BSB10214-2
Year 2007-2008
Mock Exam Paper
(FTA) Operations Management
Staffordshire University Business School
Mock Paper
Staffordshire University Business School
Module: Operations Management
Date of Test: Week commencing 18th August 2008
Assessor: Roy Edwards
Time Allowed: 2 hours
Instructions to candidates
This is a closed book examination and Staffordshire University
regulations for examinations apply.
The answers to Part A should be written on the exam answer
sheet provided. The answers to Part B should be written in the
separate answer book.
In Part A – 40 Multiple choice questions - Candidates should
attempt all questions. Each question carries equal marks. (40%)
In Part B – Short essay questions - You should answer three
questions from the six offered (60%)
Please note that higher marks will be given where the exam paper as a whole
reflects:
 Independent thought and ability to apply operations concepts to practical
effect.
 A structured approach that utilises appropriate terminology and relevant
models and frameworks where necessary.
 A good balance between the practical and theoretical aspects.
 Accuracy and clarity of style in presenting answers.
Page 1 of 12
Mock Exam Paper
BSB10214-2
Year 2007-2008
(FTA) Operations Management
Staffordshire University Business School
Module: Operations Management
Re: Multiple Choice Section
Instructions to students
1) Enter student number at the top of the answer sheet
2) This test paper contains 40 multiple choice questions, each carrying equal
marks.
3) Candidates must answer all the questions on this paper.
4) Select the ONE letter corresponding to the MOST APPROPRIATE answer
for each question, and place an ‘X‘ in the appropriate box on the answer grid.
5) Stop immediately when time is up.
6) You may not leave the room before the allocated time is up.
7) The answer sheet and the question booklet must be handed in at the end
of the test.
[EXAMPLE]
1. The common name for the system which allows employees to choose
their starting time, finishing time, and to vary their lunch-break, within
agreed parameters is
A) Varytime
B) Flexitime
C) Overtime
D) Personal time
In this example, the correct answer is ‘B) Flexitime’ and should be indicated as:
A
Question
1
B
C
D
Mark
x
If you wish to change your answer, the original answer must be clearly crossed
out so that the desired answer is absolutely clear. If there is any doubt as to
your desired answer, that response will receive no marks.
Page 2 of 12
Mock Exam Paper
BSB10214-2
Year 2007-2008
(FTA) Operations Management
Staffordshire University Business School
Operations Management - Multiple question answer Sheet
Please write student name:___________________________
Student Number:___________________________
Date of Exam:
A
B
18th August 2008
C
D
Assessor: Roy Edwards
Mark
A
Question 1
Question 21
Question 2
Question 22
Question 3
Question 23
Question 4
Question 24
Question 5
Question 25
Question 6
Question 26
Question 7
Question 27
Question 8
Question 28
Question 9
Question 29
Question 10
Question 30
Question 11
Question 31
Question 12
Question 32
Question 13
Question 33
Question 14
Question 34
Question 15
Question 35
Question 16
Question 36
Question 17
Question 37
Question 18
Question 38
Question 19
Question 39
Question 20
Question 40
SCORE
SCORE
TOTAL SCORE
Page 3 of 12
B
C
D
Mark
BSB10214-2
Year 2007-2008
Mock Exam Paper
(FTA) Operations Management
Staffordshire University Business School
Operations Management MULTIPLE CHOICE TEST SECTION
Note: In questions where the word “NOT” is emphasised, the correct answer is the
statement that is not true in the given context. This is often most easily found by first
identifying the true statements.
1.
According to R G Schroeder the 5 decision areas in
Operations Management are
A)
B)
C)
D)
planning, technology, production, inventory, control
process, capacity, inventory, workforce, quality
process, technology, capacity, workforce, quality
none of these
2.
A productive systems approach
A)
B)
C)
D)
views operations as a separate organisational function
must provide feedback information for control of process inputs and
technology
is of limited use in service organisations
disregards human and social concerns
3.
A service organisation
A)
B)
C)
is relieved of workforce decisions by the marketing function
falls at the extreme end of the goods/service continuum
is faced with a highly perishable ‘product’ that cannot be stored in
inventory
all of these
D)
4.
Why is Operations Management a more encompassing term
than Production Management?
A)
Operations Management is concerned with multiple products and
services
Operations Management refers to service as well as manufacturing
organisations
Operations is broader including the financing and marketing functions
Operations makes use of the tools of quantitative analysis and
computer systems
B)
C)
D)
5.
