General Concepts Flashcards

1
Q

What are the five Performance Objectives?

A
Quality
Speed
Dependability
Flexibility
Cost
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

What are the five Performance Objectives?

A
Quality
Speed
Dependability
Flexibility
Cost
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

Define Qualifier

A

A qualifier is a product/service, or any part thereof, that needs to have a certain level to even be considered by customers

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

Define Order winner

A

An order winner is a product/service or any part thereof that provides a significant advantage for customers

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

What, other than performance objectives, should be taken into account when formulating an operations strategy?

A

The firm’s corporate objectives (profit maximization, revenue growth, survival, risk minimization, etc.)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

What is variability of demand?

A

It is a measure of the number of different inputs an operation or process can receive. Higher variability means many different possible inputs

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

What is Little’s law?

A

Throughput time = Work in progress x cycle time

TPT = WIPxCT

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

What is throughput rate?

A

Throughput rate = 1/Cycle time

TR = 1/CT

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

Define bottleneck

A

A bottleneck is the part of a process or operation that constrains the capacity of the system as a whole

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

Define a balanced operation/process

A

A balanced operation/process is one in which each of the processes/tasks takes the same amount of time, thus eliminating idle time

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

Define short fat operations

A

A short fat operation is one where there are several lines that all perform several tasks/functions that achieve the same outcome.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

Define long thin operations

A

Long thin operations have divided tasks/functions and placed them in ‘line’ so that each stage is specialized.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

What are the advantages of long thin operations?

A

More controlled flow
Simple materials handling
Lower capital requirements
More efficient (due to specialization)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

What are the advantages of short fat operations?

A

Higher mix flexibility
Higher volume flexibility
Higher robustness
Less monotonous work

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

What is the ‘drum, buffer, and rope control’ concept?

A

A tool that helps decide where control should occur. The bottleneck is the drum and sets the pace (beat), place buffer in front of the bottleneck to ensure it always is operational, communication ‘rope’ in place between bottleneck and input process to avoid pileups at upstream stages

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

Describe ‘variability, utilization, waiting time’

A

The three components that make up the efficiency and effectiveness of an operation. With high variability it is hard to get high utilization, and vice versa. With low variability and high utilization, waiting time is minimized

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

What are the four V’s?

A

Variety
Volume
Variation in demand
Visibility

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

What is variety?

A

Variety is the number of different products/services that are expected as outcome of an operation

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

What is variation in demand?

A

The fluctuations on the customer side of how much of something is needed

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

What is visibility?

A

Visibility is the degree to which the customer can see the operation behind a product/service

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

What are the implications of the four V’s?

A

That not all operations should be designed the same since there are different needs for differences in the four V’s

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

What are the five process types?

A
Project processes
Jobbing processes
Batch processes
Mass production
Continuous processes
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

What is the most basic model of operations management?

A

Input-Transformation-Output

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

What are the typical steps in the design process?

A
Concept generation
Concept screening
Preliminary design
Evaluation & improvement
Prototyping and final design
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Q

What are the typical steps in the design process?

A
Concept generation
Concept screening
Preliminary design
Evaluation & improvement
Prototyping and final design
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
26
Q

Define Qualifier

A

A qualifier is a product/service, or any part thereof, that needs to have a certain level to even be considered by customers

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
27
Q

Define Order winner

A

An order winner is a product/service or any part thereof that provides a significant advantage for customers

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
28
Q

What, other than performance objectives, should be taken into account when formulating an operations strategy?

A

The firm’s corporate objectives (profit maximization, revenue growth, survival, risk minimization, etc.)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
29
Q

What is variability of demand?

A

It is a measure of the number of different inputs an operation or process can receive. Higher variability means many different possible inputs

30
Q

What is Little’s law?

A

Throughput time = Work in progress x cycle time

TPT = WIPxCT

31
Q

What is throughput rate?

A

Throughput rate = 1/Cycle time

TR = 1/CT

32
Q

Define bottleneck

A

A bottleneck is the part of a process or operation that constrains the capacity of the system as a whole

33
Q

Define a balanced operation/process

A

A balanced operation/process is one in which each of the processes/tasks takes the same amount of time, thus eliminating idle time

34
Q

Define short fat operations

A

A short fat operation is one where there are several lines that all perform several tasks/functions that achieve the same outcome.

35
Q

What are some strategies to implement ‘chase demand’ capacity?

A
Scheduling work shifts
Flexible contracts
Cross-training
Overtime
Temporary staff
Outsourcing
Increased customer participation
Adjustable capacity
36
Q

What are the advantages of long thin operations?

A

More controlled flow
Simple materials handling
Lower capital requirements
More efficient (due to specialization)

37
Q

What are the advantages of short fat operations?

A

Higher mix flexibility
Higher volume flexibility
Higher robustness
Less monotonous work

38
Q

What is the ‘drum, buffer, and rope control’ concept?

