TRUE/FALSE 1. A bottleneck is an operation that has the lowest effecti

John Smith

6 years ago

TRUE/FALSE

1.
A bottleneck is an operation that has the lowest effective
capacity of any operation in the process.

2.
The process with the least capacity is called a
bottleneck if its output is less than market demand.

3.
The process with the least capacity is called a
bottleneck if its output is still greater than the market demand.

4.
Operating processes close to their capacity can result in
low customer satisfaction and even losing money despite high sales levels.

5.
The Theory of Constraints method is also referred to as the
drum-buffer-rope method.

6.
According to the Theory of Constraints, the four operational
measures include inventory, throughput, delivery lead times and utilization.

7.
A business school with plenty of classroom space that hires
adjunct faculty for a semester to meet unusually high student demand for courses
is an example of elevating a bottleneck.

8.
A bottleneck process has the lowest capacity and the longest
total time from the start to the finish.

9.
A competent operations manager should first eliminate all of
the bottlenecks from the process.

10.
Short term capacity planning should be driven by
identification and management of bottlenecks.

11.
Line balancing is the assignment of work to stations in a
line to achieve the desired output rate with the smallest number of
workstations.

12.
Line balancing strives to create workstations so that the
capacity utilization for the bottleneck is much higher than for the other
workstations in the line.

13.
Line balancing applies only to line processes that do
assembly work, or to work that can be bundled in many ways to create the jobs
for each workstation in the line.
14.
Immediate predecessors are the smallest units of work that can
be performed independently.

15.
The balance delay is the amount by which efficiency falls
short of 100 percent.

16.
To generate the maximum output, the cycle time should be set
as the longest elemental task time.

17.
Paced lines require that inventory storage areas be placed
between stations.

18.
A mixed-model line produces several items belonging to the
same family.

MULTIPLE CHOICE

19.
The focus for
a process improvement exercise should be on balancing:
a.
flow.
b.
capacity.
c.
workload.
d.
timE
20.
According to the Theory of Constraints, the four operational
measures of capacity include all of the following EXCEPT:
a.
inventory.
b.
throughput.
c.
utilization.
d.
delivery lead
times.

21.
Practical application of
the Theory of Constraints involves the implementation of all of the
following steps EXCEPT:
a.
Identify the
system bottleneck(s).
b.
Exploit the
bottleneck(s).
c.
Reduce the
capacity at the bottleneck(s).
d.
Elevate the
bottleneck(s).
22.
Consider
consecutive processes A-B-C, where process A has a capacity of 20 units per
hour, process B has a capacity of 25 units per hour, and process C has a
capacity of 30 units per hour. Where would an operations manager want any
inventory?
a.
in front of
process A.
b.
in front of
process B.
c.
in front of
process C.
d.
inventory
should not exist anywhere.
23.
Use the
process flow diagram to determine which of these events has the greatest net
benefit.

a.
reducing the
flow time at Station A from 8 to 7 minutes.
b.
increasing the
capacity at Station B to 8 units per hour.
c.
increasing the
capacity at Station C to 7 units per hour.
d.
reducing the
flow time at Station D from 9 to 8 minutes.
24.
Use the
process flow diagram to determine which of these events has the greatest net
benefit.

a.
reducing the
flow time at Station A from 10 to 8 minutes.
b.
increasing the
capacity at Station B to 12 units per hour.
c.
increasing the
capacity at Station C to 10 units per hour.
d.
reducing the
flow time at Station D from 12 to 10 minutes.
25.
Use the
process flow diagram to determine which of these events has the greatest net
benefit.

a.
reducing the
flow time at Station A from 8 to 7 minutes.
b.
increasing the
capacity at Station B to 12 units per hour.
c.
increasing the
capacity at Station C to 9 units per hour.
d.
reducing the
flow time at Station D from 6 to 5 minutes.
26.
Work should be
released into the system:
a.
when a
customer order is received.
b.
when the first
step in the process is idle.
c.
when a
customer order is completed.
d.
when the
bottlenecks need work.
27.
The second
step in Theory of Constraints application, exploit the bottleneck(s), means
that:
a.
the analyst
should create a schedule that maximizes the throughput of the bottlenecks.
b.
the analyst
should repeat the analysis process to look for other bottlenecks.
c.
the analyst should
consider increasing capacity of the bottleneck.
d.
the analyst
should schedule non-bottleneck resources to support the bottleneck.
28.
The third step
in Theory of Constraints application, subordinate all other decisions to Step
2, means that:
a.
the analyst
should wait for authorization before proceeding with any system-wide changes.
b.
the analyst
should schedule non-bottleneck processes to support the bottleneck schedule.
c.
the analyst
should seek to increase capacity of only the bottleneck resources.
d.
the analyst
should seek to increase capacity of both the bottleneck and non-bottleneck
resources.
29.
The fourth
step in Theory of Constraints application, elevate the bottleneck(s), means
that:
a.
the analyst
should create a schedule that maximizes the throughput of the bottlenecks.
b.
the analyst
should repeat the analysis process to look for other bottlenecks.
c.
the analyst
should consider increasing capacity of the bottleneck.
d.
the analyst
should schedule non-bottleneck resources to support the bottleneck.

30.
The fifth step
in Theory of Constraints application, do not let inertia set in, means that:
a.
the analyst
should create a schedule that maximizes the throughput of the bottlenecks.
b.
the analyst
should repeat the analysis to identify and manage new set of constraints.
c.
the analyst
should consider increasing capacity of the bottleneck.
d.
the analyst
should schedule non-bottleneck resources to support the bottleneck.
31.
Which of the
following statements regarding setups is TRUE?
a.
Unusually high
setup times result in higher utilization.
b.
Processes are
generating output throughout the entire setup process.
c.
A machine used
in a line process would probably have fewer setups than a batch process.
d.
A TOC analyst
would not be concerned with setup times on non-bottleneck machines.
32.
There are
three consecutive steps in a customer service process. The first two steps are
each capable of serving 25 customers per hour while the third step can process
only 20 customers per hour. Which of the following statements regarding this
system is true?
a.
The entire
system is capable of processing 25 customers per hour.
b.
There are
floating bottlenecks in the system.
c.
If the first
two steps are run at full capacity, then the third step has a waiting line.
d.
The first and
second steps are bottlenecks for the system.

33.
Use the
information in Table 7.1. What is the throughput time for the process, assuming
that the Call Center is always busy and has customers waiting to be processed?
a.
24 minutes
b.
18 minutes
c.
20 minutes
d.
22 minutes
34.
Use the
information in Table 7.1. What is the process bottleneck?
a.
A
b.
B and C
together
c.
D
d.
E
35.
Use the information
in Table 7.1. What is the 8-hour capacity for the process?
a.
24 calls
b.
17.1 calls
c.
40 calls
d.
48 calls
36.
Use the
information in Table 7.1. Where would you expect customer wait times to occur?
a.
D only
b.
C and D
c.
A only
d.
E only
37.
Use the
information in Table 7.2. What is the throughput time for the A-B-C-E process
route?
a.
17 minutes
b.
27 minutes
c.
21 minutes
d.
19 minutes
38.
Use the
information in Table 7.2. What is the throughput time for the A-B-D-E process
route?
a.
17 minutes
b.
27 minutes
c.
21 minutes
d.
19 minutes
39.
Use the
information in Table 7.2. What is the capacity for the A-B-C-E process route?
a.
10 students
per hour
b.
6 student per
hour
c.
3.5 students
per hour
d.
2.9 students
per hour
40.
Use the
information in Table 7.2. What is the capacity for the A-B-D-E process route?
a.
10 students
per hour
b.
6 student per
hour
c.
3.5 students
per hour
d.
2.9 students
per hour
41.
Use the
information in Table 7.2. If 60% of the students are routed to C and 40% are
routed to D, what is the average capacity per hour for the process?
a.
10 students per
hour
b.
6.5 student
per hour
c.
8 students per
hour
d.
8.4 students
per hour
42.
Use the
information in Table 7.2. Where would you expect student wait times to occur?
a.
D only
b.
B, C and D
c.
A only
d.
E only
43.
Use the
information in Table 7.3. What is the throughput time for the A-B-C-D -H
routing?
a.
48 minutes
b.
30 minutes
c.
53 minutes
d.
23 minutes
44.
Use the
information in Table 7.3. What is the throughput time for the A-B-E-F-G-H
routing?
a.
48 minutes
b.
30 minutes
c.
53 minutes
d.
23 minutes
45.
Use the
information in Table 7.3. What is the process bottleneck?
a.
H
b.
B
c.
C
d.
D
46.
Use the
information in Table 7.4. What is the throughput time for the A-B-C-D-G
routing?
a.
25 minutes
b.
70 minutes
c.
105 minutes
d.
60 minutes

47.
Use the
information in Table 7.4. What is the throughput time for the A-B-E-F-G
routing?
a.
25 minutes
b.
70 minutes
c.
105 minutes
d.
60 minutes
48.
Use the
information in Table 7.4. How many customers can be processed through the
A-B-C-D-G routing during a 4-hour evening session?
a.
48
b.
24
c.
32
d.
12
49.
Use the
information in Table 7.4. How many customers can be processed through the
A-B-E-F-G routing during a 4-hour evening session?
a.
8
b.
24
c.
12
d.
32

Table 7.5
A company makes four products
that have the following characteristics: Product A sells for $50 but needs
$10 of materials and $15 of labor to produce; Product B sells for $75 but
needs $30 of materials and $15 of labor to produce; Product C sells for
$100 but needs $50 of materials and $30 of labor to produce; Product D
sells for $150 but needs $75 of materials and $40 of labor to produce. The
processing requirements for each product on each of the four machines are
shown in the table.

