Deck 5: Process Focus

Question 1

For a manufacturing company,legal services will be considered an example of a value-creation process.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

Identifying potential defects and errors and stopping a process before they occur is the best approach to avoid mistakes in a process.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

Support processes generally add value directly to a product or service.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

The Kaizen philosophy requires a significant cultural change from all employees in the organization except for the top management.

Question 5

Processes must be measurable and repeatable in order to apply the techniques of process management.

Question 6

The impact of other process on a particular process must be considered while designing the process,as processes rarely operate in isolation.

Question 7

Support processes generally require a higher level of attention than do value-creation processes.

Question 8

Process control is the responsibility of those who directly accomplish the work.

Question 9

A kaizen blitz is an improvement initiative that is gradual and continuous and is performed on a part-time basis.

Question 10

Flowcharts enable management to study and analyze processes prior to implementation.

Question 11

Projects generally cut across organizational boundaries but do not require the coordination of many different departments and functions.

Question 12

Services that emphasize on professional judgement of the employees often succeed in providing good solutions to customer problems.

Question 13

Control is the activity of ensuring conformance to the requirements and taking corrective action when necessary to correct problems and maintain stable performance.

Question 14

The outputs of service processes are as well defined as manufactured products.

Question 15

The improvement aspect of process management focuses on continually seeking to achieve higher levels of performance,such as reduced variation,higher yields,fewer defects and errors,and smaller cycle times.

Question 16

Reduction in cycle time of a process leads to improvement in quality of products as it reduces the potential for mistakes and errors.

Question 17

Control in manufacturing starts with purchasing and receiving processes.

Question 18

Assembly of products in a manufacturing plant is an example of a support process.

Question 19

A process is a sequence of linked activities that is intended to achieve some result,such as producing a good or service for a customer within or outside the organization.

Question 20

Value-creation process requirements are driven by internal customer needs.

Question 21

The quality team at Nigre,a cosmetics company,is continuously involved in monitoring the production process to ensure that the products are meeting specifications.They are also responsible for taking corrective measures when they identify variations in the products.In the context of the three major activities involved in process management,the quality team at Nigre is engaged in the _____ activity of process management.

A)improvement
B)design
C)mapping
D)control

Question 22

Which of the following is true of support processes?

A)They align closely to an organization's core competencies and strategic objectives.
B)They are sometimes called core processes.
C)They require lesser attention from the employees compared to value-creation processes.
D)They add value directly to the product or service being produced.

Question 23

Which of the following statements best describes process owners?

A)They are accountable for process performance and have the authority to control and improve their process.
B)They have the authority to design the processes that will be used by the top management team in their organization.
C)They test the accuracy of the processes used in the marketing management.
D)They have the authority to certify the processes used by the suppliers of their organization.

Question 24

Reengineering focuses on improving the existing procedures rather than eliminating them and reinventing the process.

Question 25

Value-creation processes differ from support processes in that value-creation processes:

A)provide the infrastructure for production or deliver processes to create or deliver the actual product.
B)rarely align with the organization's core competencies and strategic objectives.
C)generally do not add value directly to the product or service.
D)are driven by external customer needs.

Question 26

Suppliers include not only companies that provide materials and components,but also distributors,transportation companies,and information,health care,and education providers.

Question 27

A _____is a temporary work structure that starts up,produces products or services,and then shuts down.

A)kaizen program
B)poka-yoke program
C)project
D)quality circle

Question 28

Breakthrough improvement refers to discontinuous change,as opposed to the gradual,continuous improvement philosophy of kaizen.

Question 29

For a manufacturing company,which of the following is an example of a support process?

A)Product designing
B)Legal services
C)Testing of products
D)Product manufacturing

Question 30

The management team at Kyra Electronics is looking for ways to achieve higher levels of performance.It is trying to obtain higher yields and reduce cycle times.In the context of the three major activities involved in process management,the management team at Kyra is engaged in the _____ activity of process management.

A)mapping
B)improvement
C)design
D)control

Question 31

Which of the following is a reason why process management is important for organizations?

