Simpson and Hancock’s Practical Operations Management
Chapter 1: Introduction to Operations Management
Quiz
1. _______ is defined as a set of activities dedicated to the transformation of inputs into outputs of
greater value.
a. Operations
b. Conformance
c. Process
d. Productivity
2. What is the fundamental purpose of any operation?
a. to produce inputs more valuable than outputs consumed
b. to produce outputs more valuable than inputs consumed
c. to measures the success of the operation by comparing its inputs to its outputs
d. to transform inputs into outputs
3. What performance measure consists of the literal difference in value between outputs and inputs?
a. productivity
b. processes
c. sustainability
d. value-added
4. According to the text, high productivity does not necessarily indicate a well-managed operation.
Successful value creation also depends on the _______ of that operation.
a. conformance
b. perception
c. sustainability
d. marketability
5. What are the two major areas of output concern related to sustainability?
a. pollution and disposal
b. disposal and perception
c. pollution and productivity
d. disposal and compliance
6. Which level of sustainability requires the ability to “think sustainably” and assess the impact of
decisions across both an operation and its broader supply chain partners?
a. the first level
b. the fourth level
c. the third level
d. the second level
7. As noted in your text, what does it mean when an operation is “lean”?
a. that it operates with minimal staff
b. that it operates without waste
c. that it operates on a limited budget
Simpson and Hancock’s Practical Operations Management
Chapter 1: Introduction to Operations Management
Quiz
d. that it operates in accordance with the first level of sustainability
8. According to the text, corporate social responsibility is defined largely by an obligation to _______.
a. adapt to technology
b. accurately calculate productivity
c. pursue sustainability
d. transform inputs into outputs
9. Products recognized by customers as physical objects, including grocery items, personal electronics,
and clothing, are broadly referred to as _______.
a. goods
b. services
c. operations
d. lean
10. What is one advantage to producing a good rather than a service?
a. A good can be stockpiled for future use and a service cannot.
b. A good is less expensive to produce than a service.
c. A good is more sustainable than a service.
d. A good requires less reliance on capital investment than a service.
11. According to the text, what type of good usually represents a successful balance of goods and
service?
a. an extremely costly good
b. a good with a long shelf-life
c. an extremely inexpensive good
d. a highly perishable good
12. A system consisting of all organizations that play some role in supplying a particular product to a
customer is called the _______.
a. service operation
b. supply chain
c. goods operation
d. sustainable chain
13. What problem is caused by local optimization in supply chains?
a. broad-based problem solving ignores local issues, which then begin to multiply
b. sustainability is completely disregarded in favor of short-term productivity
c. localized problem solving ignores larger problems and drags down the coordinated performance
of the whole
Simpson and Hancock’s Practical Operations Management
Chapter 1: Introduction to Operations Management
Quiz
d. the input of the supply chain begins to substantially exceed the output, resulting in an
unsustainable operation
14. Which form of governance is managed to ultimately yield a profit?
a. a nongovernmental organization
b. a nonprofit operation
c. a government organization
d. a commercial enterprise
15. According to the text, good control of an operation includes efficient implementation of decisions,
accurate prediction of outcomes, and _______.
a. prevention of external interference
b. lean operating procedures
c. well-managed external partnerships
d. effective communication practices with supply chain organizations
16. When organizations collect data and analyze it in order to redesign processes and improve
efficiency, they are using a methodology called _______.
a. sustainability management
b. scientific management
c. iterative planning
d. incident management
17. While the routine operation of a movie theater is as an example of_______, the creation of the
movies exhibited in that theater is _______.
a. event management; project-based
b. incident management; event-based
c. production management; project-based
d. service management; event-based
18. The rapid removal of 228 million eggs from U.S. supermarkets in 2010 due to salmonella is an
example of _______ management.
a. incident
b. lean
c. scientific
d. sustainability
19. When event and incident managers launch and continuously revise plans despite controlling very
little of the project and its circumstances, they are relying on _______.
a. scientific management
b. iterative planning
Simpson and Hancock’s Practical Operations Management
Chapter 1: Introduction to Operations Management
Quiz
c. sustainability management
d. business analytics
20. In the managerial hierarchy of decision making, _______ is depicted at the top-most level because it
occurs first.
a. tactics
b. implementation
c. iterative planning
d. strategy
21. What is generally implied when an organization has a long planning horizon?
a. the organization makes decisions frequently
b. the organization utilizes business analytics
c. the organization makes decisions infrequently
d. the organization utilizes iterative planning
22. How do tactical decisions differ from strategic decisions?
a. Tactical decisions focus on selecting the goals and overall direction of an organization.
b. Tactical decisions rarely address planning horizons longer than a single year.
c. Tactical decisions accept the solutions identified at the strategic level and put them into action.
d. Tactical decisions rarely address planning horizons shorter than one year.
23. Operation of an assembly line at the _______ level consists of assuring that the appropriate
personnel and materials required by the tactical design of the assembly line are actually in place for
its daily operation.
a. implementation
b. strategic
c. tactical
d. project
24. Which of the following types of businesses is considered the most operations-intensive?
a. a car dealership
b. bank
c. a supermarket chain
d. a landscaping company
25. Anyone called _______ in combination with another term is usually dedicated to an aspect of
operations management.
a. an associate or assistant
b. an executive or president
c. an accountant of CFO
Simpson and Hancock’s Practical Operations Management
Chapter 1: Introduction to Operations Management
Quiz
d. a manager or a planner