Processing
Time (min/unit)

Work
Center

Work centers W, X, Y, and Z
are available for 40 hours per week and have no setup time when switching
between products. Market demand for each product is 80 units per week. In
the questions that follow, the traditional
method refers to maximizing the contribution margin per unit for each
product, and the bottleneck methodrefers
to maximizing the contribution margin per minute at the bottleneck for each
product.

50.
Use the
information in Table 7.5. Which work center is of greatest concern to the
operations manager?
a.
Work center W
b.
Work center X
c.
Work center Y
d.
Work center Z
51.
Use the
information in Table 7.5. Using the traditional method, which product should be
scheduled first?
a.
Product A
b.
Product B
c.
Product C
d.
Product D
52.
Use the
information in Table 7.5. Using the traditional method, in what sequence should
products be scheduled for production?
a.
D, C, B, A
b.
D, B, A, C
c.
C, D, A, B
d.
C, D, B, A
53.
Use the
information in Table 7.5. Using the traditional method, what is the optimal
product mix (consider variable costs onlyoverhead is not included in this
profit calculation)?
a.
71 A, 80B,
80C, 80 D
b.
80A, 72B, 80C,
80D
c.
80A, 80B, 60C,
80D
d.
80A, 80B, 80C,
70D

54.
Use the
information in Table 7.5. Using the traditional method, what is the profit if
the company manufactures the optimal product mix (consider variable costs
onlyoverhead is not included in this profit calculation)?
a.
Less than or
equal to $8,100
b.
Greater than
$8,100 but less than or equal to $8,300
c.
Greater than
$8,300 but less than or equal to $8,500
d.
Greater than
$8,500

55.
Use the
information in Table 7.5. Using the bottleneck method, which product should be
scheduled first?
a.
Product A
b.
Product B
c.
Product C
d.
Product D

56.
Use the
information in Table 7.5. Using the bottleneck method, in what sequence should
products be scheduled for production?
a.
D. C. B. A
b.
D, C, A, B
c.
C, D, A, B
d.
C, D, B, A

57.
Use the information in Table 7.5. Using the
bottleneck method, what is the optimal product mix (consider variable costs
onlyoverhead is not included in this profit calculation)?
a.
71 A, 80B,
80C, 80 D
b.
80A, 72B, 80C,
80D
c.
80A, 80B, 60C,
80D
d.
80A, 80B, 80C,
70D

58.
Use the
information in Table 7.5. Using the bottleneck method, what is the profit if
the company manufactures the optimal product mix (consider variable costs
onlyoverhead is not included in this profit calculation)?
a.
Less than or
equal to $8,100
b.
Greater than
$8,100 but less than or equal to $8,300
c.
Greater than
$8,300 but less than or equal to $8,500
d.
Greater than
$8,500

Table 7.6
Burdell Industries makes four
different models of computer printers: the E-1000, the S-2000, the P-2000
and the N-1000. The E-1000 sells for $200 and has $40 in parts and $40 in
labor; the S-2000 sells for $150 and requires $30 in parts and $30 in
labor; the P-2000 sells for $100 and has $20 in parts and $20 in labor; and
the N-1000 sells for $75 but requires only $10 of parts and $10 of labor.
Fixed overhead is estimated at $5,000 per week. The manufacture of each
printer requires four machines, Machines #1, 2, 3 and 4. Each of the
machines is available for 40 hours a week and there is no setup time
required when shifting from the production of one product to any other. The
processing requirements to make one unit of each product are shown in the
table. Weekly product demand for the next planning period has been
forecasted as follows: 80 E-1000s; 65 S-2000s; 35 P-2000s; and 20 N-1000s.

Processing Time (Minutes Per Printer)

Model

Machine 1

Machine 2

Machine 3

Machine 4

E-1000
(E)

S-2000
(S)

P-2000
(P)

N-1000
(N)

In
the questions that follow, the traditional
method refers to maximizing the contribution margin per unit for each
product, and the bottleneck methodrefers
to maximizing the contribution margin per minute at the bottleneck for each
product.

59.
Use the
information in Table 7.6. Which machine is the bottleneck operation?
a.
Machine 1
b.
Machine 2
c.
Machine 3
d.
Machine 4

60.
Use the
information in Table 7.6. Using the traditional method, which product should be
scheduled first?
a.
Product E
b.
Product S
c.
Product P
d.
Product N

61.
Use the
information in Table 7.6. Using the traditional method, in what sequence should
products be scheduled for production?
a.
N, S, E, P
b.
N, E, P, S
c.
P, E, N, S
d.
E, S, P, N

62.
Use the
information in Table 7.6. Using the traditional method, what is the optimal
product mix?
a.
120 E, 90 S,
60 P, 55 N
b.
60 E, 20 S, 50
P, 33 N
c.
80 E, 65 S, 35
P, 5 N
d.
80 E, 65 S, 20
P, 35 N

63.
Use the
information in Table 7.6. Using the traditional method, what is the profit if
Burdell manufactures the optimal product mix?
a.
Less than or
equal to $10,000
b.
Greater than
$10,000 but less than or equal to $13,000
c.
Greater than
$13,000 but less than or equal to $16,000
d.
Greater than
$16,000

64.
Use the
information in Table 7.6. Using the bottleneck method, which product should be
scheduled first?
a.
Product E
b.
Product S
c.
Product P
d.
Product N

65.
Use the
information in Table 7.6. Using the bottleneck method, in what sequence should
products be scheduled for production?
a.
N, S, E, P
b.
N, E, P, S
c.
P, E, N, S
d.
E, S, P, N

66.
Use the
information in Table 7.6. Using the bottleneck method, what is the optimal
product mix?
a.
80 E, 65 S, 35
P, 20 N
b.
60 E, 20 S, 50
P, 33 N
c.
120 E, 90 S,
60 P, 55 N
d.
80 E, 65 S, 30
P, 20 N

67.
Use the
information in Table 7.6. Using the bottleneck method, what is the profit if
Burdell manufactures the optimal product mix?
a.
Less than or
equal to $10,000
b.
Greater than
$10,000 but less than or equal to $13,000
c.
Greater than
$13,000 but less than or equal to $16,000
d.
Greater than
$16,000

Table
7.7
A company makes four products
that have the following characteristics: Product A sells for $75 but needs
$20 of materials and $20 of labor to produce; Product B sells for $90 but
needs $45 of materials and $20 of labor to produce; Product C sells for
$110 but needs $50 of materials and $30 of labor to produce; Product D
sells for $135 but needs $75 of materials and $40 of labor to produce. The
processing requirements for each product on each of the four machines are
shown in the table.

Processing
Time (min/unit)

Work
Center

Work
centers W, X, Y, and Z are available for 40 hours per week and have no
setup time when switching between products. Market demand is 50 As, 60 Bs,
70 Cs, and 80 Ds per week. In the questions that follow, the traditional method refers to
maximizing the contribution margin per unit for each product, and the bottleneck methodrefers to
maximizing the contribution margin per minute at the bottleneck for each
product.

