OPS/330T Week 1

Everything listed for Week 1 is included in purchase!! 

OPS/330T Week 1 Tutorials Kit includes:

1. Discussion Question and Answer: Service Companies

2. Practice: Topic 1 Quick Check - Operations & SCM: The Value-Creation Engine
3. Practice: Topic 2 Quick Check - Operations Strategy:Creating Customer Value

OPS/330T Week 2

Everything listed for Week 2 is included in purchase!! 

OPS/330T Week 2 Tutorials Kit includes:

1. Discussion Question and Answer: Purchase Behavior

2. Practice: Topic 4 Quick Check - Introduction to Purchasing
3. Practice: Topic 5 Quick Check - Supplier Evaluation and Selection

4. Practice: Week 2 Practice Assignment

5. Apply: Week 2 Apply Assignment

Discussion Question - Purchase Behavior

Includes A+ Discussion Question Answer!

Think about your own purchase behavior.

• How important are each of the five value dimensions—cost, quality, delivery, agility, and innovation—to the decisions you make?
• Explicitly weigh each value dimension. Be sure your weights add up to 100%
• Discuss your thought process for weighting each value dimension?
• Under what circumstances would you change your weightings?

Change your point of view to the company:

• How does your analysis of this point inform service system design?

1. If you are employed in purchasing, you need to become an expert on which of the following?              
2. ________ increased visibility of purchasing from the mid 70s to the mid 80s.
3. In purchasing a category is ________.
4. A leverage buy (on the strategic sourcing matrix) is one where there is:
5. Which of the following are stages (in order) in the strategic sourcing process?
6. Honda’s philosophy towards suppliers is:
7. Honda’s BP program involves which of the following?
8. Early supplier involvement (ESI) involves which of the following?
9. A screening factor is ________.
10. When comparing costs for the outsourcing decision, compare ________ for the best results.
11. General Motors got in trouble with one of its suppliers of trim because:
12. In the SCOR model, purchasing is represented by:
13. A bottleneck item (on the strategic sourcing matrix):
14. In purchasing a category is ________.
15. The reconcile and pay process:
16. Most of the products cost and functionality is determined during which part of the process?
17. Some benefits of ESI may include the following:
18. A typical manufacturer spends about ________ of each sales dollar on purchased inputs.
19. A “routine buy” on the strategic sourcing matrix has which of the following characteristics?
20. Some benefits of ESI may include the following:
21. Honda emphasizes which of the following approaches in its BP program?
22. Which of the following is one of the seven rights of purchasing?
23. As a purchasing manager, you should spend the same amount of time and effort on each purchasing decision
24. The most likely area that you will have lengthy supplier negotiations in purchasing is:
25. During the analyze stage of strategic sourcing, you:
26. Leveraged items are typically commodities… What are some other characteristics of leveraged items?

1. As a purchasing professional, what is your most important decision?
2. Under which of the following circumstances would you search for a new supplier?
3. High-volume purchases that are important to your operations would be considered what kind of buy?
4. Who should be on your cross-functional category team for critical buys?
5. Which of the following is a benefit of buying direct from a manufacturer?
6. Which of the following is a valuable source of supplier information?
7. When draft day arrives, which of the following are appropriate ways to define the deal and get a contract signed?
8. Which of the following is a reason you want to have multi-criteria analysis as a tool in your decision-making toolkit?
9. How can you increase your attractiveness as a customer—i.e., become a customer of choice?
10. Which of the following is a good match between buyer and supplier for all types of buys?
11. Small-volume purchases or commodities that don’t deserve a lot of time are considered what kind of buy?
12. Which of the following is a benefit of buying direct from a distributor?
13. If you don’t want your supplier to be too dependent on your business, you might want to go with a smaller supplier (True/False)
14. As a purchasing professional you can trust your suppliers to bid you the right capabilities at the right costs.
15. Multi-criteria analysis is an effective way to justify a decision outcome that wish to see implemented (based solely on your intuition).
16. Multi-criteria analysis is an intuitive tool that helps you select the right supplier. One of the strengths of multi-criteria analysis is that it enables you to “quantify” qualitative decisions.
17. Single sourcing is a strategy used by some organizations. Which of the following is not a benefit of single sourcing?
18. The approval stage of supplier selection parallels draft day in which of the following ways?

OPS/330T Week 2 Practice Quiz: Business Cycles, Unemployment, and Inflation (2 Practice quizzes combined = duplicates removed)

1. Critical items (on the strategic sourcing matrix) are ________.
2. On the supplier relationship continuum, you spend the most time on relationships where you want to ________.
3. Market complexity is relevant to strategic sourcing for the following reason:
4. Reasons for supplier development include the following:
5. Which of the following should happen during the analyze stage of strategic sourcing?
6. Which of the following is the “Evaluation” step in the supplier selection process?
7. Leverage items are typically commodities. What are some other characteristics of leverage items?
8. A sensitivity analysis as part of a supplier selection model is a good approach to understand which of the following?
9. The most likely area that you will have lengthy supplier negotiations in purchasing is:
10. Which of the following is the “Approval” step in the supplier selection process?
11. Which of the following is the “Evaluation” step in the supplier selection process?
12. As a purchasing professional, what is your role in the p-card process?
13. Identify the most critical criteria is which of the following steps in Multi-criteria analysis?
14. Total cost of ownership may include which of the following items?
15. The degree of supplier integration may vary, from ________ to ________ at the extremes.
16. Through Bob Evans initiative on one-stop fulfillment, it ________.
17. If a supplier perceives you as a customer as exploitable, what should your strategy be for a leverage buy?

Apply: Week 2 Apply Assignment = Several Apply Quizzes Combined (duplicates removed) = A+ Work!

1. During the “source” stage of strategic sourcing g, you do which of the following?
2. What are the four types of buy (i.e., segments) that are described by the purchasing portfolio matrix?
3. ________ represent costs that will remain even after we stop a particular process or activity.
4. Market complexity is relevant to strategic sourcing for which reasons?
5. During the “analyze” stage of strategic sourcing g, you do which of the following?
6. Category importance is determined by ________.
7. Reasons for supplier development include which of the following?
8. One reason that those employed in purchasing need to understand processes is ________.
9. During the “procure” stage of strategic sourcing g, you do which of the following?
10. As a purchasing professional, what is your role in the p-card process?
11. Deciding how important each criterion is is which of the following steps in Multi-criteria analysis?
12. Which of the following is the “Monitoring” step in the supplier selection process?
13. As a purchasing professional, when you don’t stay ahead of the ­­­­­­________, you and your company will become irrelevant.
14. If a supplier perceives you as a customer as a nuisance, what should your strategy be for a routine buy?
15. Collecting data and filling out the matrix is which of the following steps in Multi-criteria analysis?
16. Single sourcing is a strategy used by some organizations.  Which of the following is not a benefit of single sourcing?
17. Single sourcing is a strategy used by some organizations.  Which of the following is a benefit of single sourcing?
18. Purchasing professionals need to ________ and  ________ in order to find the right supplier.
19. If a supplier perceives you as a customer as a development, what should your strategy be for bottleneck buys?
20. The formal process of asking “What if…?” questions in a decision-making process is called what?
21. Which of the following is one of the seven rights of purchasing?
22. Which of the following processes do purchasing professionals need to understand?
23. Multi-criteria analysis is an intuitive tool that helps you select the right supplier. One of the strengths of multi-criteria analysis is that it enables you to “________" qualitative decisions.
24. Single sourcing is a strategy used by some organizations. Which of the following is a benefit of single sourcing?
25. Single sourcing is a strategy used by some organizations. Which of the following is nota benefit of single sourcing?
26. Purchasing professionals need to ________ and ________ in order to find the right supplier.
27. What are some of the consequences of choosing the wrong supplier?
28. If a supplier perceives you as a customer as a development, what should your strategy be for bottleneck buys?
29. The formal process of asking “What if…?” questions in a decision-making process is called what?
30. Which of the following is the “Identification” step in the supplier selection process?

