Free flashcard deck
operations managment flashcards
50 cards, Medium, made and shared by a student on FORKSAI.
FORKSAI brings each card back with spaced repetition, right before you would forget it. Free to start, no card needed.
All 50 cards
Card 1
Why is it important to study Operations Management (OM) within an organization?
Studying OM is crucial because it is one of the three major functions of any organization, helping us understand how goods and services are produced. It also provides insight into the roles of operations managers and addresses the fact that OM constitutes a significant cost for an organization.
Card 2
What are the five basic management functions that operations managers perform?
The five basic management functions performed by operations managers are Planning, Organizing, Staffing, Leading, and Controlling.
Card 3
Define 'Design of goods and services' as a strategic decision in Operations Management.
The 'Design of goods and services' strategic decision defines what is required of operations. Product design specifically determines aspects such as quality, sustainability, and the necessary human resources for production.
Card 4
What factors are considered in the 'Location strategy' strategic decision?
The 'Location strategy' considers factors such as proximity to customers, suppliers, and talent. It also takes into account costs, available infrastructure, logistics, and government regulations.
Card 5
How does 'Layout strategy' contribute to the overall system design?
'Layout strategy' integrates capacity needs, personnel levels, technology, and inventory considerations. Its primary goal is to determine the efficient flow of materials, people, and information within the operational system.
Card 6
What is the role of 'Human resources and job design' as a strategic decision?
'Human resources and job design' focuses on recruiting, motivating, and retaining personnel who possess the required talent and skills. This area is an integral and often expensive part of the total system design.
Card 7
Which of the following strategic decisions involves optimizing inventory based on customer satisfaction, supplier capability, and production schedules?
- A. Supply chain management
- B. Scheduling
- C. Inventory management (correct)
- D. Maintenance
Card 8
Define productivity and explain its significance.
Productivity represents output relative to input. Its significance lies in the fact that only through increases in productivity can the standard of living improve.
Card 9
Calculate the labor productivity if 1,000 units are produced using 250 labor-hours.
Labor Productivity = Units produced / Labor-hours used = 1,000 units / 250 labor-hours = 4 units/labor-hour.
Card 10
What is multi-factor productivity and how does it differ from single-factor productivity?
Multi-factor productivity, also known as total factor productivity, measures output relative to multiple resource inputs such as labor, material, energy, capital, and miscellaneous costs, often expressed in dollars. Single-factor productivity, like labor productivity, considers only one resource input.
Card 11
What are the three productivity variables and their approximate contributions to annual increase?
The three productivity variables are labor, contributing about 10% of the annual increase; capital, contributing about 38%; and management, contributing about 52%.
Card 12
Explain the concept of 'Differentiation' as a strategy for competitive advantage.
Differentiation as a strategy for competitive advantage means making a product or service 'better, or at least different' from competitors. This aims to provide unique value that sets the organization apart in the market.
Card 13
What is the 'Response' strategy for competitive advantage?
The 'Response' strategy for competitive advantage focuses on being 'more responsive' than competitors. This often involves quick delivery, flexible production, or reliable service to meet customer needs efficiently.
Card 14
When and by whom were PERT and CPM developed, and for what purpose?
PERT (Program Evaluation and Review Technique) and CPM (Critical Path Method) were both developed in the 1950s. CPM was developed first by DuPont to assist in building and maintaining chemical plants, while PERT was independently developed in 1958 for the US Navy. Both were created to help managers schedule, monitor, and control large and complex projects.
Card 15
What is the first basic step common to both PERT and CPM frameworks?
The first basic step common to both PERT and CPM frameworks is to define the project and prepare the work breakdown structure.
Card 16
What are the six basic steps followed by both PERT and CPM in project management?
Both PERT and CPM involve defining the project and preparing a work breakdown structure, developing activity relationships, deciding activity precedence, drawing a network, assigning time/cost estimates, and computing the critical path. The network is then used for planning, scheduling, monitoring, and controlling the project.
Card 17
Distinguish between PERT and CPM based on their approach to time estimation for activities.
PERT (Program Evaluation and Review Technique) is a project management technique that uses three time estimates for each activity, accounting for uncertainty. CPM (Critical Path Method), in contrast, uses only one time factor per activity, assuming more deterministic activity durations.
Card 18
What is the critical path in the context of project management using PERT or CPM?
The critical path is defined as the computed longest time path or paths through a project network. It represents the minimum time required to complete the project, and any delay in activities on this path will delay the entire project.
Card 19
What is a Gantt chart and what are its primary uses?
A Gantt chart is a popular project scheduling approach that uses planning charts to schedule resources and allocate time. They are widely used due to their simplicity and visual nature, making them effective for tracking project progress.
