OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT MULTIPLE CHOICE TEST

BSB10192-2

Year 2011-2012

Operations ManagementClosed Book ExaminationDateXXXXX

Time Allowed2.00 hours

Exam NoBSB10192-2

VenueStoke / Stafford / SURF network

Weighted100%

ExaminerRoy Edwards

Session2011-12

MarksFirst MarkerSecond Marker

Multi Choice Section

Yes/no Section

Short Answer Section

TOTAL MARKS

AssessmentThe module assessment for 2011-12 consists of two parts.

Part A 27 Multiple choice questions @ 2% each= 54% 6 Yes/No questions @ 1% each

= 6%Part B 5 Short answer questions @ 8% each

= 40%

100%

You should answer all questions

Part B Short answer questions (40%) Part B of the examination paper will contain only 5 questions. These questions will be selected, by us, from the pre-published list of 8 possible questions given below. You will be required to write answers to all 5 of these questions. You will NOT KNOW WHICH 5 questions have been selected for the paper until you sit the exam. It is expected that your response to each question would be no more than 150 words, which would be approximately half a page of handwritten text. This exam paper has the requisite spaced lines for each of the written answers. Only in exceptional circumstances will additional answer books be accepted and these should be clearly marked in the usual way with your student name and numberYou will NOT be allowed to take material, notes, articles or books into the examination with you.

Please note that higher marks will be given where the exam paper as a whole reflects:

Independent thought and ability to apply operations concepts to practical effect.

A structured approach that utilises appropriate terminology and relevant models and frameworks where necessary.

A good balance between the practical and theoretical aspects.

Accuracy and clarity of style in presenting answers. This is a closed book examination and Staffordshire University regulations for examinations apply. Please Note - The paper below is for your practice and contains more questions than you will have on the day (See your module handbook to identify the number of questions).

Module: Operations ManagementRe: Multiple Choice Sections Section AInstructions to students

1) Enter student name and number at the top of the answer sheet

2) This test paper contains 30 multiple choice questions, each carrying equal marks @ 2% each plus 10 yes/no type questions @ 1% each3) Candidates must answer all the questions on this paper.

4) Select the ONE letter corresponding to the MOST APPROPRIATE answer for each question, and place an X in the appropriate box on the answer grid.5) Stop immediately when time is up.

6) You may not leave the room before the allocated time is up.

7) The answer sheet and the question booklet must be handed in at the end of the test.

[Example]

1. The common name for the system which allows employees to choose their starting time, finishing time, and to vary their lunch-break, within agreed parameters is

A) Varytime

B) Flexitime

C) Overtime

D) Personal time

In this example, the correct answer is B) Flexitime and should be indicated as:

ABCDMark

Question 1x

If you wish to change your answer, the original answer must be clearly crossed out so that the desired answer is absolutely clear. If there is any doubt as to your desired answer, that response will receive no marks.

Note: In questions where the word NOT is emphasised, the correct answer is the statement that is not true in the given context. This is often most easily found by first identifying the true statementsPlease Note - The paper below is for your practice and contains more questions than you will have on the day (See your module handbook to identify the number of questions).

Operations Management - Multiple question answer SheetPlease write student name: ___________________________ Student Number: ___________________________Date of Exam: XXX Assessor: Roy EdwardsABCDMarkABCDMark

Question 1Question 21

Question 2Question 22

Question 3Question 23

Question 4Question 24

Question 5Question 25

Question 6Question 26

Question 7Question 27

Question 8Question 28

Question 9Question 29

Question 10Question 30

Question 11Score @ 1.5% each

Question 12Yes / No Questions

Question 13ABAB

Question 14Question 31Question 37

Question 15Question 32Question 38

Question 16Question 33Question 39

Question 17Question 34Question 40

Question 18Question 35Question 41

Question 19Question 36Question 42

Question 20Score @ .5% each

TOTAL SCORE

RESIT Operations Management MULTIPLE CHOICE TEST SECTION1Which of the following statements concerning manufacturing and service organizations is generally true?

A)A service facility is more likely to serve national or even international markets

B)Manufacturing organizations generally find it more difficult to match capacity with demand

C)In many service organizations customers themselves are inputs to the transformation processes.

D)Most service organizations can buffer themselves against uncertain demand by creating inventories and smoothing output levels.