68.
Use the
information in Table 7.7. Which work center is the bottleneck operation?
a.
Work center W
b.
Work center X
c.
Work center Y
d.
Work center Z

69.
Use the
information in Table 7.7. Using the traditional method, which product should be
scheduled first?
a.
Product A
b.
Product B
c.
Product C
d.
Product D

70.
Use the
information in Table 7.7. Using the traditional method, in what sequence should
products be scheduled for production?
a.
A, B, C, D
b.
A, C, B, D
c.
A, D, B, C
d.
D, B, C, A

71.
Use the
information in Table 7.7. Using the traditional method, what is the optimal
product mix?
a.
37 A, 60 B, 70
C, 80 D
b.
50 A, 51 B, 70
C, 80 D
c.
50 A, 60 B, 62
C, 80 D
d.
50 A, 60 B, 70
C, 60 D

72.
Use the
information in Table 7.7. Using the traditional method, what is the profit if
the company manufactures the optimal product mix (consider variable costs
onlyoverhead is not included in this profit calculation)?
a.
Less than or
equal to $6,500
b.
Greater than
$6,500 but less than or equal to $6,700
c.
Greater than
$6,700 but less than or equal to $6,900
d.
Greater than
$6,900

73.
Use the
information in Table 7.7. Using the bottleneck method, which product should be
scheduled first?
a.
Product A
b.
Product B
c.
Product C
d.
Product D

74.
Use the information
in Table 7.7. Using the bottleneck method, in what sequence should products be
scheduled for production?
a.
A, D, B, C
b.
D, A, B, C
c.
A, D, C, B
d.
D, A, C, B

75.
Use the
information in Table 7.7. Using the bottleneck method, what is the optimal
product mix?
a.
37 A, 60 B, 70
C, 80 D
b.
50 A, 51 B, 70
C, 80 D
c.
50 A, 60 B, 62
C, 80 D
d.
50 A, 60 B, 70
C, 60 D

76.
Use the
information in Table 7.7. Using the bottleneck method, what is the profit if
the company manufactures the optimal product mix (consider variable costs
onlyoverhead is not included in this profit calculation)?
a.
Less than or
equal to $6,500
b.
Greater than
$6,500 but less than or equal to $6,700
c.
Greater than
$6,700 but less than or equal to $6,900
d.
Greater than
$6,900

Table 7.8
King Supply makes four
different types of plumbing fixtures: W, X, Y and Z. The contribution
margins for these products are: $70 for Product W, $60 for Product X, $90
for Product Y and $100 for Product Z. Fixed overhead is estimated at $5,500
per week. The manufacture of each fixture requires four machines, Machines
#1, 2, 3 and 4. Each of the machines is available for 40 hours a week and
there is no setup time required when shifting from the production of one
product to any other. The processing requirements to make one unit of each
product are shown in the table. Weekly product demand for the next planning
period has been forecasted as follows: 70 Ws, 60 Xs, 50 Ys and 30 Zs.

Processing Time (Minutes Per Fixture)

Fixture

Machine 1

Machine 2

Machine 3

Machine 4

In the questions that follow, the traditional method refers to
maximizing the contribution margin per unit for each product, and the bottleneck methodrefers to
maximizing the contribution margin per minute at the bottleneck for each
product.

77.
Use the
information in Table 7.8. Which machine is the bottleneck operation?
a.
Machine 1
b.
Machine 2
c.
Machine 3
d.
Machine 4

78.
Use the
information in Table 7.8. Using the traditional method, which product should be
scheduled first?
a.
Fixture W
b.
Fixture X
c.
Fixture Y
d.
Fixture Z

79.
Use the
information in Table 7.8. Using the traditional method, in what sequence should
the fixtures be scheduled for production?
a.
Z, Y, X, W
b.
X, W, Z, Y
c.
Z, Y, W, X
d.
W, X, Y, Z

80.
Use the
information in Table 7.8. Using the traditional method, what is the optimal
product mix?
a.
70 W, 60 X, 90
Y, 100 Z
b.
70 W, 50 X, 50
Y, 30 Z
c.
70 W, 60 X, 47
Y, 30 Z
d.
70 W, 47 X, 50
Y, 30 Z

81.
Use the
information in Table 7.8. Using the traditional method, what is the profit if
King Supply manufactures the optimal product mix?
a.
Less than or
equal to $10,000
b.
Greater than $10,000
but less than or equal to $11,000
c.
Greater than
$11,000 but less than or equal to $12,000
d.
Greater than
$12,000

82.
Use the
information in Table 7.8. Using the bottleneck method, which product should be
scheduled first?
a. Fixture
W
b. Fixture
X
c. Fixture
Y
d. Fixture
Z

83.
Use the
information in Table 7.8. Using the bottleneck method, in what sequence should
products be scheduled for production?
a.
Z, Y, X, W
b.
X, W, Z, Y
c.
Z, Y, W, X
d.
X, Y, Z, W

84.
Use the
information in Table 7.8. Using the bottleneck method, what is the optimal
product mix?
a.
70 W, 60 X, 90
Y, 100 Z
b.
70 W, 50 X, 50
Y, 30 Z
c.
70 W, 60 X, 47
Y, 30 Z
d.
70 W, 47 X, 50
Y, 30 Z

85.
Use the
information in Table 7.8. Using the bottleneck method, what is the profit if
Burdell manufactures the optimal product mix?
a.
Less than or
equal to $10,000
b.
Greater than
$10,000 but less than or equal to $11,000
c.
Greater than
$11,000 but less than or equal to $12,000
d.
Greater than
$12,000

86.
In a drum-buffer-rope system, the lot size that
moves from one work center to another for additional processing is a(n):
a.
process batch.
b.
operations batch.
c.
transfer batch.
d.
rope batch.

87.
The process batch at the constraint in a
drum-buffer-rope system should:
a.
be the same size as that at any non-constraint.
b.
be the same size as the transfer batch.
c.
be of such a size as to maximize the number of
setups for the constraint
d.
be of such a size as to improve utilization of the
constraint.

88.
Which one of the following statements is best
concerning line balancing?
a.
The
theoretical minimum number of stations must always be fewer than the actual
number achieved in a final solution. Increasing the output rate may increase
the theoretical minimum number of stations.
b.
The largest
number of followers rule assigns as quickly as possible those work elements
most difficult to fit into a station.
c.
Selecting the
cycle time can never have an effect on line efficiency.

89.
What is the
definition of theoretical maximum efficiency?
a.
It is the
amount by which efficiency falls short of 100 percent.
b.
It is the
efficiency that could be obtained by a solution that achieves the theoretical
minimum number of stations.
c.
It is the
maximum time allowed for work on a unit at each station.
d.
It is
alternatively called the desired output rate.

90.
Which one of
the following statements about line balancing is best?
a.
If a
precedence relationship exists between A and B, they cannot be assigned to the
same station.
b.
If the desired
output rate increases, the cycle time also tends to increase.
c.
The
theoretical minimum number of stations can never be achieved, hence the name
theoretical.
d.
If a lines
balance delay is minimized, its efficiency is maximized.

Figure 7.1

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91.
Use the
information in Figure 7.1. What are the required predecessors of activity H?
a.
E & G
b.
A through F,
including E
c.
Activity H has
no required predecessors.
d.
D

92.
Use the
information in Figure 7.1. If each task has a work time of one minute, what is
the theoretical minimum cycle time?
a.
There is no
minimum cycle time.
b.
1 minute
c.
8 minutes
d.
The cycle time
cannot be determined with the information given.

93.
Use the
information in Figure 7.1. If each task has a work time of one minute and there
are 480 work minutes in a day, what is the task assignment at the fourth
workstation if maximum output is desired?
a.
A
b.
B
c.
C
d.
D

94.
Use the information
in Figure 7.1. If each task has a work time of one minute and there are 8 hours
in a day, what is the task assignment at the first station if 160 units should
be produced each day?
a.
A, B, C, D
b.
H, G, F, E
c.
A, B, C
d.
H, G, F

95.
Use the
information in Figure 7.1. If each task has a work time of one minute and there
are 8 hours in a day, what is the minimum number of stations if 240 units
should be produced each day?
a.
One
b.
Two
c.
Three
d.
Four

Table 7.9
Balance
the following line for an output rate of 3 units per minute.

Work
Element

Time
(sec)

Immediate
Predecessor(s)

—

B, C

D, F

96.
Use the
information in Table 7.9. How many stations are required?
a.
3
b.
4
c.
5
d.
6

97.
Use the
information in Table 7.9. What is the balance delay for your solution?
a.
Less than or
equal to 15%
b.
More than 15%
but less than or equal to 25%
c.
More than 25%
but less than or equal to 35%
d.
More than 35%

Table 7.10
Balance
the following line for an output rate of five pieces per hour. The times
are in minutes (not seconds).

Work
Element

Time
(min)

Immediate
Predecessor(s)

—

A, B

E, F

F, G

H, I

98.
Use the information
from Table 7.10. The theoretical minimum number of stations is:
a.
fewer than
three stations.
b.
three
stations.
c.
four stations.
d.
more than four
stations.

99.
Use the
information from Table 7.10. The highest efficiency for a balanced line is:
a.
Less than 89%.
b.
More than 89%
and less than 91%.
c.
More than 91%
and less than 93%.
d.
More than 93%.

Work
Element

Time
(sec)

Immediate
Predecessor(s)

—

F, G

H, I

100.
Use the
information in Table 7.11. The company is planning to operate 2 shifts per day,
8 hours per shift. If the desired output rate of the line is 480 units per day,
what is the cycle time?
a.
60 seconds
b.
120 seconds
c.
180 seconds
d.
240 seconds

101.
Use the
information in Table 7.11. What is the theoretical minimum number of stations
(TM) for the line? How many workstations are needed for the most efficient
balance possible given these circumstances?
a.
TM = 3;
solution = 3 stations
b.
TM = 3;
solution = 4 stations
c.
TM = 4;
solution = 4 stations
d.
TM = 4; solution
= 5 stations

102.
Use the
information in Table 7.11. What is the highest efficiency possible for a
balanced line?
a.
Less than 91%
b.
More than 91%
and less than 93%
c.
More than 93%
and less than 95%
d.
More than 95%

Table 7.12
A company desires to set up a line to produce 60
units per hour. The work elements and their precedence relationships are as
follows.

