BSIE Production Management 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which scheduling rule minimizes the average number of jobs waiting in a queue by always processing the shortest job first?
- First Come First Served (FCFS)
- Shortest Processing Time (SPT) (Correct answer)
- Earliest Due Date (EDD)
- Critical Ratio (CR)
Correct answer: Shortest Processing Time (SPT)
SPT (Shortest Processing Time) minimizes mean flow time and average number of jobs in the system.
Question 2: In a pull production system, what triggers the release of a production order?
- A master production schedule
- Downstream demand or consumption (Correct answer)
- Forecasted customer demand
- A periodic review of inventory levels
Correct answer: Downstream demand or consumption
Pull systems release work only when downstream stages signal actual consumption, as in kanban.
Question 3: The Economic Order Quantity (EOQ) model assumes which of the following?
- Demand is seasonal and variable
- Lead time is stochastic
- Holding and ordering costs are constant and known (Correct answer)
- Quantity discounts apply at certain thresholds
Correct answer: Holding and ordering costs are constant and known
EOQ's classical formulation requires constant, known demand and fixed holding and ordering costs.
Question 4: Which type of plant layout groups machines by the type of process or function they perform?
- Product layout
- Fixed-position layout
- Process layout (Correct answer)
- Cellular layout
Correct answer: Process layout
Process (functional) layout arranges equipment by function, such as all lathes in one area and all mills in another.
Question 5: Takt time is calculated as:
- Total production time divided by total units required (Correct answer)
- Cycle time divided by number of workers
- Setup time plus run time per unit
- Demand rate divided by available capacity
Correct answer: Total production time divided by total units required
Takt time = available production time ÷ customer demand rate, setting the pace for production.
Question 6: In a two-bin inventory system, a new order is placed when:
- The total inventory falls below the EOQ
- The first bin is emptied and consumption shifts to the second bin (Correct answer)
- The reorder point is reached on a periodic review
- Safety stock is consumed
Correct answer: The first bin is emptied and consumption shifts to the second bin
In the two-bin system, emptying the first bin triggers reordering while the second bin covers demand during lead time.
Question 7: Which aggregate planning strategy adjusts workforce size to match demand fluctuations?
- Level strategy
- Chase strategy (Correct answer)
- Mixed strategy
- Subcontracting strategy
Correct answer: Chase strategy
The chase strategy varies production output by hiring or laying off workers in response to demand changes.
BSIE Production Management 2
Which scheduling rule minimizes the average number of jobs waiting in a queue by always processing the shortest job first?