Deck 6: Process Selection and Facility Layout

Question 1

A manufacturing cell allows the production of a wide range of very different products.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

A job-shop processing system generally requires less-skilled workers than a continuous processing system.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

Process layouts feature departments or other functional groupings of personnel or equipment.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

Continuous production has been a significant factor underpinning the U.S. standard of living over the last century.

Question 5

Product layouts involve high utilization of labor and equipment.

Question 6

In general, job-shop systems have a lower unit cost than continuous systems do because continuous systems use costly specialized equipment.

Question 7

A cafeteria line would be an example of a process-focused layout.

Question 8

Product layouts can more easily adapt to variations in product requirements than process layouts can.

Question 9

Morale problems can be a reason for redesign of a facility layout.

Question 10

Flexible manufacturing systems bring the benefits of automation to continuous processes.

Question 11

Continuous processing is the best way to produce customized output.

Question 12

There are three basic process types: input, processing, and output.

Question 13

Avoiding bottlenecks is the primary goal of product design.

Question 14

As a general rule, continuous processing systems produce products for inventory rather than for customer order.

Question 15

Intermittent processing can take the form of batch processing or a job shop.

Question 16

Repetitive processing systems usually produce goods specifically for customer orders rather than for inventory.

Question 17

The term "computer-aided manufacturing" refers primarily to the use of robotics in process control.

Question 18

Right-sized equipment tends to be larger than equipment used in traditional process layouts.

Question 19

A possible disadvantage of a product layout is an inflexible system.

Question 20

Information technology refers to competitive data.

Question 21

An advantage of a U-shaped production line is that it facilitates teamwork and flexibility in work assignments.

Question 22

Key aspects of the process selection challenge include _________ and __________.

A) information technology; marketing strategy
B) process flexibility; marketing strategy
C) capital intensity; process flexibility
D) marketing strategy; operations strategy
E) capacity planning; marketing strategy

Question 23

Service layouts must be visually pleasing as well as functional.

Question 24

Group technology is closely connected to cellular manufacturing.

Question 25

Among the benefits claimed for cellular manufacturing are less material handling and reduced setup time.

Question 26

Heuristic approaches to line balancing are the only approach that will guarantee an optimal solution.

Question 27

An idle percentage of zero means a line is perfectly balanced.

Question 28

None of the approaches to line balancing, manual or computerized, guarantees an optimal solution.

Question 29

The main issue in the design of process layouts concerns the relative positioning of the departments involved.

Question 30

"Balance delay" is another name for the percentage of idle time in a process layout.

Question 31

A process layout is more susceptible to shutdowns caused by equipment breakdowns than a product layout.

Question 32

"Balance delay" is another name for the percentage of idle time in a product layout.

Question 33

Mismatches between operational capabilities and market demand can have a negative impact on an organization.

Question 34

The percentage of idle time in an assembly line is called cycle time.

Question 35

The goal of line balancing is to assign tasks to workstations in such a way that the workstations have approximately equal time requirements.

Question 36

In cellular manufacturing, machines and equipment are grouped by type (e.g., all grinders are grouped into a cell).

Question 37

A disadvantage of a product layout can be high in-process inventory costs.

Question 38

The minimum number of workstations for a production line is determined in part by the desired output rate.

Question 39

Accounting, purchasing, and inventory control are fairly routine with process layouts.

Question 40

For a production line, daily capacity can be determined by dividing the daily operating time by the line's cycle time.

Question 41

Which type of processing system tends to produce the most product variety?

A) assembly
B) job shop
C) batch
D) continuous
E) project

Question 42

The key questions in the process selection task are:
(I) How will the product/service be priced?
(II) How much variety will be imposed on the process?
(III) What is the target market for the product/service?
(IV) At what volume will the process need to operate?

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

Question 43

As compared to rigid automation, the benefits of flexible manufacturing systems include:

A) reduced labor requirements.
B) higher efficiency.
C) larger batch sizes.
D) significantly lower fixed costs.
E) significantly lower variable costs.

Question 44

When new products or services are being planned, process selection occurs as a matter of course. Process selection also comes into play as a result of:
(I) technological changes.
(II) competitive pressures.
(III) fundamental changes in demand patterns.

A) I only
B) II only
C) III only
D) I and II but not III
E) I, II, and III

Question 45

The process of assigning tasks to workstations in such a way that the workstations have approximately equal time requirements is called:

A) fair employment practices.
B) idle time analysis.
C) line balancing.
D) cycle time optimization.
E) capacity cycling.

Question 46

The type of processing system which is used for highly standardized products is:

A) continuous.
B) intermittent.
C) project.
D) batch.
E) unit.

Question 47

Computer-aided manufacturing refers to the use of computers in:

A) product design.
B) decision making.
C) data analysis.
D) quality control.
E) process control.

Question 48

Layout planning is required because of:
(I) efficient operations.
(II) accidents or safety hazards.
(III) new products or services.
(IV) morale problems.

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

Question 49

Cellular layout is a term associated with:

A) wireless telecommunication.
B) part families.
C) functional (or process) layouts.
D) assembly lines.
E) job shops.

Question 50

Computer-integrated manufacturing integrates ______________ with manufacturing.

A) information from across the organization
B) demand forecasts
C) marketing strategy
D) human resources
E) inventory levels

Question 51

In an environment in which demand is both substantial and stable, __________ technology tends to be the best choice.

A) batch production
B) fixed automation
C) project production
D) programmable automation
E) flexible automation

Question 52

The advantages of automation include:
(I) reduced output variability.
(II) reduced variable costs.
(III) machines don't strike or file grievances.
(IV) machines are always less expensive than human labor.

