small lot sizes
B) Modularized master schedule
C) Multifunction workers
D) Kanban pull system
E) Perfect or nearly perfect quality

Question 13

A kanban card is used to signal that

A) the next work center is stopped.
B) a materials handler has run out of parts.
C) a machine has broken down.
D) parts are needed by the subsequent work center.
E) a machine is ready for preventive maintenance.

Question 14

One of the main objectives of a lean system is

A) striving for "good enough."
B) reduction of takt time.
C) reduction of waste.
D) define value from the manufacturer's perspective.

Question 15

The ideal lot size for a lean system is

A) infinite.
B) one.
C) the capacity of the machine.
D) variable according to the production requirements.
E) none of the above.

Question 16

For production control,lean pull systems are best suited for

A) repetitive manufacturing.
B) job shop production.
C) semirepetitive batch manufacturing.
D) unpredictable demand.

Question 17

If it takes 100 minutes to complete a circuit,demand at the next work center is 5 parts per minute,and a kanban container holds 20 parts,how many containers are required?

A) 25
B) 5
C) 40
D) 20

Question 18

Given the following information pertaining to item AX143,determine the appropriate number of kanban containers that should be used to support production. Demand rate = 500 units/week
Time for container to complete circuit = 2 weeks
Safety stock = 30 percent
Size of container = 5 units

A) <100 containers.
B) Between 100 and 500 containers.
C) >500 containers.
D) There is not enough information to answer the question.

Question 19

The seven forms of waste include all of the following EXCEPT

A) overproduction.
B) waiting time.
C) inventory.
D) bottleneck.

Question 20

The basic foundation of the Toyota production system and just-in-time manufacturing includes all of the following elements EXCEPT

A) simple but high-quality processes.
B) lower inventory levels.
C) smaller batches.
D) longer product development times.

Question 21

Which of the following best represents the idea behind the 5 Why technique?

A) A tool for systematically investigating the cause-and-effect relationships underlying a problem.
B) A tool for exploring the five categories of workspace organization to improve morale, safety, and process efficiency.
C) A technique for determining the appropriate placement of inventory to support a lean system.
D) None of the above.

Question 22

Under a lean thinking philosophy,which of the following would LEAST likely be considered waste?

A) Effort spent sorting defective parts out of a supplier delivery.
B) Customers waiting to be served.
C) Stopping the production line due to a quality problem.
D) Producing a small percentage extra to protect against unexpected problems.

Question 23

A work center uses kanban containers that hold 200 parts.To produce enough parts to fill a container,60 minutes of setup plus run time are needed.Moving the container to the next workstation,waiting time,processing time at the next work station,and return of the empty container take 120 minutes.There is an overall demand rate of 10 units per minute.Calculate the number of containers needed for this process.

A) 6
B) 7
C) 8
D) 9

Question 24

A kanban system cannot be used in service industries.

Question 25

Kaizen events typically take from one to two months.

Question 26

Which of the following is NOT a change associated with a lean production system?

A) Reduced inventory storage space is needed.
B) Reduced automation as lot size approaches one unit.
C) Workers take responsibility for most maintenance of the equipment they use.
D) Routine preventive maintenance time is provided between shifts.

Question 27

Supplier relationships in a lean system are usually developed as an "integrated supplier program" that includes

A) increasing lot sizes to take advantage of volume pricing.
B) treating suppliers the same way the company treats internal operations.
C) chosen suppliers being provided with shipment dates well in advance.
D) none of the above.

Question 28

Value stream maps are similar to flowcharts and are used for identifying the waste and non-value-added steps in the current process.

Question 29

One-touch setups could require as long as nine minutes to perform.

Question 30

Which of the following is true for takt time in a lean system?

A) Takt time should be set at greater than the average demand of the market.
B) Takt time is the period of time available for production.
C) Takt time is used to match supply and demand.
D) Takt is the Japanese word for time.

Question 31

According to the lean philosophy,a stable master production schedule is desirable to reduce the work-in-process inventories.

Question 32

__________ is(are)the direct observation of work,conducted so that work practices can be improved.

A) 5 Whys
B) 5S
C) Gemba
D) Value stream mapping

Question 33

Which of the following is true about kanban systems?

A) The purpose is to ensure parts are produced JIT to support subsequent processes.
B) Some companies control the movement of the containers by using two types of kanban cards: production cards and withdrawal cards.
C) Kanban cards take the place of shop paperwork used in traditional mass production.
D) All of the above.

Question 34

In lean thinking,inventory hides a variety of forms of waste.Which of the following is NOT an example of waste hidden by inventory?

A) Inferior product quality.
B) Unreliable production machinery.
C) Long, but certain, delivery lead times.
D) Unreliable suppliers.

Question 35

Which of the following is NOT an approach recommended for facilitating implementation of lean?

A) Construct a value stream map of every process step and the associated time or value that is added.
B) Establish a team of employees that will work on process improvement.
C) Only the employee team can specify what is valued in the product or service.
D) Implement the changes to achieve lasting improvement, then repeat the cycle.

Question 36

Which of the following describes a kaizen event?

A) A work stoppage due to a quality problem, either internal or external (supplier quality).
B) Any time when supply is clearly mismatched with customer demand, creating shortages or inventory build-up.
C) A short-term team project focused on finding opportunities for continuous improvement.
D) None of the above.

Question 37

Lean is an example of a pull system while lean thinking is an example of a push system.

Question 38

Which of the following would NOT be an example of waste in a retail grocery store?

A) Produce found past its sell-by date.
B) Customers not able to find the product they seek.
C) Checkout clerk unable to accurately scan a package bar code.
D) All are examples of waste.

Question 39

External setups refer to actions that require stopping the production process.

Question 40

The effect of a lean system on employees can best be described as

A) lean engages employees in problem-solving activities.
B) lean promotes worker specialization and increases economies of scale.
C) lean reduces the need for continuous investment in new skill development.
D) lean supports pay systems based on seniority.

Question 41

Takt time is the demand for the period divided by the available time for production.

Question 42

With lean thinking,a firm's operations layout should evolve to a cellular manufacturing layout.

Question 43

The Japanese term for waste is "gemba."

Question 44

What are the seven forms of waste that a lean system is intended to prevent?

Question 45

What are the five tenets of lean thinking?
In your own words,provide a road map for implementing lean thinking in a manufacturing or service operations.

Question 46

Toyota production system is another term for a lean system.

Question 47

How is the 5 Whys technique used in a lean system?

Question 48

Preventive maintenance is another term for stabilizing the master schedule.

Question 49

Explain the concept of value stream mapping.

Question 50

Define the English terms in the 5S technique.How is this applied in practice?

Question 51

"Gemba" refers to data collection using the company's information system.

Question 52

One of the keys to reducing inventory is reducing lead time.