OPS/330T Week 3

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Get ALL Assignments for the week for one LOW Price! 

1. Discussion Question & Answer: Lean Six Sigma
2. Practice: Topic 6 Quick Check: Process Design and Management
3. Practice: Topic 7 Quick Check: Design for Lean Operations
4. Practice: Topic 8 Quick Check: Quality Design and Management
5. Practice: Week 3 Practice Assignment
6. Apply: Week 3 Summative Apply Assignment

Discussion Question - Lean Six Sigma

Includes A+ Discussion Question Answer!

Context: Lean Six Sigma has emerged as a key to achieving world-class value-added processes. But not everyone has benefited equally from implementing these operating philosophies and their accompanying tool sets.
 Discussion: Based on your own personal experience—or on the results of an Internet search—identify a Lean Six Sigma implementation success story.
(Note: if using your own personal experience it must be on a formal lean six sigma implementation in a company where you know or can research the specific events, decisions and investments made by leadership.)
 Describe what happened. How did the key decision-makers use process design or Lean Six Sigma tools to achieve success—that is, improve value and decrease costs?

• Identify the specific events, decisions, or investments they made in order to leverage operations (or Lean Six Sigma) as a competitive weapon.

 Now, based on your own personal experience—or on the results of an Internet search—identify a Lean Six Sigma “horror” story.
 Describe what happened. More importantly, describe what went wrong.

• Assess how key decision-makers failed to appropriately use process design or Lean Six Sigma tools.
• As a consultant to the company, how would you help them “fix” the implementation process to achieve success next time? What specific events, decisions, or investments would you promote to help them leverage operations (or Lean Six Sigma) to improve value and reduce costs?

Organize you post with the following headers:
• Keys to a Successful LSS implementation
• What not to do when implementing LSS
• Correcting the LSS failure with the keys to success
• References

OPS/330T Week 3 Topic 6 Quick Check - Process Design and Management

1. Why is the concept of recipe important?
2. Which of the three processes define and deploy business strategies?
3. Delivering to promise meant manufacturing has to interrupt operations to produce a rush order, causing operating costs to soar is an example of what?
4. How many patients an emergency clinic can handle in one day is an example of what?
5. Automobile production is an example of which process?
6. Which of the following processes has the highest level of volume?
7. Which of the following is Step 3 of the three-step proven path to employing the Process Improvement Trio?
8. In the metaphor of the bottle for theory of constraints, which part of the bottle represents the constraint?
9. In process mapping, the following indicates an activity or a task.
10. ‘Research has shown that if you invest in the following activities, you will end up with an attitude of continuous and constant improvement:

OPS/330T Week 3 Topic 7 Quick Check - Design for Lean Operations

1. Lean was started as ________.
2. Staying up to date with the customers' changing tastes and demand patterns describes which lean operation competitive advantage?
3. Improved effectiveness comes from which of the following?
4. Recognizing that many customers want their shoes made in the USA is an example of which step in the continuous lean journey?
5. In Japanese, Kaizen means ________.
6. Which is true of the concept of lean six sigma?
7. In Japanese, Kanban means ________.
8. Which of the following are tools that you can use to identify improvements and opportunities in you newly mapped process?
9. Which is done during the sort stage of the 5S process?
10. Which is done during the sustain stage of the 5S process?

1. Which “Quality of Product” dimension would you be assessing when asking the question, “Is the product relatively easy to maintain and repair?”
2. Which “Quality of Product” dimension would you be assessing when asking the question, “Does the product look, sounds, taste, or smell the way it should?”
3. Which “Quality of Product” dimension would you be assessing when asking the question, “Does the product do what you want it to do?”
4. Which “Quality of Product” dimension would you be assessing when asking the question, “For any dimension that cannot be observed directly, does the product seem like a high-quality product?”
5. Which “Quality of Service” dimension would you be assessing when asking the question, “How pleasing is the appearance of the physical facilities, equipment, personnel, and communication materials?”
6. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) built its quality certification ISO 9000 on which core principles?
7. What is guardbanding?
8. A control chart that measures variables measures what?
9. Which of the following is the first step of W. Edward Deming’s PDCA cycle?
10. A control chart that measures attributes measures what?
11. With respect to control chart logic, processes performed include some variation is called?
12. With respect to control chart logic, controls limits based on the level of confidence you want to have the process perform at is called?
13. A control chart that is constructed using a range is called a/an…
14. A control chart that is constructed using a proportion is called a/an...
15. Which of the following indicate that a process is out of control?
16. Which “Quality of Product” dimension would you be assessing when asking the question, “Does the product do what you want it to do?”
17. Which “Quality of Service” dimension would you be assessing when asking the question, “How pleasing is the appearance of the physical facilities, equipment, personnel, and communication materials?”
18. Which “Quality of Product” dimension would you be assessing when asking the question, “Is the product relatively easy to maintain and repair?”
19. Which “Quality of Product” dimension would you be assessing when asking the question, “For any dimension that cannot be observed directly, does the product seem like a high-quality product?”
20. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) built its quality certification ISO 9000 on which core principles?
21. What is the process capability ratio (Cp)?
22. To improve the process capability ratio, you may need to find a supplier that operates a better or different process that can produce to your quality requirements. This is called?
23. A control chart that measures variables measures what?
24. Which of the following is the first step of W. Edward Deming’s PDCA cycle?
25. Which “Quality of Product” dimension would you be assessing when asking the question, “How long will the product perform or last, and under what conditions?”
26. Which “Quality of Service” dimension would you be assessing when asking the question, “How dependably can the service provider provide promised service?”