Work
Element

Time
(sec)

Immediate
Predecessor(s)

–

4,5

6,7

8,9

103.
Use the
information in Table 7.12. What is the theoretical minimum number of stations?
a.
3
b.
4
c.
5
d.
6

104.
Use the
information in Table 7.12. What is the highest efficiency line balance
possible?
a.
Less than 93%
b.
More than 93%
but less than or equal to 95%
c.
More than 95%
but less than or equal to 97%
d.
More than 97%

Table
7.13
The following information is given about an
assembly line. The desired output rate is 90 units per hour.

Work
Element

Time
(sec)

Immediate
Predecessor(s)

—

C, E

F, G

105.
Use the
information in Table 7.13. What is the fewest number of workstations that you
need?
a.
Two stations
b.
Three stations

c.
Four stations
d.
More than four
stations

106.
Use the
information in Table 7.13. Suppose that the desired output rate is increased to
120 units per hour and a solution has been found that has four workstations. What
is the efficiency of this new assembly line?
a.
Less than 80%
b.
Between 80%
and 85%
c.
Between 85%
and 90%
d.
More than 90%

107.
A line-balancing
solution has been developed for the assembly line for fertilizer spreaders at
Green Grass, Inc. The desired output rate of 30 spreaders per hour will be
achieved. The sum of times for all tasks performed on the line is 1200 seconds
for each spreader assembled. This is the total productive time. Which of the
following statements must be true?
a.
The cycle time
is 30 seconds per spreader.
b.
The
theoretical minimum number of stations is 10.
c.
If the
solution calls for 11 stations, the efficiency is 80%.
d.
If the
solution calls for 12 stations, the efficiency is 80%.

Table 7.14
The production of a particular product consists
of seven work elements. The desired output rate is 60 units per hour. The
work element and their precedence relationships are given.

Work
Element

Time
(sec)

Immediate
Predecessor(s)

—

5, 6

108.
Use the
information in Table 7.14. How many stations are required for the most
efficient balance you can achieve?
a.
Two stations
b.
Three stations
c.
Four stations
d.
Five stations

109.
Use the
information in Table 7.14. What is the most efficient line balance you can
achieve?
a.
Less than or
equal to 70%
b.
More than 70%
but less than or equal to 75%
c.
More than 75%
but less than or equal to 80%
d.
More than 80%

110.
An assembly
line has to perform 10 work elements, whose time requirements follow. An
operations analyst has found a solution using some heuristics, as shown in the
table. If the cycle time of the line is 90 seconds, what is the efficiency of
the assembly line?

Solution

Work
Elements

Time (sec)

Station

Work Elements
Assigned

A, B, C

D, E

F, H

G, I

a.
Less than 85%
b.
Greater than
85% but less than 90%
c.
Greater than
90% but less than 95%
d.
Greater than
95%

111.
Given the
following data about an assembly line and the knowledge that we are trying to
attain an output rate of 40 units per hour, what is the theoretical minimum
number of stations?

Work
Element

Time (sec)

a.
Four or fewer
stations
b.
Five stations
c.
Six stations
d.
Seven or more
stations

112.
The production
of a particular product consists of the following work elements. If the cycle
time is 4 minutes and the work-element times are as follows, what is the
theoretical minimum number of stations?

Work
Element

Time (min)

2.4

0.5

2.1

2.0

2.7

1.1

2.0

2.7

1.6

1.4

a.
Fewer than or
equal to three stations
b.
Four stations
c.
Five stations
d.
More than five
stations

113.
Fun Vehicles,
Inc. makes beach buggies on an assembly line. The total productive time to make
one buggy is 300 seconds. The current line has a 90-second cycle time and
consists of four workstations. The balance delay of this line must be:
a.
0%.
b.
greater than
0% but less than 6%.
c.
greater than
6% but less than 12%.
d.
greater than
12% but less than 18%.

Table 7.15
The Terminal Company is attempting to balance
its assembly line of high-voltage electrical connectors. The desired output
for the line is 50 connectors per hour, and the information on the work
elements for this assembly line is as follows.

Work
Elements

Time (sec)

Immediate
Predecessor(s)

—

B, C

E, H

G, I, J

114.
Use the
information from Table 7.15 to balance this line. What is the most efficient
solution?
a.
More than 90%
b.
8090%
c.
7079%
d.
Less than 70%

115.
Use the
information from Table 7.15 and the most efficient line balance possible. What
work elements are included in the first station?
a.
A only
b.
A and B only
c.
A and E only
d.
A and D only

116.
Use the
information from Table 7.15, and assume that the most efficient line balance
possible ha been achieved. What is the
total idle time for an eight hour work day?
a.
Less than an
hour and a half.
b.
More than 1:30
but less than or equal to 1:45.
c.
More than 1:45
but less than or equal to 2 hours.
d.
More than 2
hours

FILL In THE BLANK

117.
A(n)
____________ is an operation that has the lowest effective capacity of any
operation in the process, and thus limits the systems output.

118.
____________
is the total time taken from the start to the finish of a process.
119.
Variability of
a firms workload may create ____________.

120.
With TOC,
____________ are scheduled to maximize their throughput of products while
adhering to promised completion dates.

121.
Instead of
producing products with the highest profit margins, operations managers should
focus on the ____________ generated at the ____________ .

122.
____________ is a planning and control system
that regulates the flow of work-in-process materials at the bottleneck or the
capacity constrained resource in a productive system.

123.
Every time a manufacturer uses one resource, they
make a lot size of 300. Once a group of 30 units are completed, they are taken
to the next step in the process. The lot of 300 is the ____________ and
the group of 30 is the ____________.

124.
____________
is the maximum time allowed for work on a unit at each station.

125.
____________
is the amount by which efficiency falls short of 100 percent.

126.
Regardless of
the number of tasks or their lengths, a line balance efficiency of 100% is
possible if the number of stations is ____________.

127.
A(n)
____________ line is a product line that produces several items belonging to
the same family.

128.
The movement
of product from one station to the next as soon as the cycle time has elapsed
is called ____________.

SHORT ANSWERS

129.
Explain why a
bottleneck limits system output.

130.
Describe a
process from your own personal experience at home or work that suffers from a
lack of sufficient throughput. Apply the first four TOC steps to address the
situation, assuming you have complete authority to do so.

131.
Describe three
ways that line balancing and line flow layouts are similar to project management
and three ways they are different.

132.
How can Theory
of Constraints principles be reconciled with line balancing?

PROBLEMS

133.
Schmidt
Industries makes four different snake traps; the Harlan, the Gaylen, the Leah
and the Matthew. The Harlan sells for $200 and has $40 in parts and $40 in
labor; the Gaylen sells for $150 and requires $30 in parts and $30 in labor;
the Leah sells for $100 and has $20 in parts and $20 in labor; and the Matthew
sells for $75 but requires only $10 of parts and $10 of labor. Schmidt
Industries has four machines (well call them A, B, C, and D for convenience)
that are used in the production of each of these products. Each of these
machines is available for 40 hours a week and there is no setup time required
when shifting from the production of one product to any other. The processing
requirements to make one unit of each product are shown in the table.

Processing Time on Each Machine in Minutes

Model

Machine A

Machine B

Machine C

Machine D

Harlan

Gaylen

Leah

Matthew

Schmidt
Industries has monthly fixed costs of $5000 and has a demand forecast of 80
Harlans, 60 Gaylens, 40 Leahs and 20 Matthews for the coming month. How many of
each of the four models should Susan, the operations manager, schedule for
production this month?

134.
Consider the process shown that is trying to produce
to meet a market demand of 500 units per week.

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Step 1: Material release schedule
Step 2: Drilling (capacity is 500
units/week)
Step 3: Tapping (capacity is 450
units/week)
Step 4: Grinding (capacity is 600
units/week)
Step 5: Coating (capacity is 400
units/week)
Step 6: Inspection (capacity is
1000 units/week)

a.
Where should buffers be placed?
b.
Which resource is the drum?
c.
Where should the rope be placed?
d.
Which resource is the bottleneck?
e.
Which resource is the CCR?
i)

135.
Balance the
assembly line for the tasks contained in the table. The desired output is 240
units per day. Available production time per day is 480 minutes. What is the
efficiency for the balanced assembly line?

Work Element

Time (Sec.)

Immediate
Predecessor(s)

—

C,D

D,E

136.
Balance the
assembly line using the following task information contained in the table. The
desired output is 360 units per day. Available production time per day is 480
minutes. What is the efficiency for the balanced assembly line?

Work Element

Time (Sec.)