Card 20
Provide examples of how technology has impacted the hotel industry.
In the hotel industry, technology has led to electronic check-in/check-out systems, electronic key/lock systems, and mobile web bookings. These innovations enhance efficiency and customer experience.
Card 21
How has technology influenced the wholesale/retail trade sector?
Technology in wholesale/retail trade includes point-of-sale (POS) terminals, e-commerce platforms, electronic communication between stores and suppliers, bar-coded data, and RFID technology. These advancements streamline operations and inventory management.
Card 22
What technological advancements are seen in the transportation industry?
The transportation industry has adopted automatic toll booths, satellite-directed navigation systems, and Wi-Fi in automobiles. These technologies improve efficiency, navigation, and passenger experience.
Card 23
Describe the impact of technology on the healthcare sector.
Technology in healthcare includes online patient-monitoring systems, online medical information systems, and robotic surgery. These innovations enhance patient care, data management, and surgical precision.
Card 24
Give examples of technology's impact on the airline industry.
The airline industry has been transformed by technology through ticketless travel, advanced scheduling systems, internet purchases, and boarding passes downloadable as two-dimensional bar codes on smartphones. These changes improve convenience and operational efficiency.
Card 25
Explain the concepts of demand management and capacity management in the service sector.
Demand management in the service sector involves strategies like appointments, reservations, and the First-Come, First-Served (FCFS) rule to regulate customer flow. Capacity management focuses on adjusting staffing levels, using full-time, temporary, or part-time staff, to match service demand.
Card 26
What is a bottleneck in the context of bottleneck analysis and the Theory of Constraints?
A bottleneck is a limiting factor or constraint within a system, specifically defined as the work area or workstation that has the lowest effective capacity. It dictates the overall throughput capacity of the entire system.
Card 27
How is bottleneck time defined in a production system?
The bottleneck time is the time taken by the slowest workstation in a production system. This workstation takes the longest to process a unit or batch, thereby determining the overall pace of production.
Card 28
What is throughput time in a production system?
Throughput time is the total time it takes for a unit to move through the entire production process, from start to end, without accounting for any waiting time. It measures the duration of active processing.
Card 29
Which of the following is NOT a basic step followed by both PERT and CPM?
- A. Define the project and prepare the work breakdown structure.
- B. Develop the relationships among the activities.
- C. Calculating slack time for each activity. (correct)
- D. Compute the longest time path through the network.
Card 30
What is the primary difference between PERT and CPM regarding time estimates?
- A. PERT uses three time estimates per activity, while CPM uses one. (correct)
- B. PERT focuses on cost estimates, while CPM focuses on time estimates.
- C. PERT is for small projects, while CPM is for large, complex projects.
- D. PERT was developed by DuPont, while CPM was developed for the US Navy.
Card 31
What is the primary objective of aggregate planning?
- A. Maximizing inventory levels to prevent stockouts.
- B. Meeting forecast demand while minimizing cost over the planning period. (correct)
- C. Focusing solely on workforce adjustments to match demand fluctuations.
- D. Disaggregating the production plan into a master production schedule.
Card 32
How do work cells contribute to reduced inventory levels?
- A. By increasing the overall production volume.
- B. By reducing the need for highly trained employees.
- C. By reducing work-in-process, raw material, and finished goods inventories. (correct)
- D. By requiring more floor space for storage.
Card 33
Define a 'focused work center' and explain its relationship to work cells.
- A. A facility that produces a wide variety of unrelated products.
- B. A general-purpose, process-oriented facility.
- C. A plant within a plant, where production moves from a general-purpose facility to a large work cell. (correct)
- D. A separate facility focused on maximizing inventory.
Card 34
What are the key requirements for implementing effective work cells?
- A. Low employee training and minimal equipment.
- B. Identification of product families, highly trained employees, self-contained operations, and testing at each station. (correct)
- C. Centralized equipment and resources shared across multiple cells.
- D. A focus on general-purpose production rather than specific product groups.
Card 35
Explain the concept of 'disaggregation' within the context of aggregate planning.
- A. Combining resources into general terms.
- B. The process of breaking down the aggregate plan into greater detail, resulting in a master production schedule. (correct)
- C. Focusing on long-term strategic planning without specific details.
- D. The initial stage of forecasting demand for a planning period.
Card 36
What is the primary objective of supply chain management?
- A. Minimizing the number of suppliers.
- B. Maximizing competitive advantage and benefits to the ultimate consumer. (correct)
- C. Focusing solely on reducing transportation costs.
- D. Increasing inventory levels to ensure product availability.