1. What is process?
2. Which of the following processes has the highest degree of customization?
3. How many patients an emergency clinic can handle in one day is an example of what?
4. Research has shown that if you invest in which of the following activities, you will end up with an attitude of continuous and constant improvement.
5. Not having huge amounts of inventory tying up assets describes which lean operation competitive advantage?
6. In lean, root cause analysis ________.
7. Because lean is so strict with inventory management ________.
8. One of the scary things about implementing lean is that it ________.
9. Eliminating process waste includes which of the following?
10. Which “Quality of Product” dimension would you be assessing when asking the question, “Does the product consistently perform as it is supposed to over time?”
11. Statistically, six-sigma performance produces fewer than ________ defects per million opportunities for an error for defect.
12. Suppose that the design engineering team set the specifications for length of a stamped sheet-metal part at 10 inches (T) with acceptable tolerances of ±.05 inches (USL and LSL). The average length of the products produced by the actual stamping process is 9.995 inches (m) with a standard deviation of .005 inches (s). What is your Cp?
13. What is a control chart that is constructed using a proportion called?
14. With respect to control chart logic, controls limits based on the level of confidence you want to have the process perform at is called?
15. Which “Quality of Service” dimension would you be assessing when asking the question, “How willing, able, and promptly is the service provider to help you?”
16. Historically, businesses arranged activities by different functions, such as ________.
17. Which of the three processes involves maintenance or control over the processes?
18. In Japanese, Muda means ________.
19. The best lean companies pursue a continuous cycle of  ________ to continue to improve.
20. Documenting each work station works relatively independent of the others and batching orders led to extensive work-in-process buffers between stations is an example of which step in the continuous lean journey?
21. Which of the following are competitive advantages of lean operations?
22. When looking at the waste of motion versus transportation which is true?
23. Which “Quality of Service” dimension would you be assessing when asking the question, “How well does the service provider provide caring, individualized attention to its customers?”
24. Which “Quality of Product” dimension would you be assessing when asking the question, “Does the product possess the features you are looking for?”
25. Which of the following can be done to improve your process capability ration?
26. What does a successful businesses do to ensure that work is finished as expected?
27. The following is a benefit of the standardize stage of the 5S process:
28. What value proposition does lean offer?
29. Always getting better, adapting to external demands and employee insight describes which lean operation competitive advantage?
30. What does the definition of Overproduction in the Eight Wastes refer to?
31. In a pull system:
32. Which “Quality of Product” dimension would you be assessing when asking the question, “Does the product conform to design specifications?”
33. Which of the following are potential sources of variation in the Ishikawa cause-and-effect diagram?
34. Building a one-of-a-kind output is an example of which process?
35. Which is true of parallel processing?
36. What does the definition of Not Utilizing Staff Talent in the Eight Wastes refer to?
37. Which of the following is a dimension of quality?

1. A new business analyst at PlastiPharm, a company that produces medical device plastic bags for safe storage, handling, and transportation of scientific products, was tasked with developing a process design document for a company that needed a new bag for their cell culture process for a new vaccine. The business analyst, being new, looked at the inputs, the outputs, the process flow, the resources, and the structure of the process. Why was it important for the business analyst to thoroughly understand each aspect of the process?
2. During a production audit at PlastiPharm, a client noted that the number of medical device bags produced during his hour of observation was higher than what was reported for the eight-hour shift (multiplying the hourly output by eight). Which of these explanations best explains why there is a difference?
3. When assessing whether product release deadlines were met during the first three months of the year, the quality assurance (QA) team noted that they were late 23 percent of the time. During that time, the team had hired two new specialists. The team immediately assessed their processes, including that of approving lot records, a required step to ensure that each lot met product requirements, which then triggered a product release. They found that the new QA reviewers were slow to make decisions because of lack of experience and knowledge. Which statement best explains why analyzing the lot record process and identifying the major constraint for product release was helpful to the QA director so she could take action to improve?
4. In the PlastiPharm clean room, where production of the medical device bags occurs, one of the floor technicians questioned a step in the process and suggested another approach that she said would shave off some production time. The shift supervisor organized a process review with all personnel involved and reviewed the process map. Which of the following statements best explains why expending so much effort was worthwhile?
5. A client ordered 1,000 2D medical device bags from PlastiPharm. Unfortunately, delivery was delayed by two days, and the client was not pleased. A bottleneck analysis was conducted to determine where the problems were in the process. Target times in all steps of the process were compared to actual times. Interestingly, the analysis showed that the client did not respond to questions for two days (someone was out sick, and no one covered for them). While the two-day delay was explained, PlastiPharm determined that improvements could be made to avoid such a delay in the future and took steps to ensure there would be multiple people in the client organization with whom they could ask questions. The client was satisfied with the analysis results and appreciated the effort. Why was it important for the company to perform a bottleneck analysis and then take action?
6. Business was booming at PlastiPharm, and the swing shift supervisor needed to hire 60 new employees on his shift alone to meet production demands. His first hires were two trainers, a deviation from how the two other shift supervisors were hiring. Which statement best explains how hiring trainers might lead to an improvement in the process-management culture on the swing shift?
7. PlastiPharm has several clients whose contracts require the company to store three to six months of raw materials for them just in case they require a quick turnaround for an order, something that rarely happens. As the contracts come up for renewal, PlastiPharm intends to renegotiate the contract terms to reduce or, ideally, eliminate the inventory clause. Why should PlastiPharm care about excess inventory?
8. PlastiPharm customizes medical device bags for 350-400 clients. Customer demand for bags, which range from eight inches to four feet in length, is excellent. The company has embraced lean manufacturing practices. What reason best explains why PlastiPharm would pursue a lean journey?
9. New product types are continually being introduced at PlastiPharm as new clients, with their diverse needs, are added to the company’s portfolio. The new products are designed by the R&D team and prototyped, often on one of the company’s 3D printers. However, when the products are first produced on the production line, a lot of product is scrapped. In a lean environment, which PlastiPharm espouses, why is it important to eliminate the waste?
10. PlastiPharm produces a foundational product that sits on a shelf until it is needed and added to another product. In reviewing the process of combining the two products, the production staff realized that the foundational products are sometimes not tested, although the final product is always tested. They determined that all the foundational products will now undergo testing. The additional testing will add time and effort, which translates to additional costs, so why would PlastiPharm want to perform the additional testing?
11. PlastiPharm has been on its lean journey for five years, and senior management has fully embraced the lean business methodology. Management requires a minimum number of monthly kaizen bursts, which are to involve all personnel involved in the improvement process. Why is it necessary to have everyone participate in these continuous improvement efforts?
12. The production area at PlastiPharm is divided into three areas: assembly, 2D, and 3D. Each area has its own machines, between nine to fifteen. When new employees are hired in an area, they are required to cross train on all machines within that area. This takes more training time, but the company is committed to having cross-functional workers. Which statement best explains how cross training is beneficial to the company?
13. Value-stream mapping at PlastiPharm is a once-a-year effort that is conducted by senior management at a high level. Because PlastiPharm produces more than 150 products, the value-stream maps are often obsolete before they are posted on the shop floor. The 3D production area has proposed to management that they analyze and create their own value-stream maps for the different products they make. Why is it a good idea for the 3D area to take over this task?
14. The kaizen bursts at PlastiPharm involve personnel from production, planning, purchasing, R&D, and engineering – and sometimes others. Which statement explains one of the best results from this team approach?
15. While training is often the first thing to go in tough economic times (and sometimes is never addressed at some companies), training employees at PlastiPharm always receives high priority. Training focuses on safety, quality, expert equipment operation, and accurately following processes to ensure things are done right the first time. How does the company benefit because of this training approach?
16. As PlastiPharm’s business has expanded, the company has built a new addition and added new equipment. Each machine has the capacity to monitor the heat of the raw materials as they go through the machine – maintaining a temperate of 370 degrees, plus or minus ten degrees. If the temperate fluctuates beyond those parameters, the machine shuts down, and floor technicians address the issue and adjust ensure quality is maintained in the product. In addition, 100 percent of all products are visually inspected for defects. Why does PlastiPharm take such great efforts to ensure its products meet industry standards and customers’ needs?
17. PlastiPharm performs a process capability analysis for all processes for new products and repeats the process every six months thereafter. During the analysis, equipment is evaluated to determine if it operates within quality standards. Additionally, the production environment is evaluated to ensure that all factors affecting the process meet the same standards. Which of the following statements best explains why the analyses are conducted?
18. At PlastiPharm, the extruded film, from which all the medical device bags are created, was purchased from one supplier for many years. The quality of the film was not consistent, with burnt areas or bubbles being the most common defects. Because of a patent, it was not possible to change suppliers. However, the patent recently expired, and PlastiPharm has contracted with a second supplier that has set up cameras to visually inspect the process and identify any defects prior to shipment. Which of the following statements best explains how PlastiPharm solved its variability problem with poor quality raw materials?
19. The new equipment PlastiPharm purchased for its new expansion is programmed to measure deviation in material temperature, and a control chart was created to monitor variations. Why would the company want to have a control chart to monitor the process?
20. In PlastiPharm’s Tier 3 weekly report out, it was noted that several product shipments were late. The team brainstormed using a fishbone diagram – looking at people, methods, machines, materials, measurements, and environment. The process helped them determine that there were several factors that played into the shipment delays: a key piece of equipment was down for a day and a half, an illness reduced the number of employees in a department, and defective materials took a day to replace. Which of the following statement best explains why it was a good idea to systematically brainstorm rather than just quickly blame the most likely culprit?

