Chapter 3.1 - 3.Operations System

Question 1

What is operations management

Answer 1

Consists of all activities in which managers engage to produce goods or services

Question 2

What are tangibles

Answer 2

Goods that can be touched

Question 3

What are intangibles

Answer 3

Are services that cannot be touched

Question 4

What are the key elements of inputs

Answer 4

Raw materials
Capital equipment 
Labour 
Information and Knowledge 
Time 
Money

Question 5

What are the elements of transformation

Answer 5

Design
Manufacturing
Quality control

Question 6

Define productivity

Answer 6

Measure of efficiency, the amount of output produced compared to the amount of input required in production

Question 7

Define business competitiveness

Answer 7

The ability of an organisation to sell products in a market

Question 8

Define facilities design and layout

Answer 8

Involves planning the layout of workplace to streamline the production process

Question 9

Define Fixed position layout

Answer 9

Deals with large scale processes, such as construction of bridges,ships,aircraft or buildings

Question 10

Define product layout

Answer 10

Deals with the manufacturing of goods in mass volume using an assembly line

Question 11

Define process layout

Answer 11

Deals with high varieties of products by grouping activities, equipment and machinery of similar function together

Question 12

Define Master production scheduling

Answer 12

Details what is to be produced and when

Question 13

Define materials requirements planning

Answer 13

Itemised list of all materials involved in the production ( timing and quality)

Question 14

Define Materials management

Answer 14

The strategy that manages the use, storage and delivery of materials to ensure the right amount of inputs is available when required

Question 15

Define inventory

Answer 15

Goods and materials held as stock by an organisation

Question 16

Define Materials handling

Answer 16

Physical handling of goods in warehouses and at distribution points

Question 17

What is a production plan

Answer 17

An outline of activities undertaken to combine resources (inputs) to create goods and services (outputs)

Question 18

Define inventory control

Answer 18

Ensures that costs are minimised and that the operations system has access to the right amounts of inputs when required

Question 19

Define Just in Time

Answer 19

Materials management strategy that ensures that the exact amount of material inputs will arrive only as they are needed in the operations process

Question 20

What is a supply chain

Answer 20

Range of suppliers from which the organisation purchases materials and resources

Question 21

Define Quality

Answer 21

The degree of excellence of goods and services and their fitness for a stated purpose

Question 22

What is quality control

Answer 22

Use of inspections at various points in the production process to check for problems and defects

Question 23

Define quality assurance

Answer 23

Use of a system so that an organisation achieves set standards in production

Question 24

What is total quality management

Answer 24

An ongoing, organisation wide commitment to excellence that is applied to every aspect of the organisations operation

Question 25

What are quality circles

Answer 25

Groups of workers who meet to solve problems relating to quality

Question 26

What is continuous improvement

Answer 26

Ongoing commitment to achieving perfection

Question 27

What are robotics

Answer 27

Highly specialised forms of technology capable of complex tasks

Question 28

What is computer aided design

Answer 28

A computerised design tool that allows business to create product possibilities from a series of input parameters

Question 29

What is computer aided manufacture

Answer 29

Software that designs and controls manufacturing processes

Question 30

What is computer integrated manufacturing

Answer 30

Method of manufacturing in which the entire production process is controlled by a computer

Question 31

What should operations managers be doing both ethically and socially responsible

Answer 31

Managing inputs appropriately
Managing suppliers appropriately
Managing staff appropriately
Managing customer relationships appropriately

Question 32

Define ethics

Answer 32

Abiding by moral standards and doing the right thing in the interests of all stakeholders

Question 33

Define social responsibility

Answer 33

The obligations a business has over and above its legal requirements to the well being of employees and customers, shareholders and the community as well as the environment