Chapter 5 · Process Analysis
Chapter
5 / Process AnalysisTRUE/FALSE
1. Process analysis is the documentation and detailed understanding of how work is performed and how it can be redesigned.
Answer: True
Reference: A Systematic Approach
Difficulty: Easy
Keywords: process, analysis
2. The four core processes that merit thorough analysis are supplier relationship, new service/product development, order fulfillment, and service/product recovery.
Answer: False
Reference: A Systematic Approach
Difficulty: Moderate
Keywords: core, process, analysis
3. An employee suggestion system can be an effective method for identifying processes that need improvement.
Answer: True
Reference: A Systematic Approach
Difficulty: Easy
Keywords: employee, suggestion, process
4. The boundaries of the process to be analyzed are defined as the scale.
Answer: False
Reference: A Systematic Approach
Difficulty: Easy
Keywords: boundary, scope, process
5. Performance measures that are established for a process are known as metrics.
Answer: True
Reference: A Systematic Approach
Difficulty: Easy
Keywords: metrics, measure
6. Process improvement teams that focus on processes that cut across departmental boundaries have the silo mentality.
Answer: False
Reference: A Systematic Approach
Difficulty: Easy
Keywords: silo, team, process
7. Once a process is identified, defined, evaluated, and redesigned, the benefits of the process analysis cycle are realized.
Answer: False
Reference: A Systematic Approach
Difficulty: moderate
Keywords: process, cycle
8. Flow charts are effective for documenting and evaluating processes.
Answer: True
Reference: Documenting the Process
Difficulty: Easy
Keywords: flow, chart, document, process
9. A diamond represents a yes/no decision in a flow chart.
Answer: True
Reference: Documenting the Process
Difficulty: Moderate
Keywords: diamond, flow, chart, decision
10. A service blueprint is a flow chart of a service process that shows which of its steps has high customer contact.
Answer: True
Reference: Documenting the Process
Difficulty: Moderate
Keywords: service, blueprint, process
11. Process charts trace the flow of information, customers, employees, equipment, or materials through a process.
Answer: False
Reference: Documenting the Process
Difficulty: Moderate
Keywords: process, chart, flow
12. The best data analysis tool for recording which gas pump most customers use would be a checklist.
Answer: True
Reference: Evaluating Performance
Difficulty: Moderate
Keywords: data, analysis, checklist
13. A histogram is a summarization of data measured on a yes-or-no basis.
Answer: False
Reference: Evaluating Performance
Difficulty: Moderate
Keywords: histogram, data
14. The general principle that 80% of a company’s revenue is generated by 20% of its customers is known as the Pareto concept.
Answer: True
Reference: Evaluating Performance
Difficulty: Moderate
Keywords: Pareto, chart
15. A scatter diagram is a graphical technique that shows whether two variables may be related.
Answer: True
Reference: Evaluating Performance
Difficulty: Moderate
Keywords: scatter, diagram, variables
16. A fishbone diagram identifies which category is most frequently observed out of all the categories for which you have data.
Answer: False
Reference: Evaluating Performance
Difficulty: Moderate
Keywords: fishbone, diagram
17. Data snooping is the acquisition of external benchmarking data even when the external organization has not authorized a formal benchmarking agreement.
Answer: False
Reference: Evaluating Performance
Difficulty: Moderate
Keywords: data, snooping
18. Simulation is an act of reproducing the behavior of a process using a model that describes each step of the process.
Answer: True
Reference: Evaluating Performance
Difficulty: Moderate
Keywords: simulation, process, model
19. A group of people who are knowledgeable about the process and its disconnects meets to propose ideas for change in a rapid-fire manner. Such a session is called a brainstorming session.
Answer: True
Reference: Redesigning the Process
Difficulty: Easy
Keywords: brainstorming, process, ideas
20. The only people who can provide input to a brainstorming session are members of the design team.
Answer: False
Reference: Redesigning the Process
Difficulty: Easy
Keywords: brainstorming, design, team
21. Brainstorming sessions can be effectively conducted on the Internet using software that allows one person to see another’s ideas and build on them.
Answer: True
Reference: Redesigning the Process
Difficulty: Easy
Keywords: brainstorming, Internet, software
22. The bursar’s office at a large state school sends a team to the bookstore on campus to see how they handle customers and process payments. This is an example of functional benchmarking.
Answer: False
Reference: Redesigning the Process
Difficulty: Hard
Keywords: benchmarking, functional, internal
23. Benchmarking by tracking the performance of a process over time is always available.
Answer: True
Reference: Redesigning the Process
Difficulty: Moderate
Keywords: benchmarking, process, time
24. Benchmarking is a continuous, systematic procedure that measures a firm’s products, services, and processes against those of industry leaders.