Everything listed for Week 4 is included in purchase!! 

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1. Discussion Question & Answer: Managing the Physical Flow
2. Practice: Topic 9 Quick Check: Forecasting and Integrated Business Planning
3. Practice: Topic 10 Quick Check: Independent Demand Inventory
4. Practice: Topic 11 Quick Check: Information Technology
5. Practice: Week 4 Practice Assignment
6. Apply: Week 4 Summative Apply Assignment

Discussion Question - Managing the Physical Flow

Includes A+ Discussion Question Answer!

Based on your own personal experience or a related Internet search, identify a time when you experienced or witnessed a fulfillment failure in the supply chain. Assess why it happened.
As you dissect the fulfillment failure, consider how each of the following may have contributed to the problem.

• Forecasting—that is, did managers underestimate demand? If so, what went wrong?
• Inventory— that is, did decision makers run too lean, leading to a stock out or shortage? If so, what went wrong?
• Information— that is, did managers have all the information they needed to make good decisions? If not, why not? What information is accurate and readily available?
• What else might have contributed to the fulfillment?

 If the experience you are sharing comes from your work experience, please share how you and your company resolved the issue. What did you do to fix the underlying causes in order to make sure your company did not suffer a similar fulfillment failure again? If you did not find the fix, how would you advise the company to fix their issue so it could not happen again.
Organize your post with the following headers:
• Brief description of the failure
• Dissection to root cause: (Forecasting, Inventory, Information, Other considerations)
• The Fix so it never happens again
• References

Practice: Topic 9 Quick Check: Forecasting and Integrated Business Planning - A+ Work!

1. Which of the following is a cost associated with stockouts?
2. Which of the following is part of the forecasting process?
3. When the cost of excess inventory or stockouts is low, you can probably use a ________ forecasting method.
4. What does S&OP stand for?
5. S&OP can help you smooth out the handoffs among different functions across your company. S&OP also helps you move from a traditional annual planning process to a ________ re-planning process.
6. Which of the following is a documented benefit of S&OP?
7. Forecasts are based on what two things?
8. If you are using a simple-moving average and you want your forecast to ignore occasional noise in the data, which of the following is true?    
9. If you are using exponential smoothing, which of the following is true?  
10. You are a manager at Asda. You have been given the demand data for the past 10 weeks for swim rings for children. You decide to run three different types of forecasting methods on the data to see which gives you best forecast. Using simple linear regression, what is the forecast for week 22?

Practice: Topic 10 Quick Check: Independent Demand Inventory - Several Topic 10 Quizzes Combined (duplicates removed) A+ Work!

1. What are some ways that inventory enables winning strategies for companies?
2. Which of the following is a good reason to carry inventory?
3. In step #1 of classifying SKUs based on relative value, you multiply which two numbers together to obtain your annual use?
4. How is days of inventory supply calculated?
5. 'h' (%) represents which of the following?
6. What is your economic order quantity if the annual demand is 100 units, the order placement cost is $25, and the holding cost per unit per year is $50?
7. The economic order quantity minimizes ________.
8. Which of the following z-scores will you use to meet demand from inventory 95% of the time?
9. If your cycle service level is 97.5%, your probability of a stockout is?
10. What is your standard deviation of demand during lead time if your average lead times = 2 weeks, standard deviation of demand = 6, average demand = 24, and standard deviation of lead time = 1 week.
11. What are some ways that inventory enables winning strategies for companies?
12. Which of the following SKUs corresponds to intermediate value and variety?
13. What is your economic order quantity if the annual demand is 100 units, the order placement cost is $25, and the holding cost
14. per unit per year is $50?
15. 'K' ($) represents which of the following?
16. 'D' (units) represents which of the following?
17. How do you achieve a balance between the costs of carrying inventory and the risk of running out?
18. If demand is normally distributed with mean demand = 25 units/day, your average lead time is 5 days, and your standard deviation of demand = 3 units/week, what is your reorder point? Assume your desired CSL is 95%

Practice: Topic 11 Quick Check: Information Technology - Several Topic 11 Quizzes Combined (duplicates removed) A+ Work!

1. IT security typically focuses on preventing three types of malicious behavior, ranging from nuisance to catastrophic. In addition to cyber mischief and cyber theft, we need to be concerned about ______________.
2. What are the benefits of autonomous vehicles in a commercial setting?
3. Which of the following is one of the four levels of the IT-enablement hierarchy?
4. 3M employed a knowledge management system (KMS) to help employees find the right talent
5. to help them develop product ideas. This is an example of ???:
6. Your company realizes that it needs to invest in IT to help fix some problems. While
7. researching the needed IT, senior managers decide to play it safe and buy the most state-of-the-art IT available. What technology trap did they fall prey to?
8. ________ is the computational process of discovering patterns in large data sets turning raw
9. data into useful information.
10. Which of the following is a common module found in an ERP system?
11. A WMS is a very effective tool as it not only keeps track of your assets but also helps you
12. improve warehouse ________.
13. Data is gathered through which of the following?
14. Which company is piloting self-scan technology that not only lets customers avoid the
15. checkout line but also provides the company insight into both what customers buy and how
16. they shop?
17. IT security typically focuses on preventing three types of malicious behavior, ranging from
18. nuisance to catastrophic. In addition to cyber mischief and cyber theft, we need to be
19. concerned about ______________.