A)It assists organizations in recruiting the most suitable employees whose values match the culture of the organization.
B)It assists organizations in identifying opportunities for improving quality and operational performance.
C)It helps organizations to segment customers into natural groups in order to customize products that are better able to meet customers' needs.
D)It helps organizations to increase employee morale and commitment to the organization.

Question 32

In the case of a manufacturing company,which of the following is an example of a value-creation process?

A)Product designing
B)Human resource services
C)Public relations
D)Legal services

Question 33

Supplier certification processes can be time-consuming and expensive to administer.

Question 34

The materials supplied by a certified supplier do not require manufacturers to conduct routine testing on all the lots supplied.

Question 35

Which of the following is one of the three major activities in process management that focuses on maintaining consistency in output by assessing performance and taking corrective action when necessary?

A)Design
B)Improvement
C)Process mapping
D)Control

Question 36

To apply the techniques of process management,processes must be _____.

A)costly and time consuming
B)repeatable and measurable
C)centrally controlled and random
D)simple and lengthy

Question 37

The design activity of process management focuses on:

A)identifying new markets and product opportunities.
B)ensuring that the inputs to the process, such as materials, technology, and a trained workforce are adequate.
C)maintaining consistency in output by assessing performance and taking corrective action when necessary.
D)continually seeking to achieve higher levels of performance.

Question 38

Benchmarking encourages employees to continuously innovate.

Question 39

Value-creation processes are sometimes called _____ processes.

A)core
B)support
C)job enrichment
D)quality circle

Question 40

Which of the following is one of the three major activities in process management that focuses on achieving higher yields of products with reduced variation and fewer defects and errors?

A)Design
B)Control
C)Process mapping
D)Improvement

Question 41

Which of the following is the first step involved in designing a manufacturing process?

A)Defining the sequence of steps that need to be performed
B)Documenting the procedures and requirements in a flowchart
C)Conducting a detailed technical analysis of the characteristics of the product
D)Analyzing the processes prior to implementation to improve quality

Question 42

The process of measuring a company's performance against best-in-class companies and using that information as a basis to define the company's targets,strategies,and implementation is known as _____.

A)total quality management
B)process mapping
C)benchmarking
D)reengineering

Question 43

Which of the following is a type of customer error that results during an encounter?

A)Failure to follow the instructions provided
B)Failure to signal service inadequacies
C)Failure to bring the necessary materials for the encounter
D)Failure to understand the role in the service transaction

Question 44

As customization of services increases,_____ become(s)a bigger factor in the ability to provide high quality service to the customers.

A)professional judgement of the employees
B)processes and procedures
C)employee behavior
D)physical facilities

Question 45

After using an ATM machine,Deborah forgets to remove her card from the machine.This is an example of:

A)a treatment error between the server and the customer.
B)a customer error in preparation.
C)a customer error at the resolution stage of a service.
D)a customer error during an encounter.

Question 46

_____ is defined as the fundamental rethinking and radical redesign of business processes to achieve dramatic improvements in critical,contemporary measures of performance,such as cost,quality,service,and speed.

A)Process mapping
B)Total quality management
C)Reengineering
D)Benchmarking

Question 47

Which of the following can be regarded as a task error in a service process?

A)Lack of courteous behavior
B)Failure to acknowledge a customer
C)Unclean facilities
D)Working on the wrong order

Question 48

Supply chains help organizations to create a competitive advantage in _____.

A)workforce engagement
B)process mapping
C)flexibility
D)benchmarking

Question 49

When a service ranks low on the dimensions of customer contact,labor intensity,and customization,the service providers need to emphasize on _____ to provide a high quality service to the customers.

A)training provided to the employees
B)employee behavior
C)professional judgement of the employees
D)physical facilities and procedures

Question 50

The organizations that emphasize more on the behavior of the employees rather than the processes and procedures involved are aiming to:

A)improve the efficiency and timing of their service.
B)provide a friendly and personable environment to their customers.
C)improve the reliability of their service.
D)minimize variations in their service standards.

Question 51

Which of the following is regarded as the best approach to prevent mistakes in a process because of its ability to avoid rework and wastage of time and resources?

