OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT - EXAM 1 ACCURATE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS WITH SOLUTIONS 2024 Operations management - ANSWER deals with the systematic design, direction, and control of processes."A process is an activity or group of activities that takes one or more inputs, transforms them, and provides one or more outputs for its customers."An "O peration is a group of resources performing all or part of one or more processes.""Supply chain management is the synchronization of a firm's processes with those of its suppliers and customers to match flow of materials, services, and information with cus tomer demand." Operations - ANSWER serve as an excellent career path to upper management positions in many organizations because operations managers are responsible for key decisions that affect the success of the organization. Historical Evolution and Perspectives - ANSWER James Watt invented the steam engine in 1785. With the invention of the cotton gin in 1794, Eli Whitney introduced the concept of inter -changeable parts. The foundations of modern manufacturing and technologi cal breakthroughs were also inspired by the creation of a mechanical computer by Charles Babbage in the early part of the nineteenth century. Scientific management of operations and supply chain management was further improved upon by Frederick Taylor in 1 911 First is the invention of the assembly line for the Model T car by Henry Ford in 1909 Alfred Sloan in the 1930s introduced the idea of strategic planning for achieving product proliferation and variety Toyota Production System in 1978, Taiichi Ohno lai d the groundwork for removing wasteful activities from an organization. The 1980s were characterized by wide availability of computer aided design (CAD), computer aided manufacturing (CAM), and automation. Departments within an organization typically have their own set of objectives and a set of resources with capabilities to meet those objectives. The concept of a process is much broader: - ANSWER a process can have its own set of objectives where the work flow may cross different department boundaries, and require resources from several departments. Any process has inputs and outputs - ANSWER Inputs can include a combination of human resources (workers and managers), capital (equipment and facilities), purchased materials and services, land, and energy.Processes provide outputs to customers. Outputs could be services (that can take the form of information) or a tangible product. Customer -supplier relationships -Every process and every person within an organization has customers -External customers, Internal customers. Every process and every person in a n organization also relies on suppliers -External suppliers, Internal suppliers Inputs and outputs vary, depending on the service or product (examples) - ANSWER Jewelry store -
Inputs: merchandise, the store building, registers, the jeweler, and customers, Outputs: to the external customers are services and sold merchandiseFactory manu facturing blue jeans - Inputs: denim, machines, the plant, workers, managers, and services by outside consultants, Outputs: clothing and supporting services Nested processes - ANSWER Process within a process, Interconnectivity within a business, Nature of each process's inputs and outputs, Greater detail in Chapter 4 "Process Analysis" Service and Manufacturing Processes - - ANSWER Ratio of services to manufacturing jobs, Differences -
Nature of output, Degree of customer contact Similarities -Customers expect good service and good products The strategic view is that - ANSWER processes must add value for customers throughout the supply chain; reinforcing the link between processes and performance. This includes a firm's internal processes with those of external customers and suppliers. Core processes are - ANSWER Supplier relationship process, New service/product development process, Order fulfillment process, Customer relationship process Support processes - ANSWER provide vital resources and inputs to the core processes, capabilities, other inputs that allow core processes to function Supply Chain Processes - ANSWER Adding value with process innovation in supply chains - Outsourcing, Warehousing, Sourcing, Customer Service, Logistics, Cross -docking Operations strategy - ANSWER Specifies the means by which operations implements corporate strategy and helps to build a customer -driven firm. It links long -term and short -term operations decisions to corporate strategy and develops the capabilities the fi rm needs to be competitive. Corporate strategy - ANSWER Environmental scanning, Developing core competencies -Workforce, Facilities, Market and financial know -how, Systems and technology, Developing core processes, Developing global strategies -Strategic alliance, Locating abroad. Mar ket analysis -Market segmentation, Needs assessment --Service or Product Needs. Attributes of the service or product, such as price, quality, and degree of customization. Delivery System Needs. Attributes of the processes and the supporting systems, and resources needed to deliver the service or product, such as availability, convenience, courtesy, safety, accuracy, reliability, delivery speed, and delivery dependability. Volume Needs. Attributes of the demand for the service or product, such as high or low volume, degree of variability in volume, and degree of predictability in volume. Other Needs. Other attributes, such as reputation and number of years in business, after -sale technical support, ability to invest in international financial markets, and competent legal services. 1. Competitive priorities 2. Competitive capabilities - ANSWER 1. are the critical operational dimensions a process or supply chain must possess to satisfy internal or external customer, both now and in the future.2. Competitive capabilities are the cost, quality, time, and flexib ility dimensions that a process or supply chain actually processes and is able to deliver. An abbreviated list with examples is provided here. 2. are the cost, quality, time, and flexibility dimensions that a process or supply chain actually processes and is able to deliver. An abbreviated list with examples is provided here. Low-cost operations - ANSWER Delivering a service or product at the lowest cost possible. Costco achieves low costs by designing all processes for efficiency. Top quality - ANSWER Delivering an outstanding service or product.Rolex is known globally for top -
quality precision timepieces Consistent quality - ANSWER Producing services or products that meet design specifications on a consistent basis.McDonald's standardizes work methods, staff training processes, and procurement to achieve consistency. Delivery speed - ANSWER Quickly filling customer ordersDell engineered processes to deliver reliable and inexpensive computers with short lead times. On-time delivery - ANSWER Meeting delivery -time promisesUnited Parcel Service (UPS) uses expertise in logistics and warehousing processes to deliver on -time.