2 Operations typically differ in terms of volume of output, variety of output, variation in demand or the degree of visibility (ie, customer contact) that they give to customers of the delivery process. Please match the following element with the most appropriate of the above dimensions. Low unit costs are most closely matched to:-

A)Variety

B)Variation

C)Volume

D)Visibility

3Which of the following is an implication of low variety?

A)Low unit cost

B)Flexibility needed

C)High complexity

D)Matching customers specific needs

4In a service organisation faced with variable demand the Operations Manager can help smooth demand by:

A)using part-time help during peak hours

B)scheduling work shifts to vary workforce needs according to demand

C)increase the customer self-service content of the service

D)using reservations and appointments

5When developing the operations strategy one of the most important considerations is that it:

A)Requires minimal capital investment

B)Utilises as much automation as possible

C)Utilises an equal balance of labour and automation

D)Supports the overall competitive strategy of the company

6A order qualifying characteristic could be described as :

A)A factor which significantly contributes to winning business

B)A factor which may be of significance in other parts of the organisation

C)A factor which is at a higher level than the standard for the industry

D)A factor which has to achieve a particular level to be considered by the customer

7Expansion by acquisition of suppliers and customers, illustrates which of the following strategies

A)Vertical integration strategy

B)Facilities strategy

C)Planning and control systems strategy

D)Supplier development strategy

8Process design or redesign is most important when

A)current performance is adequate

B)you have a significant competitive advantage

C)competitive priorities have changed

D)the cost of inputs remain stable

9Service shops are characterised as which of the following?

A)Some customer contact, a degree of customisation and some staff discretion

B)Project orientated with little customisation

C)Many customer transactions, involving limited contact time

D)High-contact organisations where customers spend a considerable time in the service process

10A big advantage of a process layout is

A)Its flexibility

B)Its low cost

C)The ability to employ low-skilled labour

D)Its high equipment utilization

11As production systems move from projects to batch production to mass production to continuous production

A)Processes become more flexible

B)Customer involvement with the process increases

C)Products become more standardised

D)Demand volumes decrease

12One micro operation acting as a constraint on capacity may be termed a :

A)Cost centre

B)Non-viable process

C)Bottleneck

D)Resource limitation

13Which one of the following reactive alternatives would typically be best to implement a chase strategy for a manufacturing firm?

A)Use creative pricing to modify demand

B)Build anticipation inventory to absorb the variability in demand

C)Increase overtime to satisfy peaks in demand

D)Use promotional campaigns to boost demand

14Buffer inventory is required as :

A)One or more stages in the operation cannot supply all the items it produces simultaneously

B)Material cannot be transported instantaneously between the point of supply and the point of demand

C)Compensation for the uncertainties inherent in supply and demand

D)Compensation for differences in the timing of supply and demand

15At a strategic level, the essential role of inventory is to support :

A)Quality, dependability, flexibility, cost and speed

B)Flexibility, dependability and quality

C)Cost and speed

D)Range, speed, flexibility and dependability

16Where demand is uncertain, a key purchasing objective will be :

A)Fast delivery

B)High quality

C)Low price

D)Dependable delivery

17In the make-or-buy decision, one of the reasons for buying is

A)To assure adequate supply

B)To obtain desired quality

C)To remove supplier collusion

D)Inadequate capacity

18In lean systems, if a defective product if found, which of the following is generally NOT done?

A)The production line is stopped

B)The defective unit is passed on to the next workstation

C)The defective unit is returned to the worker responsible for creating the defect

D)The production line is made aware of the problem without stopping the line

19Which of the following illustrates an activity that does not add value?

A)Training employees

B)Ordering parts from a supplier

C)Accumulating parts in front of the next work centre

D)Delivering the product to the customer

20Employee empowered companies have committed to all but one of the following

A)Investment in people

B)Use of information technology to support decision making

C)Link compensation to short term performance

D)Develop training programs for employees

21Job design does not involve which one of the following considerations :

A)How much autonomy should be given to individual employees?

B)What tasks should be allocated?

C)Who should be involved / consulted?

D)Ignoring where the job is located

22Within a typical behavioural model of job design, which of the following would be considered as representing core job characteristics?