1. You are a manager at Asda. You have been given the demand data for the past 10 weeks for swim rings for children.  Using a 3-period weighted moving average (most recent=.6; second most recent=.3, least recent=.1), what is the forecast for week 22?
2. By linking _______ and _______, it is possible to synchronize order management across an entire supply chain.
3. Which of the following is part of the CPFR process?
4. Under which circumstances would you use a qualitative forecast?
5. Which of the following is a common cause for stockouts?
6. If annual demand is 24,000 units, and the order quantity is 3,000 units, which of the following accurately describes the decision-making environment?
7. Which of the following heuristics or rules of thumb are used to make inventory decisions?
8. 'c' ($) represents which of the following?
9. Which of the following z-scores will you use to be able to meet demand from inventory 90% of the time?
10. What is your standard deviation of demand during lead time if your average lead time = 5 days, standard deviation of demand = 4, average demand = 12, and standard deviation of lead time = 1.2 days.
11. ________ involves the wireless non-contact use of radio-frequency fields to transfer data for the purpose of automatically identifying and tracking tags attached to objects.
12. Which of the following is something IT-enabled information sharing enables you to do?
13. ________ is the practice of using a network of remote servers hosted on the Internet to store, manage, and process data, rather than a local server or a personal computer.
14. Companies that adopt IT for the right reasons will avoid falling into many of the common technology traps. Which of the following is one of the technology traps listed in the book?
15. Your company decides that it is easier to buy IT than to fix your company’s culture or re-design underperforming processes. What technology trap has your company fallen into?
16. By calculating ________, you gain insight into the quality of your data and method.
17. Which of the following is/are part of the five monthly review meetings for the S&OP planning process?
18. Which of the following is a cost associated with overstock situations?
19. Which of the following is something that carrying inventory allows you to do?
20. Which of the following ways should you classify SKUs to identify which SKUs are the most important to your company?
21. If your EOQ is 60 and the associated total cost is G(Q)=$4,200. What will be the total cost if you use an order quantity of 40 (rather than the EOQ)?
22. 'Q' (units) represents which of the following?
23. A Walmart associate observes that Hispanic customers are asking for a specific kind of cookware known as a caldero. She shares this insight during the morning meeting. Calderos are soon on the shelf. Walmart has learned the “secret” formula of ________.
24. Which of the following are elements of the equation for organizational learning?
25. Modern IT enables you to ship product around the world more efficiently and quickly by enabling you to ________?
26. Which of the following are common ways students interact with technology every day to enable better decision-making?
27. McKinsey Consulting completed a study regarding companies using IT for re-engineering efforts and found that ________ failed to achieve their goals.

1. At PlastiPharm, the operations group has analysts who work with the company’s sales team to forecast the amount of inventory needed in the warehouse to fill customer orders for medical device bags. In the past, the information provided by the sales team was not very accurate. However, the analysts can now access customer contracts through the company’s ERP system to forecast how many components to order. Which of the following statements best explains the benefits of this improved forecasting process for ordering inventory?
2. Last year, the analysts responsible for forecasting sales at PlastiPharm forecasted an increase of 10 percent for the year. They used historical records as well as past economic growth rates to determine the forecast, but it was too low – by 8 percent. Why should the forecasters even bother to estimate if their predictions could still be off? Choose the best explanation.
3. One of PlastiPharm’s customers requested a new design for a medical device bag. Because this was something PlastiPharm had not produced before, it was difficult to forecast future sales of this unique design. In the absence of historical data, which of the following options is the best one to use?
4. In a recent Sales & Operations Planning meeting at PlastiPharm, managers from the finance, sales, marketing, production, warehouse, and HR departments met to compare the forecasts to the demand and supply plans and look at the financial impacts. HR was especially concerned about having enough workers to meet the production demands and asked that the plans be updated regularly so their office could ensure an adequate labor supply. Why is it important to the company for all the business functions be aligned?
5. PlastiPharm has been in business for more than 40 years. Over those years, the company has developed strong relationships with several of its customers that allows them to work together to better forecast needs. The company wants to develop the same kind of relationship with its newer customers and has scheduled a number of kick-off meetings to plan and discuss future needs. How does this CPFR (collaborative planning, forecasting, and replenishment) effort benefit the company? Please select the best explanation.
6. The analysts in PlastiPharm’s operations division faced a problem forecasting demand for a customer’s new medical device bag for a new vaccine. Data was simply not available for forecasting. Therefore, the analysts talked with several industry experts to determine what the demand would be given an anticipated increased demand for this new vaccine. Which statement best explains why hiring an expert to provide expert advice is a valid component for the analyst’s forecasting?
7. One of the accountants responsible for forecasting at PlastiPharm used data for labor and materials from the prototype of one of their new products – data that was two months old. Because changes were made to the final product, this resulted in a forecasting error that cost the company more than $250,000 in labor and materials. Thereafter, the company implemented the use of rolling horizons to help them reduce errors in the future. How will the rolling horizons help increase the accuracy of their forecasts?
8. When new customers are brought on board at PlastiPharm, they meet not only with the sales team, which is responsible for explaining the features of the products the company sells, but also with the engineering design team, which is responsible for making suggestions for materials and production methods. Additionally, customers do an initial on-site audit (walk through) of the facility where they get to know the people and facility well. Which of the following statements best describes how PlastiPharm and the customer benefit from getting to know each other well?
9. The extruded film used in PlastiPharm’s medical device bags is by far the largest component in the company’s inventory. If the company ran out of film and production shut down, the company would lose millions of dollars a day. Developing a new supplier is a long and tedious process in which ISO certifications are reviewed, quality agreements with the supplier’s vendors are scrutinized, delivery records are examined, and audits of the supplier’s process are conducted to determine how at risk the supplier is. Why is it necessary for the company to go to all this trouble to have several suppliers for the film?
10. All medical device bags produced by PlastiPharm include filters, although some kinds are used more than others. To proactively manage inventory of the filters, they are classified as A (critical), B (key), or C (standard). Great attention is paid to the level of A filters and less attention to the B and C filters. Why should the company differentiate in its attention to the inventory levels of the filters?
11. In response to the development of a much-needed vaccine, several of PlastiPharm’s customers have tripled and even quadrupled their orders for medical device bags. The increased orders have created a high turnover in PlastiPharm’s inventory. Which of the following statements best explains why the high turnover could be financially beneficial for the company?
12. At PlastiPharm, when a customer places an order, the system generates how many components are needed to make the product and then allocates what is in current inventory to fill that order. Why is it important for the system to know how many days of inventory are available?
13. PlastiPharm’s purchasing department is responsible for purchasing components when the warehouse needs to restock components. When purchasing makes decisions to order components, it takes into account the cost of the purchase as well as the cost of holding the inventory. Using the Economic Order Quantity (EOQ) model, purchasing can determine how much to order and how often to order. How does this help the company?
14. In the last year, there has been a shortage of silicone used for tubing, and PlastiPharm’s major suppliers have increased their lead times for delivery of tubing. As its need for the silicone tubing increased, the company increased its inventory. But isn’t excess inventory bad? Why would the company want to build up inventory?
15. Gathering the data on lot record errors used to require days of intense effort on behalf of the entire quality assurance team at PlastiPharm. With their ERP system, this data can be gathered with a few clicks, and a report can be generated showing where the most common lot record errors are made. What benefit does the company gain from having this data at its fingertips?
16. PlastiPharm’s ERP system has a quality management application that gathers information about non-conforming and deviant materials. On a daily basis, the application generates an investigative process report, which is then sent to different departments to review whether products using the materials can be fixed or need to be scrapped. On a weekly basis, the application generates another report that shares information about trending issues. For what purpose might the company use this weekly report? Please select the best explanation.
17. The engineering team at PlastiPharm recently identified a way to automate another of the processes in the clean room and requested a kaizen burst to test their idea. Several people from production were asked to participate in the event but did so with reluctance. Which of the following statements best explains why they would be hesitant to automate a process that would improve efficiency and accuracy?
18. One of the uses of the ERP system at PlastiPharm is scheduling. Scheduling is reliant on the time standards entered in the system—how long it takes for a product to be built. However, time standards are not the same when different numbers of product are being produced. The higher the number produced, the lower the time needed to produce each single unit. The discrepancy in time results from the setup time being absorbed across the increasing number of units. If the time standards are incorrect in the ERP system, what kind of problems can result? Please select the best explanation.
19. PlastiPharm’s warehouse management system (WMS) allows for products to be located quickly – by lot number, part number, or location. However, just because the system says a product is in a certain location doesn’t mean that it’s 100 percent accurate. Therefore, the WMS generates a cycle count of locations, basically a manual audit to visually check what’s in the system against what’s on the shelf. The routine cycle counts conducted over the course of a year cover all locations where materials and products are located. They help mitigate any discrepancies found between the system and actual locations. Why is it important for the warehouse to have accurate information on its inventory in its system? Please select the best explanation.
20. PlastiPharm’s CRM system allows the company to store data about its customers—what they produce, what processes they use PlastiPharm products in, and what results they achieve. Recently, a customer reported that cell deaths occurred during their processing for a new vaccine.  PlastiPharm engineers easily pulled up customer product information in the CRM for reference and suggested using a different bag made out of different materials. This resulted in no more cell deaths. Which of the following statements best explains how the CRM assisted PlastiPharm engineers in helping their customer?