Immediate
Predecessor(s)

—

C,D

D,E

137.
Balance the line
in order to achieve maximum output for this ten activity product. Determine the
number of units produced in a seven hour work day and the total idle time in
hours.

Task

Time (sec)

Predecessor

—

X, Y

S, R

TRUE/FALSE1.
A bottleneck is an operation that has the lowest effective
capacity of any operation in the process.2.
The process with the least capacity is called a
bottleneck if its output is less than market demand.3.
The process with the least capacity is called a
bottleneck if its output is still greater than the market demand.4.
Operating processes close to their capacity can result in
low customer satisfaction and even losing money despite high sales levels.5.
The Theory of Constraints method is also referred to as the
drum-buffer-rope method.6.
According to the Theory of Constraints, the four operational
measures include inventory, throughput, delivery lead times and utilization.7.
A business school with plenty of classroom space that hires
adjunct faculty for a semester to meet unusually high student demand for courses
is an example of elevating a bottleneck.8.
A bottleneck process has the lowest capacity and the longest
total time from the start to the finish.9.
A competent operations manager should first eliminate all of
the bottlenecks from the process.10.
Short term capacity planning should be driven by
identification and management of bottlenecks.11.
Line balancing is the assignment of work to stations in a
line to achieve the desired output rate with the smallest number of
workstations.12.
Line balancing strives to create workstations so that the
capacity utilization for the bottleneck is much higher than for the other
workstations in the line. 13.
Line balancing applies only to line processes that do
assembly work, or to work that can be bundled in many ways to create the jobs
for each workstation in the line.14.
Immediate predecessors are the smallest units of work that can
be performed independently.15.
The balance delay is the amount by which efficiency falls
short of 100 percent.16.
To generate the maximum output, the cycle time should be set
as the longest elemental task time.17.
Paced lines require that inventory storage areas be placed
between stations.18.
A mixed-model line produces several items belonging to the
same family.MULTIPLE CHOICE19.
The focus for
a process improvement exercise should be on balancing:a.
flow.b.
capacity.c.
workload.d.
timE20.
According to the Theory of Constraints, the four operational
measures of capacity include all of the following EXCEPT: a.
inventory.b.
throughput.c.
utilization.d.
delivery lead
times.21.
Practical application of
the Theory of Constraints involves the implementation of all of the
following steps EXCEPT: a.
Identify the
system bottleneck(s).b.
Exploit the
bottleneck(s).c.
Reduce the
capacity at the bottleneck(s).d.
Elevate the
bottleneck(s).22.
Consider
consecutive processes A-B-C, where process A has a capacity of 20 units per
hour, process B has a capacity of 25 units per hour, and process C has a
capacity of 30 units per hour. Where would an operations manager want any
inventory?a.
in front of
process A.b.
in front of
process B.c.
in front of
process C.d.
inventory
should not exist anywhere.23.
Use the
process flow diagram to determine which of these events has the greatest net
benefit.a.
reducing the
flow time at Station A from 8 to 7 minutes.b.
increasing the
capacity at Station B to 8 units per hour.c.
increasing the
capacity at Station C to 7 units per hour.d.
reducing the
flow time at Station D from 9 to 8 minutes.24.
Use the
process flow diagram to determine which of these events has the greatest net
benefit.a.
reducing the
flow time at Station A from 10 to 8 minutes.b.
increasing the
capacity at Station B to 12 units per hour.c.
increasing the
capacity at Station C to 10 units per hour.d.
reducing the
flow time at Station D from 12 to 10 minutes.25.
Use the
process flow diagram to determine which of these events has the greatest net
benefit.a.
reducing the
flow time at Station A from 8 to 7 minutes.b.
increasing the
capacity at Station B to 12 units per hour.c.
increasing the
capacity at Station C to 9 units per hour.d.
reducing the
flow time at Station D from 6 to 5 minutes.26.
Work should be
released into the system:a.
when a
customer order is received.b.
when the first
step in the process is idle.c.
when a
customer order is completed.d.
when the
bottlenecks need work.27.
The second
step in Theory of Constraints application, exploit the bottleneck(s), means
that:a.
the analyst
should create a schedule that maximizes the throughput of the bottlenecks.b.
the analyst
should repeat the analysis process to look for other bottlenecks.c.
the analyst should
consider increasing capacity of the bottleneck.d.
the analyst
should schedule non-bottleneck resources to support the bottleneck.28.
The third step
in Theory of Constraints application, subordinate all other decisions to Step
2, means that:a.
the analyst
should wait for authorization before proceeding with any system-wide changes.b.
the analyst
should schedule non-bottleneck processes to support the bottleneck schedule.c.
the analyst
should seek to increase capacity of only the bottleneck resources.d.
the analyst
should seek to increase capacity of both the bottleneck and non-bottleneck
resources.29.
The fourth
step in Theory of Constraints application, elevate the bottleneck(s), means
that:a.
the analyst
should create a schedule that maximizes the throughput of the bottlenecks.b.
the analyst
should repeat the analysis process to look for other bottlenecks.c.
the analyst
should consider increasing capacity of the bottleneck.d.
the analyst
should schedule non-bottleneck resources to support the bottleneck.30.
The fifth step
in Theory of Constraints application, do not let inertia set in, means that:a.
the analyst
should create a schedule that maximizes the throughput of the bottlenecks.b.
the analyst
should repeat the analysis to identify and manage new set of constraints.c.
the analyst
should consider increasing capacity of the bottleneck.d.
the analyst
should schedule non-bottleneck resources to support the bottleneck.31.
Which of the
following statements regarding setups is TRUE?a.
Unusually high
setup times result in higher utilization.b.
Processes are
generating output throughout the entire setup process.c.
A machine used
in a line process would probably have fewer setups than a batch process.d.
A TOC analyst
would not be concerned with setup times on non-bottleneck machines.32.
There are
three consecutive steps in a customer service process. The first two steps are
each capable of serving 25 customers per hour while the third step can process
only 20 customers per hour. Which of the following statements regarding this
system is true?a.
The entire
system is capable of processing 25 customers per hour.b.
There are
floating bottlenecks in the system.c.
If the first
two steps are run at full capacity, then the third step has a waiting line.d.
The first and
second steps are bottlenecks for the system.33.
Use the
information in Table 7.1. What is the throughput time for the process, assuming
that the Call Center is always busy and has customers waiting to be processed? a.
24 minutesb.
18 minutesc.
20 minutesd.
22 minutes34.
Use the
information in Table 7.1. What is the process bottleneck?a.
A b.
B and C
togetherc.
Dd.
E35.
Use the information
in Table 7.1. What is the 8-hour capacity for the process?a.
24 callsb.
17.1 callsc.
40 callsd.
48 calls36.
Use the
information in Table 7.1. Where would you expect customer wait times to occur?a.
D onlyb.
C and Dc.
A onlyd.
E only37.
Use the
information in Table 7.2. What is the throughput time for the A-B-C-E process
route?a.
17 minutesb.
27 minutesc.
21 minutesd.
19 minutes38.
Use the
information in Table 7.2. What is the throughput time for the A-B-D-E process
route?a.
17 minutesb.
27 minutesc.
21 minutesd.
19 minutes39.
Use the
information in Table 7.2. What is the capacity for the A-B-C-E process route?a.
10 students
per hourb.
6 student per
hourc.
3.5 students
per hourd.
2.9 students
per hour40.
Use the
information in Table 7.2. What is the capacity for the A-B-D-E process route?a.
10 students
per hourb.
6 student per
hourc.
3.5 students
per hourd.
2.9 students
per hour41.
Use the
information in Table 7.2. If 60% of the students are routed to C and 40% are
routed to D, what is the average capacity per hour for the process?a.
10 students per
hourb.
6.5 student
per hourc.
8 students per