Answer: True
Reference: Redesigning the Process
Difficulty: Moderate
Keywords: benchmarking, measure, leader
25. Implementing a beautifully redesigned process completes the continuous monitoring and improvement process.
Answer: False
Reference: Managing Processes
Difficulty: Moderate
Keywords: process, implementation, managing
26. A great job of flowcharting and benchmarking a process is of only academic interest if the proposed changes are not implemented.
Answer: True
Reference: Managing Processes
Difficulty: Moderate
Keywords: process, implementation
MULTIPLE CHOICE
27. Process analysis focuses on:
a. how work is actually done.
b. who is responsible for the customer.
c. the customer’s needs.
d. the number of steps in between supplier and customer.
Answer: a
Reference: Process Analysis Across the Organization
Difficulty: Easy
Keywords: process, analysis, work
28. Which of these is NOT a core process that managers would focus on for improvement opportunities?
a. Supplier relationships
b. New product/service development
c. Order fulfillment
d. Employee training
Answer: d
Reference: A Systematic Approach
Difficulty: Easy
Keywords: core, process, identify, opportunities
29. A voluntary system by which employees submit their ideas on process improvements is used in the:
a. scope definition phase of process analysis.
b. process redesign phase of process analysis.
c. performance evaluation phase of process analysis.
d. opportunity identification phase of process analysis.
Answer: d
Reference: A Systematic Approach
Difficulty: Moderate
Keywords: system, suggestion, opportunity, identification
30. A voluntary system by which employees submit their ideas on process improvements is called:
a. process contribution.
b. a suggestion system.
c. a brainstorming session.
d. a Pareto system.
Answer: b
Reference: A Systematic Approach
Difficulty: Easy
Keywords: system, suggestion, employee
31. The step in process analysis that immediately follows the scope definition phase is the:
a. document process phase.
b. evaluate performance phase.
c. redesign process phase.
d. implement changes phase.
Answer: a
Reference: A Systematic Approach
Difficulty: Moderate
Keywords: scope, definition, process, document
32. The step in process analysis that immediately follows the process documentation phase is the:
a. define scope phase.
b. evaluate performance phase.
c. redesign process phase.
d. implement changes phase.
Answer: b
Reference: A Systematic Approach
Difficulty: Moderate
Keywords: process, documentation, phase, performance
33. The step in process analysis that immediately follows the performance evaluation phase is the:
a. document process phase.
b. define scope phase.
c. redesign process phase.
d. implement changes phase.
Answer: c
Reference: A Systematic Approach
Difficulty: Moderate
Keywords: performance, evaluation, redesign, process
34. A systematic approach to process analysis includes the step:
a. reengineering.
b. integration.
c. order fulfillment.
d. define scope.
Answer: d
Reference: A Systematic Approach
Difficulty: Easy
Keywords: define, scope, process, analysis, systematic
35. An examination of strategic issues such as possible gaps between a process’s competitive priorities and current competitive capabilities falls in the:
a. document process phase of process analysis.
b. evaluate performance phase of process analysis.
c. redesign process phase of process analysis.
d. identify opportunities phase of process analysis.
Answer: d
Reference: A Systematic Approach
Difficulty: Moderate
Keywords: identify, opportunities, strategic
36. The resources that management assigns to improving or reengineering the process should:
a. outweigh the consequences.
b. match the process’s scope.
c. be at risk for less time than the redesign takes.
d. be less costly than the total downtime during redesign.
Answer: b
Reference: A Systematic Approach
Difficulty: Moderate
Keywords: resources, scope, process
37. If a process under analysis is extensive and cuts across several departmental lines, it may benefit from forming a(n):
a. brainstorming team.
b. benchmarking team.
c. steering team.
d. implementation team.
Answer: c
Reference: A Systematic Approach
Difficulty: Moderate
Keywords: steering, team, process
38. Performance measures such as average response times, repair times, and percent defective are referred to as:
a. benchmarks.
b. metrics.
c. targets.
d. tactics.
Answer: b
Reference: A Systematic Approach
Difficulty: Moderate
Keywords: metrics, measures, performance
39. Gaps between actual and desired performance are termed:
a. faults.
b. metrics.
c. opportunities.
d. disconnects.
Answer: d
Reference: A Systematic Approach
Difficulty: Moderate
Keywords: gap, disconnect
40. Once the root causes of performance gaps have been discovered, it is necessary to:
a. shift from analytical thinking to creative thinking.
b. shift from creative thinking to analytical thinking.
c. form a benchmarking team.
d. form a steering team.