OPS/330T Week 5

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1. Discussion Question & Answer: Managing Logistics
2. Practice: Topic 12 Quick Check: What is Logistics?
3. Practice: Topic 13 Quick Check: Transportation
4. Practice: Topic 14 Quick Check: Warehousing
5. Practice: Week 5 Practice Assignment
6. Apply: Week 5 Summative Apply Assignment

Discussion Question - Managing Logistics

Includes A+ Discussion Question Answer!

Context: Logistics is often viewed as a behind-the-scenes function that deals with the nuts and bolts of day-to-day operations. This may have been true in the past; however, the world has changed, making logistics critical to developing and executing corporate strategy.
 Consider the following:

• Globalization now means companies must manage geographically dispersed supply and distribution networks. Logistics capabilities enable global networks.
• Manufacturers and retailers worldwide strive to operate lean. Logistics enables lean beyond a company’s four walls.
• The Internet has changed the way people shop. They now want to buy off the shelf, click and pick up, and get products delivered to their doors. Logistics enables omnichannel strategies.

 Discussion: Some companies (think Amazon, Ikea, Walmart, and Zara) have used logistics to redefine the competitive rules—and customer expectations. Pick one of these companies and perform an Internet search to examine how it has used logistics to develop unique business models and achieve a competitive advantage. Specifically, assess how your chosen company has used logistics to design and execute unique value-added workflows to meet customer needs.
 Now share your top takeaways regarding what these logistics capabilities are, how they were built, and why they are so effective. Discuss the following:

• Why has it been hard for other companies to benchmark and bring these capabilities to the market?
• How could you turn your takeaways into action to help your company improve its workflow and value-creation capabilities?

Organize your post with the following headers:
• Value-Added workflows of (insert company)
• Benchmarking and copying them
• Moving takeaways to action for others
• Cite your research.

Practice: Topic 12 Quick Check: What is Logistics? Several Topic 12 Quizzes Combined (duplicates removed) A+ Work!

1. The definition of logistics provided by CSCMP includes which of the following?
2. What are the key activities in logistics?
3. Time utility involves ________.
4. As a result of improved logistics infrastructure in India which of the following is true?
5. Business Logistics includes ________.
6. When considering various potential trade-offs, you need to consider which of the following?
7. As transportation speeds up, which of the following is true?
8. Which of the following is true according to the Toyota Production System?
9. Efficiency is also known as which of the following?
10. In the 5 S approach, sweep refers to what?
11. Logistics creates value through which of the following activities?
12. What are the logistics costs in terms of percentage of GDP in the US currently (approximate)?
13. The most commonly use freight transportation mode is:
14. Tradeoffs:
15. When you look through the eyes of the customer following the Toyota production system, you:
16. In the 5 S approach, simplify refers to what?
17. The definition of logistics provided by CSCMP includes which of the following?
18. Quantity utility means that ________.
19. Which of the following is one of the main reasons that transportation costs in the US have declined as a percentage of GDP?
20. The waste of "waiting" refers to which of the following?
21. Which of the following is one of the goals of lean?

1. Which form of ocean shipping is most likely to be used for moving military equipment like tanks and Humvees?
2. Which mode of transportation incurs medium fixed costs with high variable costs and is experiencing rapid growth though it still represents a moderate share of domestic expenditure and a very small market share, as measured by ton-miles, within the U.S. transportation market?
3. Which combination of modes is the least frequently used intermodal option?
4. Which of the following items is a product-related transportation cost factor?
5. Free on Board (FOB) Destination is also known as ________.
6. What is the term that refers to the increasing time and cost associated with moving a standard distance (e.g., a mile) due to inefficiencies in transportation caused by poor infrastructure and traffic congestion?
7. Which of the following is a reason you want to have multi-criteria analysis as a tool in your decision-making toolkit?
8. When conducting a multi-criteria analysis, how would you determine the best option upon concluding the analysis?
9. Which mode of transportation incurs the greatest level of carbon dioxide emissions, resulting in many carriers in this mode offering carbon offset opportunities to their customers?
10. What is the term that applies to the holistic process that brings together shippers, carriers, and receivers to drive inefficiencies out of the transport planning and execution process?
11. Which mode faces intense competition from rail for dry bulk commodities and pipelines for oil and petroleum products?
12. Why would a shipper consider using intermodal transportation for a domestic move?
13. To take advantage of the strengths offered by multiple modes
14. What is it called when multiple (two or three) trailers are attached to a truck for more efficient transportation?
15. When shipping by LTL carrier, which product is likely to have the highest freight classification?
16. Which piece of documentation serves as the receipt for a shipment?
17. The concept of continuous moves in trucking is meant to do which of the following?
18. Which of the following factors should be considered when choosing the mode, class, and carrier for a shipment?
19. How does a less-than-truckload (LTL) motor operation differ primarily from a truckload (TL) operation?
20. Why do railroads require greater volumes of freight in order to be profitable?
21. Which mode and class of transportation is most likely to be used for a 500-mile shipment of time-sensitive, fragile products weighing 20,000 pounds?
22. Incoterms provide clarity on the responsibility for which activity associated with an international shipment?