hourd.
8.4 students
per hour42.
Use the
information in Table 7.2. Where would you expect student wait times to occur?a.
D onlyb.
B, C and Dc.
A onlyd.
E only43.
Use the
information in Table 7.3. What is the throughput time for the A-B-C-D -H
routing?a.
48 minutesb.
30 minutesc.
53 minutesd.
23 minutes44.
Use the
information in Table 7.3. What is the throughput time for the A-B-E-F-G-H
routing?a.
48 minutesb.
30 minutesc.
53 minutesd.
23 minutes45.
Use the
information in Table 7.3. What is the process bottleneck?a.
Hb.
Bc.
Cd.
D46.
Use the
information in Table 7.4. What is the throughput time for the A-B-C-D-G
routing?a.
25 minutesb.
70 minutesc.
105 minutesd.
60 minutes47.
Use the
information in Table 7.4. What is the throughput time for the A-B-E-F-G
routing?a.
25 minutesb.
70 minutesc.
105 minutesd.
60 minutes48.
Use the
information in Table 7.4. How many customers can be processed through the
A-B-C-D-G routing during a 4-hour evening session?a.
48b.
24c.
32d.
1249.
Use the
information in Table 7.4. How many customers can be processed through the
A-B-E-F-G routing during a 4-hour evening session?a.
8b.
24c.
12 d.
32
Table 7.5A company makes four products
that have the following characteristics: Product A sells for $50 but needs
$10 of materials and $15 of labor to produce; Product B sells for $75 but
needs $30 of materials and $15 of labor to produce; Product C sells for
$100 but needs $50 of materials and $30 of labor to produce; Product D
sells for $150 but needs $75 of materials and $40 of labor to produce. The
processing requirements for each product on each of the four machines are
shown in the table.Processing
Time (min/unit)Work
CenterABCDW61312X91048Y43129Z100711Work centers W, X, Y, and Z
are available for 40 hours per week and have no setup time when switching
between products. Market demand for each product is 80 units per week. In
the questions that follow, the traditional
method refers to maximizing the contribution margin per unit for each
product, and the bottleneck methodrefers
to maximizing the contribution margin per minute at the bottleneck for each
product.50.
Use the
information in Table 7.5. Which work center is of greatest concern to the
operations manager?a.
Work center Wb.
Work center Xc.
Work center Yd.
Work center Z51.
Use the
information in Table 7.5. Using the traditional method, which product should be
scheduled first?a.
Product Ab.
Product Bc.
Product Cd.
Product D52.
Use the
information in Table 7.5. Using the traditional method, in what sequence should
products be scheduled for production?a.
D, C, B, Ab.
D, B, A, Cc.
C, D, A, Bd.
C, D, B, A53.
Use the
information in Table 7.5. Using the traditional method, what is the optimal
product mix (consider variable costs onlyoverhead is not included in this
profit calculation)?a.
71 A, 80B,
80C, 80 Db.
80A, 72B, 80C,
80Dc.
80A, 80B, 60C,
80Dd.
80A, 80B, 80C,
70D54.
Use the
information in Table 7.5. Using the traditional method, what is the profit if
the company manufactures the optimal product mix (consider variable costs
onlyoverhead is not included in this profit calculation)?a.
Less than or
equal to $8,100b.
Greater than
$8,100 but less than or equal to $8,300c.
Greater than
$8,300 but less than or equal to $8,500d.
Greater than
$8,50055.
Use the
information in Table 7.5. Using the bottleneck method, which product should be
scheduled first?a.
Product Ab.
Product Bc.
Product Cd.
Product D56.
Use the
information in Table 7.5. Using the bottleneck method, in what sequence should
products be scheduled for production?a.
D. C. B. Ab.
D, C, A, Bc.
C, D, A, Bd.
C, D, B, A57.
Use the information in Table 7.5. Using the
bottleneck method, what is the optimal product mix (consider variable costs
onlyoverhead is not included in this profit calculation)?a.
71 A, 80B,
80C, 80 Db.
80A, 72B, 80C,
80Dc.
80A, 80B, 60C,
80Dd.
80A, 80B, 80C,
70D58.
Use the
information in Table 7.5. Using the bottleneck method, what is the profit if
the company manufactures the optimal product mix (consider variable costs
onlyoverhead is not included in this profit calculation)?a.
Less than or
equal to $8,100b.
Greater than
$8,100 but less than or equal to $8,300c.
Greater than
$8,300 but less than or equal to $8,500d.
Greater than
$8,500
Table 7.6Burdell Industries makes four
different models of computer printers: the E-1000, the S-2000, the P-2000
and the N-1000. The E-1000 sells for $200 and has $40 in parts and $40 in
labor; the S-2000 sells for $150 and requires $30 in parts and $30 in
labor; the P-2000 sells for $100 and has $20 in parts and $20 in labor; and
the N-1000 sells for $75 but requires only $10 of parts and $10 of labor.
Fixed overhead is estimated at $5,000 per week. The manufacture of each
printer requires four machines, Machines #1, 2, 3 and 4. Each of the
machines is available for 40 hours a week and there is no setup time
required when shifting from the production of one product to any other. The
processing requirements to make one unit of each product are shown in the
table. Weekly product demand for the next planning period has been
forecasted as follows: 80 E-1000s; 65 S-2000s; 35 P-2000s; and 20 N-1000s.Processing Time (Minutes Per Printer)ModelMachine 1Machine 2Machine 3Machine 4E-1000
(E)1015155S-2000
(S)10101010P-2000
(P)5101510N-1000
(N)55510In
the questions that follow, the traditional
method refers to maximizing the contribution margin per unit for each
product, and the bottleneck methodrefers
to maximizing the contribution margin per minute at the bottleneck for each
product.59.
Use the
information in Table 7.6. Which machine is the bottleneck operation?a.
Machine 1b.
Machine 2c.
Machine 3d.
Machine 460.
Use the
information in Table 7.6. Using the traditional method, which product should be
scheduled first?a.
Product Eb.
Product Sc.
Product Pd.
Product N61.
Use the
information in Table 7.6. Using the traditional method, in what sequence should
products be scheduled for production? a.
N, S, E, Pb.
N, E, P, Sc.
P, E, N, Sd.
E, S, P, N62.
Use the
information in Table 7.6. Using the traditional method, what is the optimal
product mix?a.
120 E, 90 S,
60 P, 55 Nb.
60 E, 20 S, 50
P, 33 Nc.
80 E, 65 S, 35
P, 5 Nd.
80 E, 65 S, 20
P, 35 N63.
Use the
information in Table 7.6. Using the traditional method, what is the profit if
Burdell manufactures the optimal product mix?a.
Less than or
equal to $10,000b.
Greater than
$10,000 but less than or equal to $13,000c.
Greater than
$13,000 but less than or equal to $16,000d.
Greater than
$16,00064.
Use the
information in Table 7.6. Using the bottleneck method, which product should be
scheduled first?a.
Product Eb.
Product Sc.
Product Pd.
Product N65.
Use the
information in Table 7.6. Using the bottleneck method, in what sequence should
products be scheduled for production?a.
N, S, E, Pb.
N, E, P, Sc.
P, E, N, Sd.
E, S, P, N66.
Use the
information in Table 7.6. Using the bottleneck method, what is the optimal
product mix?a.
80 E, 65 S, 35
P, 20 Nb.
60 E, 20 S, 50
P, 33 Nc.
120 E, 90 S,
60 P, 55 Nd.
80 E, 65 S, 30
P, 20 N67.
Use the
information in Table 7.6. Using the bottleneck method, what is the profit if
Burdell manufactures the optimal product mix?a.
Less than or
equal to $10,000b.
Greater than
$10,000 but less than or equal to $13,000c.
Greater than
$13,000 but less than or equal to $16,000d.
Greater than
$16,000
Table
7.7A company makes four products
that have the following characteristics: Product A sells for $75 but needs
$20 of materials and $20 of labor to produce; Product B sells for $90 but
needs $45 of materials and $20 of labor to produce; Product C sells for
$110 but needs $50 of materials and $30 of labor to produce; Product D
sells for $135 but needs $75 of materials and $40 of labor to produce. The
processing requirements for each product on each of the four machines are
shown in the table.Processing
Time (min/unit)Work
CenterABCDW841210X129106Y812145Z10955Work
centers W, X, Y, and Z are available for 40 hours per week and have no
setup time when switching between products. Market demand is 50 As, 60 Bs,
70 Cs, and 80 Ds per week. In the questions that follow, the traditional method refers to
maximizing the contribution margin per unit for each product, and the bottleneck methodrefers to
maximizing the contribution margin per minute at the bottleneck for each
product.68.
Use the
information in Table 7.7. Which work center is the bottleneck operation?a.
Work center Wb.
Work center Xc.
Work center Yd.
Work center Z69.
Use the
information in Table 7.7. Using the traditional method, which product should be
