CPM Plant Layout & Material Flow 3

Question 1

What does the term 'spaghetti diagram' refer to in plant layout analysis?

Accepted Answer

A diagram tracing the actual travel path of a product or worker through the facility

Answer

A spaghetti diagram maps all the actual movement paths in a facility, revealing excessive travel distances and inefficient layouts.

Question 2

Which type of storage system uses horizontal carousels or vertical lift modules to bring parts to the picker?

Accepted Answer

Goods-to-person system

Answer

Goods-to-person systems (carousels, VLMs, mini-loads) bring items to a stationary picker, reducing travel time and improving ergonomics.

Question 3

A plant uses 'zone picking' in its warehouse. This strategy primarily improves:

Accepted Answer

Order picking productivity by assigning pickers to fixed areas

Answer

Zone picking assigns each picker to a specific storage zone, reducing travel distance and allowing specialization for faster order fulfillment.

Question 4

Which layout analysis tool assigns a numerical score to alternative plant layouts based on weighted criteria?

Accepted Answer

Muther's Systematic Layout Planning (SLP) scoring matrix

Answer

SLP's rating/scoring approach evaluates each layout alternative against weighted factors (flow, safety, flexibility) to select the best option.

Question 5

In material flow analysis, 'backtracking' refers to:

Accepted Answer

Material moving backward against the primary flow direction

Answer

Backtracking occurs when material moves in the reverse direction of the main production flow, adding travel distance and disrupting throughput.

(CPM) Certified Plant Manager Practice Test