Answer: a
Reference: Redesigning the Process
Difficulty: Moderate
Keywords: root, cause, analytical, creative
41. Widespread participation in process analysis is essential not only because of the work involved but also because:
a. employees tend to neglect their regular work duties, thus no one falls too far behind.
b. it builds commitment.
c. no one can analyze a process by himself.
d. a silo mentality should prevail and this requires large numbers of workers.
Answer: b
Reference: A Systematic Approach
Difficulty: Moderate
Keywords: participation, commitment
42. A flowchart traces the flow of:
a. information through a process.
b. customers through a process.
c. equipment through a process.
d. All of these can be traced through a process using a flow chart.
Answer: d
Reference: Documenting the Process
Difficulty: Moderate
Keywords: flow, chart, flowchart
43. A flowchart created at the strategic level of an organization should show:
a. core processes and their linkages.
b. details of a process as bracketed by its scope.
c. individual steps that may have been aggregated at a higher level of analysis.
d. areas that are seen and unseen by the customer.
Answer: a
Reference: Documenting the Process
Difficulty: Moderate
Keywords: flow, chart, flowchart
44. When a process is high in divergence, it is likely to have:
a. few rectangle-shaped symbols.
b. many rectangle-shaped symbols.
c. few diamond-shaped symbols.
d. many diamond-shaped symbols.
Answer: d
Reference: Documenting the Process
Difficulty: Moderate
Keywords: flow, chart, flowchart, divergence
45. Cross-functional coordination is at particular risk where:
a. there is low process divergence.
b. there are handoffs in the process.
c. functional silos exist.
d. it is not possible to create a flow chart.
Answer: b
Reference: Documenting the Process
Difficulty: Moderate
Keywords: handoff, coordination, cross, functional
46. An effective tool for showing steps of a service process with a high level of customer contact is a:
a. Pareto chart.
b. flow chart.
c. service blueprint.
d. check sheet.
Answer: c
Reference: Documenting the Process
Difficulty: Moderate
Keywords: service, blueprint, customer, tool
47. The feature that service blueprints use to distinguish steps that are seen by the customer from those that are not seen by the customer is:
a. separation using different pages.
b. a line of visibility.
c. the Mendoza line.
d. a “C” and a “P.”
Answer: b
Reference: Documenting the Process
Difficulty: Moderate
Keywords: service, blueprint, customer, visibility
48. A process chart activity that changes, creates, or adds something is a(n):
a. operation.
b. transportation.
c. inspection.
d. delay.
Answer: a
Reference: Documenting the Process
Difficulty: Easy
Keywords: process, chart, symbol
49. A process chart activity that checks or verifies something but does not change it is a(n):
a. operation.
b. transportation.
c. inspection.
d. delay.
Answer: c
Reference: Documenting the Process
Difficulty: Easy
Keywords: process, chart, symbol
50. Which one of the following statements concerning flow diagrams is NOT true?
a. Flow diagrams can take many forms.
b. It is helpful on flow diagrams to label each step with process measurements such as cost, capacity, or total elapsed time.
c. Flow diagrams trace the flow of information, customers, equipment, employees, or materials through a process.
d. The dotted line of visibility separates activities subcontracted from those done in-house.
Answer: d
Reference: Documenting the Process
Difficulty: Moderate
Keywords: flow, diagram
51. Which one of the following groups of activities is likely to be shown on a process chart?
a. Operation, inspection, delay
b. Operation, capital intensity, flow strategy
c. Transportation, material flow, physical layout
d. Storage, delay, personnel involved
Answer: a
Reference: Documenting the Process
Difficulty: Moderate
Keywords: process, chart, operation, inspection, delay
52. The five categories of activities (operation, transportation, inspection, delay, and storage) are used in which of the following methods of process analysis?
a. Multiple-activity chart
b. Process chart
c. Capital budgeting
d. Flow diagram
Answer: b
Reference: Documenting the Process
Difficulty: Moderate
Keywords: process, chart
53. A process chart activity that occurs when something is put away until a later time is a(n):
a. storage.
b. transportation.
c. inspection.
d. delay.
Answer: a
Reference: Documenting the Process
Difficulty: Easy
Keywords: process, chart, symbol
54. A professor can grade a quiz in 30 seconds. Over the course of an academic year he has 6 sections of a course with an average of 30 students with 10 quizzes in each section. If he is paid $40 an hour, how much is his annual quiz-grading labor cost to the university?
a. $60
b. $100
c. $600