Capacity decisions
A)
B)
C)
D)
include forecasting and scheduling
include long, medium and short-time ranges
are aimed at providing sufficient output capacity
are all of the above
Page 4 of 12
BSB10214-2
Year 2007-2008
Mock Exam Paper
(FTA) Operations Management
Staffordshire University Business School
6.
The term ‘customer contact’ refers to
A)
B)
C)
D)
the handling of the product by the customer
the influence the customer has on service design
the amount of time spent waiting in the system
the physical presence of the customer in the system
7.
Which quality expert believed that ‘quality is free’?
A)
B)
C)
D)
Juran
Crosby
Deming
Taguchi
8.
The Service Package consists of 4 features. Which one of
the 4 features listed below is NOT included in the package?
A)
B)
C)
D)
Explicit services
Supporting facility
Implicit services
Cost of service
9.
The purpose of differential pricing is to
A)
B)
C)
D)
make peak period usage unattractive
make off-peak usage attractive
charge customer according to their ability to pay
adjust capacity to demand
10
When managing service capacity and customer demand, a
manager
.
can incorporate each of the following strategies,
except
A)
B)
C)
D)
smoothing customer demand by offering price incentives
scheduling staff to meet variations in forecasted customer demand
decreasing customer participation in the service process
promoting off-peak use of facilities
11
The Operations function is defined as producing
A)
B)
C)
D)
Information
goods or services
happy customers
Profits
12
In most organisations the largest number of people report to
A)
B)
C)
D)
the operations manager
the personnel manager
the marketing manager
the gatekeeper
13
In most organisations the greatest part of total investment is
Page 5 of 12
BSB10214-2
Year 2007-2008
Mock Exam Paper
(FTA) Operations Management
Staffordshire University Business School
in.
A)
B)
C)
D)
finance
stock and work in progress
the operations area
design
14
A key difference between products and services is that
products
.
can be
A)
B)
C)
D)
machined
stored
designed
quality controlled
15
( ) processes are for one-off products or services
A)
B)
C)
D)
continuous
jobbing
batch
line
16.
Groups of similar machines are typically found together in ( )
processes
A)
B)
C)
D)
continuous
jobbing
batch
line
17
McDonalds fast-food outlets are an example of
A)
B)
C)
D)
a high variety and volume process
individual customisation
a continuous process
a batch or line process
18
A hospital is best described as an example of
A)
B)
C)
D)
service operations with no equivalent manufacturing context
jobbing in a service context
continuous flow
project management
19
When designing services, which of the following is NOT a
key
. feature
A)
B)
C)
D)
staff training costs
customer involvement
simultaneous production and consumption
intangible components
20
In service delivery, quality assurance is a problem because
Page 6 of 12
BSB10214-2
Year 2007-2008
Mock Exam Paper
(FTA) Operations Management
Staffordshire University Business School
A)
B)
C)
D)
prior inspection is not feasible
customer perceptions may differ from service provider’s
customer expectations may differ from service provider’s
ISO 9000 is not appropriate
21
In service operations, the front office is
A)
B)
C)
D)
the accounts department
the location of senior staff
the location of customer contact
the location of the non-contact support services
22
In service operations, the back room is
A)
B)
C)
D)
the washroom
staff offices
the location of customer contact
the location of the non-contact support services
23
Which of the following is NOT a measure of the capacity of a
Factory
.
A)
B)
C)
D)
number of machines
number of Production workers
number of different products sold
number of delivery vehicles
24
In level capacity planning
A)
B)
C)
D)
the demand pattern is changed to match available capacity
capacity levels are adjusted to match demand
capacity is made available to cover base demand only
a constant level of output is maintained with unaltered demand
25
The goal of supply chain (goods inwards) quality
management
.
is
A)
B)
C)
D)
no quality checks
sample checks
statistical process control
ISO 9000 accreditation
26
Influences on decision making at a functional level would not
typically involve?