Practice: Topic 14 Quick Check: Warehousing Several Topic 14 Quizzes Combined (duplicates removed) A+ Work!

1. Cross-docking can achieve which of the following?
2. Which of the following is a traditional warehouse activity?
3. What kind of warehouse is created to serve customers whether they order in bulk quantities, like full-pallet quantities, or individual items for household delivery?
4. Warehouse robotization that is designed to support human activities in the facility are called:
5. Which of the following technologies would you likely find in a modern warehouse?
6. Which material is most common for shipping platforms called "pallets?"
7. Which of the following criteria would help you to select the specific site for a new warehouse, as opposed to helping select the larger region in which to locate the facility?
8. Six sigma relies on what methodology to structure the problem solving in the attempt to improve work processes?
9. Which order fulfillment (quality) measure refers to the number (percentage) of orders delivered defect-free over a specified period of time?
10. Which warehouse operation supports the mass customization of products in distribution centers once a customer order is placed?  Customized packaging of water bottles with private labels is one example of this kind of operation. 
11. What is the term used for very short – term warehousing arrangements that allow clients to use as much or little space as they would like for periods of days or weeks?
12. When a large volume of product is received at a case-pick warehouse, where is it likely to be placed initially?
13. Which kind of warehouse arrangement is likely to have the highest variable cost for a company?
14. On-time delivery expresses what type of warehouse performance?
15. How does warehousing enable you to take advantage of production economies?
16. Highly automated warehouses tend to be which of the following?
17. Which reason below justifies the use of contract warehousing?
18. Which of the following activity costs tends to decrease as we add warehouses to a distribution network and, then, increases such that it forms a “U” shape?
19. Why are companies advised to build single-story warehouses?
20. Which of the following is a popular value-added service performed in modern warehousing?
21. Which of the following happens when you add additional warehouses to your distribution network?
22. Which of the following is one of the 5S terms (in English)?
23. Which kind of warehouse arrangement is likely to have the greatest fixed cost for a company?

Practice: Week 5 Practice Assessment - Several Practice Quizzes Combined (duplicates removed) A+ Work!

1. Inventory waste refers to which of the following?
2. In logistics, which of the following is the top concern related to movement?
3. Which of the following best describes logistics trade-offs?
4. What is one way to improve upon the outcomes suggested by the classic trade-offs?
5. Which of the following is included in the seven rights of logistics?
6. Which of the following are major transportation challenges faced by the transportation industry in the United States?
7. What share of overseas transportation occurs by ship, based on volume?
8. When a shipper considers the trustworthiness of possible carriers, this would be what kind of criterion?
9. Which mode of transportation is the slowest yet offers very reliable service?
10. Assume that you are shipping imported goods from a nation that faces heightened tariffs and scrutiny from your national government. Which incoterm would you prefer to arrange in light of these provisions?
11. A cross-dock operation that receives truckload volumes of finished goods from a variety of consumer goods manufacturers and ships truckload volumes of assorted products to nearby retailers would be an example of a warehouse facility that serves which two purposes for the manufacturers?
12. Which of the following is a classic warehouse layout principle?
13. Why is the determination of the appropriate size of a private warehouse so important?
14. What role does radio frequency technology play in warehouse operations?
15. What do we call the mathematical expression that predicts the relationship between the number of warehouses and the amount of safety stock inventory that a company can expect to maintain?
16. The Toyota Production system ________.
17. When it comes to storage, which of the following is true?
18. What are some of the primary reasons that logistics costs in the U.S. dropped dramatically from the 1980s to the mid 1990s?
19. Which of these is one of the lowest-cost countries for logistics in the world?
20. Container on Flatcar (COFC) is a combination of which two modes of transportation?
21. When shipping by LTL carrier, which product is likely to have the highest freight classification?
22. Which of the following transportation modes is characterized by the greatest (best) level of availability and flexibility in movement?
23. Which warehouse activity is supported by a WMS?
24. What do we call an activity or function that your company does extremely well – perhaps serving as a source of competitive advantage?
25. The e-commerce order fulfillment strategy that requires retail stores to collect the item and deliver it to the customer is called:
26. Form utility is ________.
27. Which of the following was an example provided in the text of ways that companies reduce customer returns?
28. Preparing all the grounds, facilities, and related needs for a big fundraiser is considered which of the following?
29. Packaging provides more than advertising. It may also do which of the following?
30. What is the term that refers to dedicated trains often of 100 or more railcars that move from an origin to a destination to serve a specific customer?
31. Which combination of modes is most common for international shipping?
32. Which piece of documentation serves as the receipt for a shipment?
33. How does a less-than-truckload (LTL) motor operation differ primarily from a truckload (TL) operation?
34. Why is six sigma finding application in warehouses?
35. How does warehousing enable you to take advantage of transportation economies?
36. Who are the warehouse workers that collect the items order by customers?
37. What does quantity utility focus on?
38. Quantity utility means that . . .?
39. As you get close to 100% customer service level in logistics, which of the following occurs?
40. Who is responsible for what activities when a shipment has the following terms:  FOB origin / collect / allowed?
41. Many of the common metrics used in order fulfillment in warehousing are also used in ________.
42. What is the warehouse activity that converts generic products into a wide assortment of unique items called?
43. Time utility involves . . .?
44. How can a transportation management system (TMS) help to improve the logistics network?
45. The concept of continuous moves in trucking is meant to do which of the following?
46. Scanning products in a staging area to make sure that the right items were gathered for shipment is a form of what management tool?
47. Why have warehouses traditionally been placed in locations outside of cities?
48. Of all of the transport-related infrastructure, which of the following is in the best shape in the US?
49. Which warehouse activity involves the selection of particular stock items needed to fulfill a customer order?
50. Menu pricing refers to which of the following?
51. Efficiency is also known as which of the following?
52. The Toyota production system practices which of the following processes?
53. Which of the following was NOT an example provided in the text of ways that companies reduce customer returns?
54. Logistics creates value through which of the following activities?
55. Which of the following is not an economic utility?
56. In logistics, processing deals with which of the following?
57. Which of the following is one of the main reasons that transportation costs in the US have declined as a percentage of GDP?
58. Which of the following are true regarding lean principles?
59. Which mode of transportation incurs medium fixed costs with high variable costs and is experiencing rapid growth though it still represents a very small market share as measured by tonne miles within the U.S. transportation market?
60. Which of the following is a primary challenge for air cargo carriers serving the U.S.?
61. Which mode of transportation is the slowest, most difficult to access, and limited in terms of products it can carry, though it offers the most reliable service?
62. Which intermodal option combines truck and rail transportation with conventional road trailers carried atop rail flatcars for the long (line-haul) segment of the transit?
63. What is believed to be the most important part of international transportation, according to many experts?
64. In logistics, processing deals primarily with which of the following?
65. Which of the following is one of the eight wastes?