Card 37
How can a U-shaped line layout improve work cell efficiency?
- A. By increasing the need for additional workers.
- B. By increasing employee movement and space requirements.
- C. By reducing employee movement and space, enhancing communication, and facilitating inspection. (correct)
- D. By making communication more difficult between employees.
Card 38
What are the advantages of utilizing Third-Party Logistics (3PL)?
- A. Increased inventory and higher costs.
- B. Reduced inventory, costs, and improved delivery reliability and speed. (correct)
- C. Slower delivery times and decreased reliability.
- D. Eliminating the need for any supply chain management.
Card 39
What is the role of Group Technology in establishing work cells?
- A. To ensure products have entirely different characteristics.
- B. To identify products with similar characteristics for particular cells. (correct)
- C. To increase the diversity of products within a single cell.
- D. To eliminate the need for product identification in cell formation.
Card 40
What is the purpose of a Material Requirements Planning (MRP) system?
- A. To manage day-to-day business activities like accounting.
- B. To analyze inventory levels, production capacity, and forecast demand to schedule production and minimize inventory. (correct)
- C. To increase work-in-process inventory.
- D. To focus solely on long-term strategic planning without considering inventory.
Card 41
How does a 'focused factory' differ from a 'focused work center'?
- A. A focused factory is a 'plant within a plant', while a focused work center is a separate facility.
- B. A focused factory is a focused work cell in a separate facility, while a focused work center is a 'plant within a plant'. (correct)
- C. They are identical terms with no distinction.
- D. A focused factory only deals with product line focus, while a focused work center deals with all types of focus.
Card 42
What is Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and what type of activities does it manage?
- A. A system for managing only production schedules.
- B. Software for managing day-to-day business activities such as accounting, procurement, and supply chain operations. (correct)
- C. A tool exclusively for analyzing inventory levels.
- D. A method for forecasting demand without managing other business functions.
Card 43
Describe one aggregate planning strategy related to workforce management.
- A. Maintaining a stable workforce regardless of demand fluctuations.
- B. Changing prices to influence demand.
- C. Accommodating changes in demand by varying the size of the workforce, using part-timers, overtime, or idle time. (correct)
- D. Solely relying on subcontractors to meet demand.
Card 44
Why is a high level of employee training and flexibility important for work cells?
- A. To reduce the need for any equipment.
- B. To ensure employees only perform a single, specialized task.
- C. To allow employees to adapt to changes, perform multiple tasks, and take ownership, enhancing efficiency. (correct)
- D. To increase direct labor costs.
Card 45
What is 'poka-yoke' and where is it applied within work cells?
- A. A method for increasing work-in-process inventory.
- B. A type of employee training focused on specialization.
- C. A testing mechanism (error-proofing) applied at each station in a work cell. (correct)
- D. A strategy for reducing equipment utilization.
Card 46
What is Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and what are its primary functions?
Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) is a software type that organizations utilize to manage daily business activities. These activities include accounting, procurement, project management, risk management and compliance, and supply chain operations.
Card 47
Define lean operations and explain its core objective.
Lean operations is an organizational management approach focused on enhancing customer satisfaction while simultaneously minimizing resource usage. Its core objective is to achieve greater value for the customer with fewer resources.
Card 48
Which of the following is NOT one of the five lean principles?
- A. Specify value from the customer's point of view
- B. Make value flow through the value stream by eliminating non-value added activities
- C. Maximize inventory levels to prevent stockouts (correct)
- D. Pursue perfection
Card 49
How does the Japanese approach, particularly Just-in-Time (JIT), address waste and process improvement?
The Japanese approach, including JIT, is founded on minimizing waste in all forms (materials, space, labor), continually improving processes and systems, and maintaining respect for all workers. They constantly fine-tune operations and correct problems to increase productivity and yield, thereby avoiding waste.
Card 50
Explain the concept of 'unnecessary human motions' as a category of waste in lean operations.
Unnecessary human motions, as a category of waste, refers to any movement by a worker that does not efficiently and effectively contribute to the task. This means not utilizing the human body's movements in the most productive way, leading to wasted effort and time.
Study operations managment the way that sticks
Reading cards is not the same as remembering them. In FORKSAI you answer each card before you see the back, and the ones you miss come back first.
Study these cards freeMore flashcard decks
- COURSE: OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT IN TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY flashcards (12 cards)
- Thermochemistry and Thermodynamics flashcards (149 cards)
- Género Bacillus y Clostridium flashcards (100 cards)
- Ψηφιακά Παιχνίδια και Μάθηση flashcards (100 cards)
- Philosophy AS flashcards (100 cards)
- Nervous system flashcards (100 cards)