A)
B)
C)
D)
Skills of the staff
Company values and ethics
Current Technology
Recent performance of the function
27
The key concept of Total Quality Management (TQM) is
A)
total control of all quality related activities
Page 7 of 12
BSB10214-2
Year 2007-2008
Mock Exam Paper
(FTA) Operations Management
Staffordshire University Business School
B)
C)
D)
commitment of all employees to quality improvement
the introduction of the ISO 9000 series
statistical process control
28
Zero defects in manufacturing
A)
B)
C)
D)
is an unobtainable and misleading ideal
is the goal of TQM
is readily achievable in all areas
is a relevant goal only in electronic assembly
29
The “costs of quality” do NOT include
A)
B)
C)
D)
external failure
internal failure
capital investment
prevention
30
Job enrichment emphasises
A)
B)
C)
D)
rational analysis of bonus payment systems
autonomy in planning ones own work
additional task of the same complexity
the use of work study in job design
31
The current business situation worldwide is least
characterised by the following?
A)
B)
C)
D)
Customers’ expectations increasing
Fluid and unpredictable financial systems
Fiercely competitive strategies
Clamping down on costs
32
The ( ) characteristic of a service is best illustrated by an
empty airline seat or hotel room not occupied
A)
B)
C)
D)
Time perishability
Labour intensity
Intangibility
Simultaneous production and consumption
33
Faced with variable demand the operations manager can
help smooth demand by
A)
B)
C)
D)
using part-time help during peak hours
scheduling workshifts to vary workforce needs according to demand
increasing the customer self-service content of the service
using reservations and appointments
Page 8 of 12
BSB10214-2
Year 2007-2008
Mock Exam Paper
(FTA) Operations Management
Staffordshire University Business School
34
Which of the following is NOT a strategy for managing
supply?
A)
B)
C)
D)
Developing complementary services
Using part-time employees
Forecasting demand
Scheduling employee shifts
35
A management consultancy is an example of a ( ) type
process
A)
B)
C)
D)
high volume / high variety
high volume / low variety
low volume / low variety
low volume / high variety
36
In services, the quality of what is delivered is a problem
because
A)
B)
C)
D)
prior inspection is not feasible
customer perceptions may differ from service provider’s
customer expectations may differ from service provider’s
ISO 9000 is not appropriate
37
Which of the following is NOT a measure of the capacity of a
restaurant?
A)
B)
C)
D)
number of tables
number of waiters
number of items on the menu
number of chefs
38
Proactive quality management includes the concept of
A)
B)
C)
D)
quality improvement costs more
needing to find out who is responsible for the quality problem
getting the service to the customer as soon as possible
highlighting problems to help solve them
39
Job enrichment emphasises
A)
B)
C)
D)
rational analysis of bonus payment systems
autonomy in planning ones own work
additional task of the same complexity
the use of work study in job design
Page 9 of 12
BSB10214-2
Year 2007-2008
Mock Exam Paper
(FTA) Operations Management
Staffordshire University Business School
40
A “moment of truth” is NOT
A)
A process design opportunity to influence a customer’s perception of
the service quality
Critical in achieving a reputation for superior quality
When the customer contributes to the service
An interaction between the customer and a service provider
B)
C)
D)
Page 10 of 12
BSB10214-2
Year 2007-2008
Mock Exam Paper
(FTA) Operations Management
Staffordshire University Business School
Part B – Essay question (60%) - You should answer only Three
question from the Six listed below
Question 1
(a) Explain three significant aspects in the role of operations which
support competitive business strategy
(10%)
(b) Develop and contrast examples that illustrate this role for both
service and manufacturing organisations
(10%)
Question 2
(a) What are the operational advantages and disadvantages of meeting
market demand through integrated supply chains
(10%)
(b) Demonstrate how any two theories of operations management could
be applied to improve supply chain performance
(10%)
Question 3
(a) Outline the principles of total quality management as an approach to
support business development
(10%)
(b) What implications might this approach have for workforce
management
(10%)
Question 4
(a) In principle, how might a manufacturing organisation employ the
distinctive characteristics of a service organisation in order to achieve
competitive advantage.
(10%)
(b) Assess your ideas in two of the five decision areas (Process Design,
Quality Management, Workforce Management, Inventory Management,
and Capacity Management)
(10%)
Page 11 of 12
BSB10214-2
Year 2007-2008
Mock Exam Paper
(FTA) Operations Management
Staffordshire University Business School
Question 5
(a) Explain the concept and attraction of back office and front office
operation for service organisations
(10%)
(b) Consider and compare how this concept might apply to an example
of a professional service and to an example of a mass service.
(10%)
Question 6 - Only 5 questions on this mock paper – however, the real
paper will have 6 questions to choose from.
(a)
(10%)
(b)
(10%)
Page 12 of 12