scheduled first?a.
Product Ab.
Product Bc.
Product Cd.
Product D70.
Use the
information in Table 7.7. Using the traditional method, in what sequence should
products be scheduled for production? a.
A, B, C, Db.
A, C, B, Dc.
A, D, B, Cd.
D, B, C, A71.
Use the
information in Table 7.7. Using the traditional method, what is the optimal
product mix? a.
37 A, 60 B, 70
C, 80 Db.
50 A, 51 B, 70
C, 80 Dc.
50 A, 60 B, 62
C, 80 Dd.
50 A, 60 B, 70
C, 60 D72.
Use the
information in Table 7.7. Using the traditional method, what is the profit if
the company manufactures the optimal product mix (consider variable costs
onlyoverhead is not included in this profit calculation)?a.
Less than or
equal to $6,500b.
Greater than
$6,500 but less than or equal to $6,700c.
Greater than
$6,700 but less than or equal to $6,900d.
Greater than
$6,90073.
Use the
information in Table 7.7. Using the bottleneck method, which product should be
scheduled first?a.
Product Ab.
Product Bc.
Product Cd.
Product D74.
Use the information
in Table 7.7. Using the bottleneck method, in what sequence should products be
scheduled for production?a.
A, D, B, Cb.
D, A, B, Cc.
A, D, C, Bd.
D, A, C, B75.
Use the
information in Table 7.7. Using the bottleneck method, what is the optimal
product mix? a.
37 A, 60 B, 70
C, 80 Db.
50 A, 51 B, 70
C, 80 Dc.
50 A, 60 B, 62
C, 80 Dd.
50 A, 60 B, 70
C, 60 D76.
Use the
information in Table 7.7. Using the bottleneck method, what is the profit if
the company manufactures the optimal product mix (consider variable costs
onlyoverhead is not included in this profit calculation)?a.
Less than or
equal to $6,500b.
Greater than
$6,500 but less than or equal to $6,700c.
Greater than
$6,700 but less than or equal to $6,900d.
Greater than
$6,900
Table 7.8King Supply makes four
different types of plumbing fixtures: W, X, Y and Z. The contribution
margins for these products are: $70 for Product W, $60 for Product X, $90
for Product Y and $100 for Product Z. Fixed overhead is estimated at $5,500
per week. The manufacture of each fixture requires four machines, Machines
#1, 2, 3 and 4. Each of the machines is available for 40 hours a week and
there is no setup time required when shifting from the production of one
product to any other. The processing requirements to make one unit of each
product are shown in the table. Weekly product demand for the next planning
period has been forecasted as follows: 70 Ws, 60 Xs, 50 Ys and 30 Zs. Processing Time (Minutes Per Fixture)FixtureMachine 1Machine 2Machine 3Machine 4W1015105X5101510Y205510Z155510In the questions that follow, the traditional method refers to
maximizing the contribution margin per unit for each product, and the bottleneck methodrefers to
maximizing the contribution margin per minute at the bottleneck for each
product.77.
Use the
information in Table 7.8. Which machine is the bottleneck operation?a.
Machine 1b.
Machine 2c.
Machine 3d.
Machine 478.
Use the
information in Table 7.8. Using the traditional method, which product should be
scheduled first?a.
Fixture Wb.
Fixture Xc.
Fixture Yd.
Fixture Z79.
Use the
information in Table 7.8. Using the traditional method, in what sequence should
the fixtures be scheduled for production?a.
Z, Y, X, Wb.
X, W, Z, Yc.
Z, Y, W, Xd.
W, X, Y, Z80.
Use the
information in Table 7.8. Using the traditional method, what is the optimal
product mix?a.
70 W, 60 X, 90
Y, 100 Zb.
70 W, 50 X, 50
Y, 30 Zc.
70 W, 60 X, 47
Y, 30 Zd.
70 W, 47 X, 50
Y, 30 Z81.
Use the
information in Table 7.8. Using the traditional method, what is the profit if
King Supply manufactures the optimal product mix?a.
Less than or
equal to $10,000b.
Greater than $10,000
but less than or equal to $11,000c.
Greater than
$11,000 but less than or equal to $12,000d.
Greater than
$12,00082.
Use the
information in Table 7.8. Using the bottleneck method, which product should be
scheduled first?a. Fixture
Wb. Fixture
Xc. Fixture
Yd. Fixture
Z83.
Use the
information in Table 7.8. Using the bottleneck method, in what sequence should
products be scheduled for production?a.
Z, Y, X, Wb.
X, W, Z, Yc.
Z, Y, W, Xd.
X, Y, Z, W84.
Use the
information in Table 7.8. Using the bottleneck method, what is the optimal
product mix?a.
70 W, 60 X, 90
Y, 100 Zb.
70 W, 50 X, 50
Y, 30 Zc.
70 W, 60 X, 47
Y, 30 Zd.
70 W, 47 X, 50
Y, 30 Z85.
Use the
information in Table 7.8. Using the bottleneck method, what is the profit if
Burdell manufactures the optimal product mix?a.
Less than or
equal to $10,000b.
Greater than
$10,000 but less than or equal to $11,000c.
Greater than
$11,000 but less than or equal to $12,000d.
Greater than
$12,00086.
In a drum-buffer-rope system, the lot size that
moves from one work center to another for additional processing is a(n):a.
process batch.b.
operations batch.c.
transfer batch.d.
rope batch.
87.
The process batch at the constraint in a
drum-buffer-rope system should:a.
be the same size as that at any non-constraint.b.
be the same size as the transfer batch.c.
be of such a size as to maximize the number of
setups for the constraintd.
be of such a size as to improve utilization of the
constraint.88.
Which one of the following statements is best
concerning line balancing?a.
The
theoretical minimum number of stations must always be fewer than the actual
number achieved in a final solution. Increasing the output rate may increase
the theoretical minimum number of stations. b.
The largest
number of followers rule assigns as quickly as possible those work elements
most difficult to fit into a station. c.
Selecting the
cycle time can never have an effect on line efficiency. 89.
What is the
definition of theoretical maximum efficiency? a.
It is the
amount by which efficiency falls short of 100 percent. b.
It is the
efficiency that could be obtained by a solution that achieves the theoretical
minimum number of stations. c.
It is the
maximum time allowed for work on a unit at each station. d.
It is
alternatively called the desired output rate. 90.
Which one of
the following statements about line balancing is best? a.
If a
precedence relationship exists between A and B, they cannot be assigned to the
same station. b.
If the desired
output rate increases, the cycle time also tends to increase. c.
The
theoretical minimum number of stations can never be achieved, hence the name
theoretical. d.
If a lines
balance delay is minimized, its efficiency is maximized.
Figure 7.191.
Use the
information in Figure 7.1. What are the required predecessors of activity H?a.
E & Gb.
A through F,
including Ec.
Activity H has
no required predecessors.d.
D92.
Use the
information in Figure 7.1. If each task has a work time of one minute, what is
the theoretical minimum cycle time?a.
There is no
minimum cycle time.b.
1 minutec.
8 minutesd.
The cycle time
cannot be determined with the information given.93.
Use the
information in Figure 7.1. If each task has a work time of one minute and there
are 480 work minutes in a day, what is the task assignment at the fourth
workstation if maximum output is desired?a.
Ab.
Bc.
Cd.
D94.
Use the information
in Figure 7.1. If each task has a work time of one minute and there are 8 hours
in a day, what is the task assignment at the first station if 160 units should
be produced each day?a.
A, B, C, Db.
H, G, F, Ec.
A, B, Cd.
H, G, F95.
Use the
information in Figure 7.1. If each task has a work time of one minute and there
are 8 hours in a day, what is the minimum number of stations if 240 units
should be produced each day?a.
Oneb.
Twoc.
Threed.
FourTable 7.9Balance
the following line for an output rate of 3 units per minute.Work ElementTime (sec)Immediate Predecessor(s)A12–B6AC12AD4BE14B, CF10EG6D, F96.
Use the
information in Table 7.9. How many stations are required? a.
3b.
4c.
5d.
6 97.
Use the
information in Table 7.9. What is the balance delay for your solution? a.
Less than or
equal to 15% b.
More than 15%
but less than or equal to 25% c.
More than 25%
but less than or equal to 35% d.
More than 35% Table 7.10Balance
the following line for an output rate of five pieces per hour. The times
are in minutes (not seconds).Work ElementTime (min)Immediate Predecessor(s)A7–B5–C3–D4–E2A, BF5CG6DH7E, FI11F, GJ4H, I98.
Use the information
from Table 7.10. The theoretical minimum number of stations is: a.
fewer than
three stations.b.
three
stations. c.
four stations.d.
more than four
stations. 99.
Use the
information from Table 7.10. The highest efficiency for a balanced line is: a.
Less than 89%.b.
More than 89%
and less than 91%. c.
More than 91%
and less than 93%.d.
More than 93%.

