Practice Questions - Operations

1
Practice Questions - Operations

• Wedding cake designers mainly use job production
  system. Describe the advantages and disadvantages
  of this type of production. (4)
• Companies is work towards gaining a quality
  standards.
• (a) Describe the advantages to organisations of
  holding such quality awards. (2)
• (b) Describe other measures organisations can
  take to ensure their products are of a high
  quality. (6)
• Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the
  batch method of production used by organisations
  like a bakery. (4)
• Describe methods it may use to ensure quality.
  (6)
• Explain the importance of an organisation
  ensuring that they set appropriate stock levels.
  (4)
• Describe and justify the factors a business would
  consider when thinking about their choice of
  supplier. (6)

2
Question 1

• Organisations can produce products tailored to
  the needs of the customer.
• Job specifications can be altered even if
  production has started.
• Workers involved in the entire production process
  and see the job through which can be motivating.
• Expensive process due to high skill of workforce
  or few economies of scale.
• A wide variety of tools and equipment is
  required.
• Production time may be longer.

3
Question 2a

• Proves the organisation has met the agreed
  quality/safety standards.
• Gives consumers confidence in the product because
  it has reached the standard.

4
Question 2b

• Checking the product at all stages in the
  production, making sure flaws are found early on
  and rectified or the product is scrapped.
• Checking the product at the end of the process
  meaning faulty products do not reach the customer
  as they are identified and scrapped or reworked.
• Quality circles where groups of staff meeting on
  a regular basis to solve problems and make
  recommendations for improvement.
• Benchmarking - where the best method of
  production, often that of another business in the
  industry, is adopted as standard.
• They may provide regular quality training for
  staff.
• They may select quality staff when making
  appointments.
• They ensure they always use quality materials and
  equipment.
• Providing quality after-sales/customer services.

5
Question 3

• Batches can be changed to meet specific customer
  needs.
• Reduced need for highly skilled and expensive
  staff (compared with job).
• Machinery can be standardised which reduces
  costs.
• Resources may be idle between stages.
• Expensive machinery may be required instead of
  staff.
• Repetitive work leads to poor motivation of staff.

6
Question 4

• Quality assurance where the product is checked at
  all stages in the production process making sure
  flaws are found early on and rectified or the
  product is scrapped reducing the cost of wastage
  at the final stage.
• Quality control where the product is checked at
  the end of the process meaning that faulty
  products do not reach the customer as they are
  identified and scrapped or reworked.
• Quality circles where groups of staff meeting on
  a regular basis to solve problems and make
  recommendations for improvement.
• Benchmarking where the best method of production,
  often that of another business in the industry,
  is adopted as standard.
• They may provide regular quality training for
  staff.
• They may select quality staff when appointing
  staff.
• They ensure they always use quality materials and
  equipment.
• Provide high quality after-sales service.

7
Question 5

• Having a minimum stock level ensures there is
  always stock for production and therefore labour
  and machinery will not be idle.
• Having a maximum stock level ensures that money
  and storage space is not taken up unnecessarily
  therefore easing cashflow.
• A reorder stock level has to be set so that the
  organisation knows to reorder more stock at this
  point so they do not run out.
• A reorder quantity should be set so that the
  stock level is brought back to an appropriate
  level once it is delivered.

8
Question 6

• the quality of materials they require as the
  quality of materials used affect the price of the
  final goods
• the desired quality consistently as an
  organisation want every batch of an item to be of
  the same quality as this is expected by the
  customer
• the desired quantity because organiations require
  to be
• stocked at an appropriate level
• Delivery on or before the required date because
  the shops have to be stocked and late deliveries
  may mean that their goods are out of season
• at a price which is acceptable to the firm so
  that the firm can make profits out of the goods
• Reliability can the supplier be depended on to
  deliver and provide exactly what the organisation
  wants