Apply: Week 5 Summative Apply Assignment

1. PlastiPharm employs several modes of transportation for delivery of its products to its customers. In the past, it relied solely on shipping by truck. However, in recent years, customers have demanded more input into the delivery modes. Why should PlastiPharm allow its customers to have any say in how their products are delivered? Or should they not allow it? Please select the best explanation.
2. Five years ago, PlastiPharm implemented a supply chain visibility system, which allows the company and its customers to see where product and parts are at any given time. It took time, however, to train employees to use the bar code scanners every time product was in transit. It also took time for PlastiPharm’s suppliers and carriers to buy into the technology, but the system has now been successfully implemented and is fully operational. Which statement best explains a major benefit of visibility technology?
3. PlastiPharm hired a new production supervisor for its day shift. He pushed relentlessly to fulfill customers’ orders early, thinking that early was always better. However, several customers started complaining about the timing of the deliveries. Why would some customers not value early deliveries? Please select the best explanation.
4. PlastiPharm’s logistics system has been improved over time to become extremely efficient. Movement of supplies and product has been mapped to reduce waste of motion. Packaging and shipping have been improved to take advantage of full truckloads and backhauls. Which of the following statements best explains how these efficiencies benefit the company, its customers, and the economy in general?
5. At PlastiPharm, customer expectations have changed drastically over the years as new technology and new tools have been developed to increase efficiency and reduce costs. Not all costs have been reduced, however, and the company must carefully monitor inventory, transportation, and packaging costs in addition to its production and administrative costs. What is one of the biggest challenges the company faces to meet customer needs as well as manage its own costs? Please select the best explanation.
6. The shipping department at PlastiPharm was asked to increase its efficiency in loading finished products and unloading incoming supplies. The department analyzed its movements and realized that employees spent only 42 percent actively engaged in value-added work. The rest of time was spent waiting – waiting for trucks, waiting for paperwork, waiting for product to show up at the dock. The department worked with several other departments to redesign existing processes and workflows to ensure the continuous movement of product to the shipping department so its employees were more actively engaged. Why is it important for the shipping department to devise ways to reduce the time its employees wait? Please choose the best explanation.
7. When PlastiPharm began its lean journey, the company’s focus was on cutting back costs by increasing efficiency and reducing waste. In its drive for efficiency, it significantly reduced the number of employees in its logistics departments. The company found, however, that many employees complained about being overworked because there just weren’t enough people to do all the work that needed to be done. As one employee said, “Being lean doesn’t mean that you don’t invest in resources, including human resources.” The company eventually hired a few more people and found that its employees were more engaged, more adaptable, and more able to focus on quality work instead of trying to do as little as possible as quickly as possible in order to say projects were completed. Choose the statement that best explains how the company can benefit from a lean, but not too lean, human resources approach.
8. When PlastiPharm reviewed its contracts for product delivery, it was interested in developing a long-term relationship with a trucking company that was reliable and could deliver product to all areas in the contiguous United States. While these traits were definitely important to the company, what other factors should it consider and why? Please select the statement that would best benefit the company.
9. The cost of delivering a truckload of product 500 miles to a neighboring state typically costs PlastiPharm around $4,000. When the company asked for a bid to move a load 30 miles, the trucking company replied with a $700 bid. Why weren’t the costs per mile similar? Please select the best explanation.
10. The transportation manager at PlastiPharm encountered problems when she discovered the trucking company they used most often provided inaccurate bills of lading (B/L) on several shipments. Why was it important for the manager to obtain accurate B/L?
11. At PlastiPharm, delivery of products to the right customer at the right time is of paramount importance. The transportation manager must stay on top of when shipments are received by customers, not just when they leave the company’s shipping dock. In certain parts of the United States, the transportation manager schedules delivery, if possible, in the early hours of the morning or late at night. Why would the transportation manager want to schedule deliveries at these times? Please choose the best explanation.
12. Because of inaccurate billing issues, the trucking carrier most often used by PlastiPharm is no longer acceptable to the company. The transportation manager had several options, which was good, but she needed a tool to analyze the different carriers using a systematic method that considered the most important criteria. She chose the multi-criteria analysis tool to help her with her task. What benefits does this tool provide?
13. The senior management team at PlastiPharm is exploring the possibility of adding one or more distribution centers on the east coast of the United States to improve customer service to different regions. During the analysis, the company reviewed more than just transportation costs but additionally looked at costs of inventory carrying, warehouse, order processing, and poor customer service. Which of the following statements best explains why the company would take into account all of these factors?
14. When discussing the adoption of a transportation management system (TMS) to link with PlastiPharm’s ERP system, the company looked at all aspects of its logistics network for ways to improve. How might a TMS help the company to continuously improve? Please choose the response that best benefits the company.
15. PlastiPharm’s warehouse is a hive of activity at certain times of the day. Often, three or four fork lifts operators crisscross paths to place or retrieve components or products high on shelves. Unfortunately, during a very busy time several heavy boxes fell when a forklift operator tried to place a pallet close to them. Fortunately, no one was hurt. However, the warehouse manager insisted that all warehouse employees attend a refresher course on safety. In the absence of an injury, why would the manager take the time to review safety procedures during such a busy time? Please choose the statement which best benefits the company and its employees.
16. The warehouse manager at PlastiPharm was faced with a labor shortage when two employees, who lived about 30 miles from town, could not get to work because of an unexpected storm. Demands on the warehouse were high, and the manager needed to quickly decide how to get materials delivered to the production team utilizing the staff he had. He talked to the production supervisor and asked if the supervisor could share a line worker who’d previously worked in the warehouse, and then he himself operated a fork lift (being certified to do so) in order to maintain the flow of parts to the line. With such a focus nowadays on technology, what did the manager do that a warehouse management system (WMS) could not? Choose the statement that best answers the question.
17. A recent upswing in demand for PlastiPharm’s medical device bags affected the company’s warehouse’s ability to store film, the key component needed for each of its products. A safety stock of film was required by several customers, and there was not enough room to keep the stock in the current warehouse. Therefore, the company conducted a total cost analysis to determine if it would be best to build another warehouse, add on to the existing warehouse, or lease space in a public warehouse that was located within five miles of the production facility. Which of the following criteria is of most importance in the analysis of the need for warehouse space?
18. The demand for PlastiPharm’s medical device bags has greatly increased on the east cost of the United States, and the company is considering adding a warehouse in the region. Why would the company, whose plants are in the Intermountain West, California, and Texas, consider adding a warehouse so far from its production sites? How will this best benefit the company?
19. Twice a year, in July and December, PlastiPharm shuts down its production line for a week. During this time, all facilities are thoroughly cleaned and repaired. This is a busy time for the entire warehouse crew as they go through the facility and identify/tag anything that is out of place, unused, or deemed unsafe in its current location. This step, sorting, is part of the company’s 5S process, and all warehouse employees are involved. Once the clutter is removed, the team moves on to the remaining 5S steps: set in order, shine, standardize, and sustain. Which of the following statement best describes the biggest challenge the team faces in this process?
20. PlastiPharm’s warehouse manager works hard to keep his team in the loop on the company’s strategies and challenges and invites their input early in project planning. The company has implemented both a paper-based and digital suggestion box to gather improvement ideas from employees and rewards them for ideas that are executed. The warehouse team is especially active in the suggestion program because the manager encourages and immediately recognizes those who participate. Why is it important for the manager to put so much emphasis on gathering input from his team members?