Table 7.11The Pennsylvania Appliance Company is installing
an assembly line to produce vacuum cleaners, and you, as an operations
manager, are responsible for balancing the line. The work elements to be
performed are listed, along with their times and immediate predecessors. Work ElementTime (sec)Immediate Predecessor(s)A60–B40AC30BD20BE40BF60CG70DH50F, GI20EJ60H, I 100.
Use the
information in Table 7.11. The company is planning to operate 2 shifts per day,
8 hours per shift. If the desired output rate of the line is 480 units per day,
what is the cycle time? a.
60 secondsb.
120 secondsc.
180 secondsd.
240 seconds 101.
Use the
information in Table 7.11. What is the theoretical minimum number of stations
(TM) for the line? How many workstations are needed for the most efficient
balance possible given these circumstances?a.
TM = 3;
solution = 3 stationsb.
TM = 3;
solution = 4 stations c.
TM = 4;
solution = 4 stationsd.
TM = 4; solution
= 5 stations 102.
Use the
information in Table 7.11. What is the highest efficiency possible for a
balanced line?a.
Less than 91% b.
More than 91%
and less than 93% c.
More than 93%
and less than 95%d.
More than 95% Table 7.12A company desires to set up a line to produce 60
units per hour. The work elements and their precedence relationships are as
follows.Work
ElementTime
(sec)Immediate
Predecessor(s)140-230135014402562625371538204,59186,710308,9103.
Use the
information in Table 7.12. What is the theoretical minimum number of stations? a.
3b.
4 c.
5 d.
6 104.
Use the
information in Table 7.12. What is the highest efficiency line balance
possible? a.
Less than 93% b.
More than 93%
but less than or equal to 95% c.
More than 95%
but less than or equal to 97% d.
More than 97% Table
7.13The following information is given about an
assembly line. The desired output rate is 90 units per hour.Work ElementTime (sec)Immediate Predecessor(s)A10–B6AC15AD20BE12BF14C, EG8DH20F, G105.
Use the
information in Table 7.13. What is the fewest number of workstations that you
need? a.
Two stationsb.
Three stations
c.
Four stationsd.
More than four
stations 106.
Use the
information in Table 7.13. Suppose that the desired output rate is increased to
120 units per hour and a solution has been found that has four workstations. What
is the efficiency of this new assembly line? a.
Less than 80% b.
Between 80%
and 85% c.
Between 85%
and 90%d.
More than 90% 107.
A line-balancing
solution has been developed for the assembly line for fertilizer spreaders at
Green Grass, Inc. The desired output rate of 30 spreaders per hour will be
achieved. The sum of times for all tasks performed on the line is 1200 seconds
for each spreader assembled. This is the total productive time. Which of the
following statements must be true? a.
The cycle time
is 30 seconds per spreader. b.
The
theoretical minimum number of stations is 10. c.
If the
solution calls for 11 stations, the efficiency is 80%. d.
If the
solution calls for 12 stations, the efficiency is 80%. Table 7.14The production of a particular product consists
of seven work elements. The desired output rate is 60 units per hour. The
work element and their precedence relationships are given. Work ElementTime (sec)Immediate Predecessor(s)130–215132024153530362547305, 6108.
Use the
information in Table 7.14. How many stations are required for the most
efficient balance you can achieve? a.
Two stationsb.
Three stationsc.
Four stationsd.
Five stations 109.
Use the
information in Table 7.14. What is the most efficient line balance you can
achieve? a.
Less than or
equal to 70% b.
More than 70%
but less than or equal to 75% c.
More than 75%
but less than or equal to 80% d.
More than 80% 110.
An assembly
line has to perform 10 work elements, whose time requirements follow. An
operations analyst has found a solution using some heuristics, as shown in the
table. If the cycle time of the line is 90 seconds, what is the efficiency of
the assembly line?SolutionWork ElementsTime (sec)StationWork Elements
AssignedA451A, B, CB302D, EC153F, HD304G, IE505JF40G30H30I60J80a.
Less than 85%b.
Greater than
85% but less than 90% c.
Greater than
90% but less than 95%d.
Greater than
95% 111.
Given the
following data about an assembly line and the knowledge that we are trying to
attain an output rate of 40 units per hour, what is the theoretical minimum
number of stations?Work ElementTime (sec)190280375470590685a.
Four or fewer
stationsb.
Five stations c.
Six stations d.
Seven or more
stations 112.
The production
of a particular product consists of the following work elements. If the cycle
time is 4 minutes and the work-element times are as follows, what is the
theoretical minimum number of stations?Work ElementTime (min)12.420.532.142.052.761.172.082.791.6101.4a.
Fewer than or
equal to three stationsb.
Four stations c.
Five stationsd.
More than five
stations 113.
Fun Vehicles,
Inc. makes beach buggies on an assembly line. The total productive time to make
one buggy is 300 seconds. The current line has a 90-second cycle time and
consists of four workstations. The balance delay of this line must be: a.
0%.b.
greater than
0% but less than 6%. c.
greater than
6% but less than 12%.d.
greater than
12% but less than 18%.
Table 7.15The Terminal Company is attempting to balance
its assembly line of high-voltage electrical connectors. The desired output
for the line is 50 connectors per hour, and the information on the work
elements for this assembly line is as follows.Work ElementsTime (sec)Immediate
Predecessor(s)A40–B36AC20AD25AE30B, CF34DG35EH 5FI15E, HJ40HK38G, I, J114.
Use the
information from Table 7.15 to balance this line. What is the most efficient
solution? a.
More than 90%b.
8090%c.
7079%d.
Less than 70% 115.
Use the
information from Table 7.15 and the most efficient line balance possible. What
work elements are included in the first station?a.
A onlyb.
A and B onlyc.
A and E onlyd.
A and D only 116.
Use the
information from Table 7.15, and assume that the most efficient line balance
possible ha been achieved. What is the
total idle time for an eight hour work day?a.
Less than an
hour and a half.b.
More than 1:30
but less than or equal to 1:45.c.
More than 1:45
but less than or equal to 2 hours.d.
More than 2
hoursFILL In THE BLANK117.
A(n)
____________ is an operation that has the lowest effective capacity of any
operation in the process, and thus limits the systems output.118.
____________
is the total time taken from the start to the finish of a process.119.
Variability of
a firms workload may create ____________.120.
With TOC,
____________ are scheduled to maximize their throughput of products while
adhering to promised completion dates.121.
Instead of
producing products with the highest profit margins, operations managers should
focus on the ____________ generated at the ____________ .122.
____________ is a planning and control system
that regulates the flow of work-in-process materials at the bottleneck or the
capacity constrained resource in a productive system.123.
Every time a manufacturer uses one resource, they
make a lot size of 300. Once a group of 30 units are completed, they are taken
to the next step in the process. The lot of 300 is the ____________ and
the group of 30 is the ____________.124.
____________
is the maximum time allowed for work on a unit at each station.125.
____________
is the amount by which efficiency falls short of 100 percent.126.
Regardless of
the number of tasks or their lengths, a line balance efficiency of 100% is
possible if the number of stations is ____________.127.
A(n)
____________ line is a product line that produces several items belonging to
the same family.128.
The movement
of product from one station to the next as soon as the cycle time has elapsed
is called ____________.SHORT ANSWERS129.
Explain why a
bottleneck limits system output.130.
Describe a
process from your own personal experience at home or work that suffers from a
lack of sufficient throughput. Apply the first four TOC steps to address the
situation, assuming you have complete authority to do so.131.
Describe three
ways that line balancing and line flow layouts are similar to project management
and three ways they are different.132.
How can Theory
of Constraints principles be reconciled with line balancing?PROBLEMS133.
Schmidt
Industries makes four different snake traps; the Harlan, the Gaylen, the Leah
and the Matthew. The Harlan sells for $200 and has $40 in parts and $40 in
labor; the Gaylen sells for $150 and requires $30 in parts and $30 in labor;
the Leah sells for $100 and has $20 in parts and $20 in labor; and the Matthew
sells for $75 but requires only $10 of parts and $10 of labor. Schmidt
Industries has four machines (well call them A, B, C, and D for convenience)
that are used in the production of each of these products. Each of these
machines is available for 40 hours a week and there is no setup time required
when shifting from the production of one product to any other. The processing
requirements to make one unit of each product are shown in the table.Processing Time on Each Machine in MinutesModelMachine AMachine BMachine CMachine DHarlan1015155Gaylen10101010Leah5101510Matthew55510Schmidt
Industries has monthly fixed costs of $5000 and has a demand forecast of 80
Harlans, 60 Gaylens, 40 Leahs and 20 Matthews for the coming month. How many of
each of the four models should Susan, the operations manager, schedule for
production this month?134.
Consider the process shown that is trying to produce
to meet a market demand of 500 units per week. Step 1: Material release schedule Step 2: Drilling (capacity is 500
units/week) Step 3: Tapping (capacity is 450
units/week) Step 4: Grinding (capacity is 600
units/week) Step 5: Coating (capacity is 400
units/week) Step 6: Inspection (capacity is
1000 units/week)a.
Where should buffers be placed?b.
Which resource is the drum?c.
Where should the rope be placed?d.
Which resource is the bottleneck? e.
Which resource is the CCR?i)
i135.
Balance the
assembly line for the tasks contained in the table. The desired output is 240
units per day. Available production time per day is 480 minutes. What is the
efficiency for the balanced assembly line?Work ElementTime (Sec.)Immediate
Predecessor(s)A40—B45—C55AD55BE65BF40C,DG25D,E136.
Balance the
assembly line using the following task information contained in the table. The
desired output is 360 units per day. Available production time per day is 480
minutes. What is the efficiency for the balanced assembly line?Work ElementTime (Sec.)Immediate
Predecessor(s)A30—B20AC50AD45BE30BF55C,DG35D,EH40F137.
Balance the line
in order to achieve maximum output for this ten activity product. Determine the
number of units produced in a seven hour work day and the total idle time in
hours.TaskTime (sec)PredecessorZ40—Y30ZX80ZW75X, YV15WT55WS35VR40TQ10RM40S, R