A)Task combination / task identity / autonomy

B)Vertical loading / skill variety / output

C)Task identity / task significance / autonomy

D)Cultural advancement / absenteeism / nationality

23When a worker has a say in the work methods that he/she wishes to utilise in his/her job is characterised by :

A)Skill variety

B)Job identity

C)Job significance

D)Autonomy

24Which of the following is NOT considered effective in achieving and maintaining service quality?

A)Encouraging service providers to be highly visible in dealing with customers

B)Establishing peer groups among service providers to foster teamwork and a sense of pride

C)Installing system of incentives that emphasises quality

D)Increasing supervision of service providers

25A quality variable

A)takes discrete values

B)may be measured on a continuous scale

C)is continually changing

D)is highly undesirable

26Which of the following is an indirect benefit of improved quality?

A)Improved image

B)Reduced cost of inspection

C)Reduced scrap

D)Reduced inventory

27A moment of truth is NOT

A)an opportunity to influence a customers perception of the service quality

B)critical in achieving a reputation for superior quality

C)when the customer is forming an opinion about the efficiency of the service

D)an interaction between the customer and a service provider

28Proactive quality management includes the concept of

A)quality improvement costs more

B)needing to find out who is responsible for the quality problem

C)getting the service to the customer as soon as possible

D)highlighting problems to help solve them

29Zero defects in manufacturing

A)is an unobtainable and misleading ideal

B)is the goal of TQM

C)is readily achievable in all areas

D)is a relevant goal only in electronic assembly

30Which of the following represent reasons for globalising operations?

A)To gain improvements in the supply chain

B)To improve operations

C)To expand a products life cycle

D)All of the above

31Operations management is concerned only with the day-to-day operations of the firms productive system

A)True

B)False

32Companies that compete based on flexibility often cannot compete based on cost

A)True

B)False

33The design of products and services is separate and distinct from the design of processes and they should be treated quite independently

A)True

B)False

34The idea of a fluctuating workforce that matches demand can be regarded as unethical.

A)True

B)False

35In an ABC inventory system, Class A items require loose inventory control because of their high value

A)True

B)False

36The larger the level of material costs as a proportion of total costs, the greater effect on profitability of a reduction in material costs

A)True

B)False

37Waiting for parts to arrive or for machines to finish production would not be considered a form of waste

A)True

B)False

38

From the customers perspective product and service quality is determined by what the consumer wants and is willing to pay for

A)True

B)False

39A criticism of the traditional TQM approach is that it assumes that costs are known and measurable

A)True

B)False

40Social responsibility is an issue for executives, not operation managers

A)True

B)False

41Jobs that are designed purely on the division of labour, scientific management or ergonomic principles can alienate the people performing them.

A)True

B)False

42A common difference between jobbing and mass operations is degree of product standardisation

A)True

B)False

Section B Short answer questions This Mock Section B of the examination paper contains 10 practice questions. It is expected that your response to each question would be no more than 150 words, This exam paper has the requisite spaced lines for each of the written answers. Only in exceptional circumstances will additional answer books be accepted and these should be clearly marked in the usual way with your student name and number

There are no model answers to this section as we will run through these in class

Question 1

Operations may be conceptualised in terms of a transformation process (input-process-output). Briefly describe each of the components of the transformation model, using relevant examples

Question 2

Discuss the concept of straying from the diagonal relative to the volume variety continuum and the implications for operations.

Question 3

Describe how the characteristics of service operations(Presence of the customer, simultaneity, perishability, intangibility, heterogeneity) affects British Airways

Question 4

Briefly outline how operations can contribute to the overall strategy of an organisation and ultimately the success of the business.

Question 5

Discuss why supply chain management has become so important for competitiveness

Question 6

Briefly contrast the principles and characteristics of scientific management and job enrichment and explain the significances for job design

Question 7

Identify a product/service that would typically be produced or delivered within a product layout and describe the product/service characteristics together with two of the process design features

Question 8

A major responsibility for all managers in the future will be the support of company based systems designed to ensure the quality of products or services. Briefly discuss why quality has become such a live issue today?

Question 9

The elimination of waste is a core philosophy of Just in Time / Lean Production. What is meant by waste in this context?

Question 10

Briefly explain the importance of corporate social responsibility, with some examples of voluntary actions a business can take to address interests of the business and the wider society.

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