A

A tool that helps decide where control should occur. The bottleneck is the drum and sets the pace (beat), place buffer in front of the bottleneck to ensure it always is operational, communication ‘rope’ in place between bottleneck and input process to avoid pileups at upstream stages

39
Q

Describe ‘variability, utilization, waiting time’

A

The three components that make up the efficiency and effectiveness of an operation. With high variability it is hard to get high utilization, and vice versa. With low variability and high utilization, waiting time is minimized

40
Q

What are the strategies to reduce inventory?

A
Chase demand plan
Maintenance
Improve forecasting
Tighten supply
Pull control
Smaller, more frequent, deliveries
Reduce transportation time
Increase speed in the downstream supply chain
Reduce setup time
Parallel processes
Small technology
Flexible technology
41
Q

What is variety?

A

Variety is the number of different products/services that are expected as outcome of an operation

42
Q

What is variation in demand?

A

The fluctuations on the customer side of how much of something is needed

43
Q

What is visibility?

A

Visibility is the degree to which the customer can see the operation behind a product/service

44
Q

What are the implications of the four V’s?

A

That not all operations should be designed the same since there are different needs for differences in the four V’s

45
Q

What are the five process types?

A
Project processes
Jobbing processes
Batch processes
Mass production
Continuous processes
46
Q

What is the most basic model of operations management?

A

Input-Transformation-Output

47
Q

What are the components of the most basic model of operations management (Input-transformation-output)?

A

Input: the ingredients or partly finished products/services that arrive at a new stage
Transformation: the input is transformed to output by the transforming resources. The inputs that are changed to output are often called the transformed resources.
Output: the finished product at the end of the process/operation, ready to move on to the next stage or be delivered/consumed by the customer

48
Q

What are the typical steps in the design process?

A
Concept generation
Concept screening
Preliminary design
Evaluation & improvement
Prototyping and final design
49
Q

What are the ‘waterfall’ and ‘parallel’ arrangements

A

Waterfall design is when the processes involved in designing happen in sequence. A parallel arrangement overlaps all of the processes to a certain extent, thereby reducing time to market

50
Q

What is an alternative innovation process configuration?

A

Continuous ‘loop’

51
Q

What are some key decisions to make when designing a supply network?

A

How the network should be shaped (# of suppliers, # of tiers, how much of the network to own)
Locations
Long term capacity

52
Q

What are the different process layouts?

A

Fixed position
Functional
Cell
Product

53
Q

What is the efficiency frontier?

A

The trade-offs made between cost efficiency and variety. If a company is at the efficient frontier it is at the forefront in its industry

54
Q

What is a trade-off?

A

A trade-off occurs when performance within one performance objective is sacrificed in order to excel at another performance objective

55
Q

Define capacity

A

Capacity is the output an operation can deliver in a defined unit of time

56
Q

Name three capacity plans

A

Level
Chase demand
Manage demand

57
Q

What factors favor high base capacity?

A

Low fixed costs/inexpensive capacity
Performance objective: service quality, flexibility
High perishability of output

58
Q

What factors favor low base capacity?

A

High fixed cost/expensive capacity
Performance objective: cost (utilization)
Ability to store output

59
Q

What are some strategies to implement ‘chase demand’ capacity?

A
Scheduling work shifts
Flexible contracts
Cross-training
Overtime
Temporary staff
Outsourcing
Increased customer participation
Adjustable capacity
60
Q

What are som strategies to implement ‘manage demand’ capacity?

A

Pricing, e.g. happy hour
Constraining customer access
Restricted service at peak (e.g. limited menu)
Advertising and promotion

61
Q

What is the function of inventory?

A

To compensate for timing differences between supply and demand

62
Q

What are the drawbacks of inventory?

A
Requires space
Involves admin costs
Can get lost
May be hazardous
Can become obsolete
Hides problems
Ties up capital
Potential for damage
Slows the speed of flow unit
63
Q

What are the benefits of inventory?

A
Fills processing pipeline
Increase in value (for some operations)
Insurance against uncertainty
Anticipates future demand
Counteracts lack of flexibility
Reduces overall costs
Take advantage of short-term opportunities
64
Q

What are the strategies to reduce inventory?

A
Chase demand plan
Maintenance
Improve forecasting
Tighten supply
Pull control
Smaller, more frequent, deliveries
Reduce transportation time
Increase speed in the downstream supply chain
Reduce setup time
Parallel processes
Small technology
Flexible technology
65
Q

What is the ‘procedure’ for performance assessment?

A
Measure current performance
Compare with others (benchmark)
Set performance targets
Prioritize improvement
Close the gap (improvement)
66
Q

What is the IP matrix?

A

Importance (for customers)

Performance (relative to competitors)

67
Q

What is Business Process Re-engineering (BPR)?

A

A typical ‘breakthrough improvement’ strategy. It is 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.’

68
Q

What is Total Quality Management (TQM)?

A

A technique to minimize or eliminate in-process failures. Another positive of this approach is that failed products/services never reach the customer.

69
Q

What is the PDCA cycle?

A

Plan -> Do -> Check -> Act

Improvement cycle

70
Q

What is the DMAIC cycle?

A

Define -> Measure -> Analyze -> Improve -> Control

Six Sigma improvement cycle

71
Q

What is the Lean cycle?

A

Plan -> Execute -> Evaluate -> Analyze -> Learn -> Improve