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

Question 53

Job shops tend to be __________ while continuous processes tend to be __________.

A) in services; in manufacturing
B) short-term and capital intensive; long-term and labor intensive
C) small scale and flexible; large-scale and inflexible
D) standardized; customized
E) low cost-per-unit; high cost-per-unit

Question 54

The estimation of costs is generally most difficult when the ___________ process has been chosen.

A) project
B) repetitive
C) continuous
D) batch
E) job shop

Question 55

In which type of operation are you likely to see, at most, only minor variations in the product or service being produced using the same process and the same equipment?

A) a project
B) a job shop
C) repetitive production
D) batch processing
E) intermittent production

Question 56

The substitution of machinery that has sensing and control devices for human labor is best described by the term:

A) automation.
B) feedback control.
C) computer-aided manufacturing.
D) computer-integrated manufacturing.
E) flexible manufacturing system.

Question 57

Process choice is _________ driven.

A) demand
B) operations
C) marketing
D) process
E) capacity

Question 58

A group of machines including supervisory computer control, automatic material handling, and possibly robots is called:

A) computer-aided design.
B) a manufacturing cell.
C) computer-aided manufacturing.
D) computer-integrated manufacturing.
E) a flexible manufacturing system.

Question 59

Which of the following is not a process commonly considered in making products or delivering services?

A) continuous
B) batch
C) repetitive
D) job shop
E) subcontracting

Question 60

An operations strategy for process selection should recognize that:

A) process selection seldom requires technical expertise.
B) engineering "white elephants" are uncommon.
C) there is little need to manage technology.
D) flexibility is not always the best choice.
E) most technical skills can be contracted out to consultants.

Question 61

A production line is to be designed for a job with three tasks. The task times are .3 minutes, 1.4 minutes, and .7 minutes. The minimum cycle time in minutes is:

A) .3.
B) .7.
C) 1.4.
D) 2.4.
E) .8.

Question 62

Layout design has many objectives, one of which is:

A) reduce bottlenecks.
B) move materials and workers simultaneously.
C) use workers and space efficiently.
D) hold material handling costs to 27 percent or less.
E) install computer terminals every 500 feet.

Question 63

An example of automated services is:

A) online banking.
B) build your own pizza.
C) haircuts.
D) massage parlors.
E) financial advising.

Question 64

A service organization (for example, a hospital) is likely to use a(n) ________ layout because of variability in customer processing requirements.

A) project
B) process
C) flow
D) assembly
E) nonrepetitive

Question 65

Daily capacity of a product layout is determined by:

A) cycle time divided by operating time.
B) operating time divided by cycle time.
C) operating time divided by total task time.
D) total task time divided by cycle time.
E) cycle time divided by total task time.

Question 66

In which type of processing system would gasoline be produced from crude oil?

A) job shop
B) batch
C) assembly
D) continuous
E) project

Question 67

The grouping of equipment by the operations needed to perform similar work for part families is:

A) product layout.
B) cellular manufacturing layout.
C) functional layout.
D) fixed-position layout.
E) process layout.

Question 68

Which one of the following is not considered an important factor in service layout design?

A) cost minimization and product flow
B) frequency of orders
C) customer attitude and image
D) intensity of contact with the customer
E) customer preferences with regard to variety

Question 69

Which phrase most closely describes flexible manufacturing systems?

A) a variation of CAD
B) a more fully automated version of cellular manufacturing
C) manufacturing resource planning
D) a process layout with a manufacturing overlay
E) an approach that allows workers to begin work at a time of their choosing

Question 70

The type of layout in which workers, materials, and equipment are moved to the product as needed is:

A) process.
B) product.
C) fixed-position.
D) batch.
E) mass.

Question 71

Which of the following is not true about process layouts when they are compared to product layouts?

A) higher in-process inventories
B) lower span of supervision
C) lower rates of output
D) more involved cost accounting
E) lower unit costs

Question 72

The type of layout which features departments or other functional groupings in which similar activities are performed is:

A) process.
B) product.
C) fixed-position.
D) mass.
E) unit.

Question 73

Which of the following is not a characteristic of layout decisions in system design?

A) substantial investment of both money and effort
B) long-term commitment
C) significant impact on short-term efficiency
D) usually well received by operative personnel
E) can affect supplier or customer processes

Question 74

Product profiling links key product or service requirements to:

A) market conditions.
B) order sizes.
C) pricing strategies.
D) schedule changes.
E) process capabilities.

Question 75

A production line is to be designed for a job with three tasks. The task times are .4 minutes, 1.2 minutes, and .5 minutes. The maximum cycle time in minutes is:

A) .3.
B) .7.
C) 1.4.
D) 2.1.
E) .8.

Question 76

Which one of the following is not common to product layouts?

A) a high rate of output
B) specialization of labor
C) low unit costs
D) ability to adjust to changes in demand
E) special-purpose technology

Question 77

Laser technology used in surgical procedures is an example of technological advances in:

A) product.
B) facility layout.
C) process.
D) information.
E) reverse engineering.

Question 78

In a product layout, the task of deciding how to assign work to specific stations is referred to as:

A) process balancing.
B) task allocation.
C) line balancing.
D) work allocation.
E) station balancing.

Question 79

Which term is most closely associated with cellular manufacturing?

A) part families
B) assembly line
C) robotics
D) CAD
E) CAM

Question 80

The minimum possible cycle time in a product layout is determined by the:

A) longest task time.
B) shortest task time.
C) average task time.
D) total task time.
E) per-unit setup time.