A)Designing potential defects and errors out of the process
B)Conducting a cost-benefit analysis to determine the impact of stopping a process
C)Identifying potential defects and errors and stopping a process before they occur
D)Identifying defects and errors soon after they occur and quickly correcting the process

Question 52

A(n)_____ is a design tool that enables management to study and analyze processes prior to implementation in order to improve quality and operational performance.

A)Likert's scale
B)flowchart
C)quality manual
D)affinity diagram

Question 53

Which of the following statements is true regarding kaizen?

A)It involves only the top management of the organization.
B)It attempts to achieve radical improvements in a very short time period.
C)It requires very large financial investments.
D)It focuses on small, gradual, and frequent improvements.

Question 54

After-action review or debrief is a process control approach used by organizations to:

A)reduce the cost of conducting a process.
B)improve the process by increasing the efficiency of the manufacturing systems.
C)prevent the errors in a process from occurring again in the future.
D)decrease the time required for completing a process.

Question 55

Strategically placed tray-return stands and trash receptacles remind customers to return trays in fast-food facilities.This is an example of a poka-yoke technique designed to prevent:

A)customer errors in preparation.
B)customer errors during an encounter.
C)customer errors at the resolution stage of a service.
D)treatment errors between the server and the customer.

Question 56

Process control in manufacturing starts with the _____ process.

A)assembly
B)delivery
C)purchasing
D)production

Question 57

Value-creation services that take the form of"projects":

A)are typically completed by individuals rather than by groups.
B)do not add value directly to the product or service.
C)tend to deliver unique products that are tailored to the specific needs of an individual customer.
D)are generally completed by a single department and they do not cut across organizational boundaries.

Question 58

In the context of service errors,which of the following is an example of a treatment error?

A)Working on the wrong order
B)Unclean facilities
C)Lack of courteous behavior
D)Doing work incorrectly

Question 59

Which of the following is true of the poka-yoke approach used for mistake-proofing processes?

A)It was developed by Kaoru Ishikawa.
B)It is ineffective in providing immediate feedback to the employees regarding the error in the process.
C)It helps to engage workers in continuous improvement activities.
D)Most of the techniques of poka-yoke are expensive and extremely complex to implement.

Question 60

_____ is an approach for mistake-proofing processes,developed by Shigeo Shingo,that involves using automatic devices or simple methods to avoid human error.

A)Kaizen
B)Poka-yoke
C)Process mapping
D)Job enrichment

Question 61

How has the problem-solving process helped K&N?

Question 62

What is K&N's terminology for its employees?

A)Grand-aides
B)Friendly team members
C)Representative members
D)Group partners

Question 63

What is a supplier certification process? What is the purpose of this process?

Question 64

Explain the concept of "quality gates" at the Cambridge plant of Lexus with an example.

Question 65

In K&N's process management framework,which of the following is considered during process control and improvement?

A)Equipment needs
B)Training team members
C)Operating procedures
D)Design of workstations

Question 66

How does the cleanliness process at the Lexus plant in Cambridge support the achievement of high product quality?

Question 67

How does K&N identify work process improvements?

Question 68

Which of the following is considered during the design/redesign process in K&N's comprehensive system for process management framework?

A)Measuring to specifications
B)Operating procedures
C)Cycle time
D)Auditing to specifications

Question 69

Define process management and list the major activities involved in process management.

Question 70

What is meant by operational steps?

Question 71

How are team members empowered at K&N?

Question 72

Describe the various elements of a control system.

Question 73

What is the last step in K&N's process management framework?

A)Measuring and auditing to specifications
B)Mapping and documenting the process
C)Evaluation and improvement
D)Replicating the process to all applicable areas

Question 74

How does K&N deal with a formal new process or a process change?

Question 75

How is the kaizen philosophy implemented at the Lexus plant in Cambridge,Ontario?

Question 76

Briefly discuss the K&N process management framework.

Question 77

Differentiate between value-creation processes and support processes.

Question 78

Why do organizations focus on improving the agility and flexibility of their processes?

Question 79

What are shipping quality audits at the Lexus plant in Cambridge?