APICS APICS Manufacturing Operations & Execution 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the primary goal of a Manufacturing Execution System (MES)?
- To replace the ERP system on the shop floor
- To bridge the gap between planning systems and real-time shop floor control (Correct answer)
- To manage customer relationships
- To automate purchasing decisions
Correct answer: To bridge the gap between planning systems and real-time shop floor control
MES connects planning-layer ERP systems with actual shop floor operations, providing real-time visibility and control.
Question 2: Which manufacturing environment produces unique, one-of-a-kind products built specifically to customer specifications?
- Make-to-stock (MTS)
- Assemble-to-order (ATO)
- Engineer-to-order (ETO) (Correct answer)
- Make-to-order (MTO)
Correct answer: Engineer-to-order (ETO)
Engineer-to-order involves designing and building unique products from scratch based on individual customer requirements.
Question 3: What is 'takt time' in lean manufacturing?
- The time required to complete one machine setup
- The rate at which products must be produced to meet customer demand (Correct answer)
- The average repair time for equipment failures
- The batch processing cycle time
Correct answer: The rate at which products must be produced to meet customer demand
Takt time is calculated as available production time divided by customer demand rate, setting the production rhythm.
Question 4: In lean manufacturing, a 'value stream map' is used to:
- Track employee performance metrics
- Visualize material and information flow to identify waste (Correct answer)
- Map customer delivery routes
- Document equipment maintenance schedules
Correct answer: Visualize material and information flow to identify waste
Value stream mapping shows the current state of material and information flows, highlighting non-value-added activities (waste).
Question 5: Which of the seven wastes in lean manufacturing refers to unnecessary movement of people?
- Overproduction
- Transportation
- Motion (Correct answer)
- Waiting
Correct answer: Motion
Motion waste is the unnecessary physical movement of workers that does not add value to the product.
Question 6: Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) is calculated using which three factors?
- Quality, Cost, and Delivery
- Availability, Performance, and Quality (Correct answer)
- Utilization, Efficiency, and Yield
- Uptime, Speed, and Scrap Rate
Correct answer: Availability, Performance, and Quality
OEE = Availability × Performance × Quality, measuring the percentage of planned production time that is truly productive.
APICS APICS Manufacturing Operations & Execution 1
What is the primary goal of a Manufacturing Execution System (MES)?