LMC Foundational Concepts & Principles 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: The concept of 'jidoka' in Lean production is best described as:
- A scheduling method that levels daily production volume
- Autonomation — the ability of machines to detect abnormalities and stop automatically (Correct answer)
- A visual signal system used to trigger replenishment
- A technique for reducing setup and changeover times
Correct answer: Autonomation — the ability of machines to detect abnormalities and stop automatically
Jidoka (autonomation) allows machines or workers to stop a process when a defect is detected, preventing defects from passing downstream.
Question 2: Which of the following is NOT one of the original eight wastes identified in Lean management?
- Overproduction
- Untapped employee creativity
- Excessive automation (Correct answer)
- Unnecessary transportation
Correct answer: Excessive automation
The eight wastes are DOWNTIME (Defects, Overproduction, Waiting, Non-utilized talent, Transportation, Inventory, Motion, Extra-processing) — excessive automation is not one of them.
Question 3: What is the relationship between takt time and customer demand in Lean?
- Takt time decreases as inventory levels rise
- Takt time is the available production time divided by customer demand rate (Correct answer)
- Takt time equals the fastest machine cycle time in the process
- Takt time is set by management to maximize labor utilization
Correct answer: Takt time is the available production time divided by customer demand rate
Takt time synchronizes production pace with the rate of customer demand by dividing available time by units demanded.
Question 4: Which Lean tool is specifically designed to reduce unplanned downtime and improve equipment reliability?
- 5S
- Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) (Correct answer)
- Heijunka
- Kanban
Correct answer: Total Productive Maintenance (TPM)
TPM engages all employees in proactive and preventive maintenance to maximize equipment effectiveness.
Question 5: A company implements heijunka. What operational change does this most likely reflect?
- Batch processing of large orders to reduce setup frequency
- Leveling the mix and volume of production over a fixed time period (Correct answer)
- Eliminating all product variety to simplify the production line
- Delegating quality control to end-of-line inspection teams
Correct answer: Leveling the mix and volume of production over a fixed time period
Heijunka (production leveling) smooths out peaks and valleys in demand by mixing product types and volumes evenly.
Question 6: In the Toyota Production System, 'andon' refers to:
- A set of standard operating procedures posted at each workstation
- A visual alert system that signals abnormal conditions on the production floor (Correct answer)
- A method for ranking quality defects by severity
- A one-piece-flow assembly technique
Correct answer: A visual alert system that signals abnormal conditions on the production floor
Andon is a visual management tool — typically a light or board — that alerts team leaders to problems so they can respond immediately.
Question 7: Which statement best captures the Lean view of inventory?
- Inventory is an asset that protects against supply chain disruptions
- Inventory is a waste that hides process problems and ties up capital (Correct answer)
- Inventory should be maximized to ensure customer satisfaction
- Inventory levels should be set by accounting based on carrying cost formulas
Correct answer: Inventory is a waste that hides process problems and ties up capital
Lean treats inventory as waste (muda) because it consumes space and capital while concealing underlying process inefficiencies.
LMC Foundational Concepts & Principles 3
The concept of 'jidoka' in Lean production is best described as: