Q&A Hero

Q: Which of the following is true regarding the MTM approach? A) A performance rating factor greater than 1.0 means the worker under observation is working slowly. B) A frequency of less than 1.0 means that the job element is not performed during every cycle. C) A performance rating factor less than 1.0 means the worker under observation is not producing output that has high quality. D) A negative allowance time means that the worker under observation is taking excessive breaks.

Q: With the use of the methods time measurement approach: A) stopwatches are needed to time the elements that go together to make a task. B) there is a problem of biased judgment because performance ratings are needed to derive standards. C) work must be broken down into micro-motions. D) an analyst consults tables that contain the select times for a variety of work elements.

Q: The work measurement technique that breaks down tasks into a series of generic micro-motions is the: A) time study method. B) elemental standard data approach. C) predetermined data approach. D) work sampling method.

Q: The advantage of using the predetermined data approach for setting standards is that: A) it allows the setting of standards for a new job before production begins. B) the predetermined data are representative of all workers, without question. C) it does not require any special training to use it. D) it can be used on jobs in which the times to perform the micro-motions are sequence dependent.

Q: A predetermined data approach to time standards can be completed only after actual production begins.

Q: The predetermined data approach does not eliminate the need for time studies.

Q: Elemental standard time data cannot be used to develop time standards for new work before production begins.

Q: A work study has been conducted on a new operation with three work elements. The following times, in minutes, were obtained using the continuous method. a. What is the normal time for this operation? b. If an allowance of 20 percent is used, what is the standard time for this task?

Q: What are the limitations of time studies?

Q: Perform a time study on yourself as you answer this question. Explicitly record your data, determine how long it will take to complete this exam and comment on the accuracy of your estimate.

Q: Name the four steps in a time study.

Q: The ________ is time added to adjust for factors such as fatigue or equipment malfunction.

Q: The sample size needed for a time study will increase as ________ and/or ________ increase.

Q: The ________ of job element timing involves recording the stopwatch reading for each work element upon its completion.

Q: The ________ of job element timing requires that the observer reset the stopwatch after each observation.

Q: The ________ is the average observed time based only on representative times.

Q: The ________ is a measurement found by multiplying the select time, the frequency of work, and the rating factor.

Q: The most commonly used method for setting a time standard is called a(n) ________.

Q: The key to creating a work standard is defining ________.

Q: The following times in seconds were observed for a particular one-element job using the continuous method: 12, 22, 35, and 50. The worker's rating factor is 1.1. What is the standard time for the job if an allowance of 20 percent is provided? A) fewer than or equal to 14 seconds B) greater than 14 but fewer than or equal to 15 seconds C) greater than 15 but fewer than or equal to 16 seconds D) greater than 16

Q: A worker was observed for four cycles of a repetitive operation. The observed times for work elements are 11, 10, 8, and 11 seconds, respectively. What sample size is appropriate for estimating the time for this work element within + 3 percent of the true mean time with 95 percent confidence (z = 1.96)? A) fewer than or equal to 70 B) greater than 70 but fewer than or equal to 75 C) greater than 75 but fewer than or equal to 80 D) greater than 80

Q: At a new watch assembly plant, a job is divided into three work elements. The element times for the first four cycles are recorded by the continuous method and are presented below along with a performance rating factor (RF) for each element. The standard time for this job, assuming that the allowance is 18 percent, is: A) fewer than or equal to 1.9 minutes. B) greater than 1.9 minutes but fewer than or equal to 2.0 minutes. C) greater than 2.0 minutes but fewer than or equal to 2.1 minutes. D) greater than 2.1 minutes.

Q: A time study analyst has found the select time for a work element to be 14.0 minutes, with a sample standard deviation of 3.2 minutes. What is the minimum sample size needed if the estimate is to be within 4 percent of the average 95 percent of the time (z = 1.96)? A) fewer than 100 B) greater than or equal to 100 but fewer than 140 C) greater than or equal to 140 but fewer than 180 D) greater than or equal to 180

Q: Table H.3 A worker was observed for four cycles in a repetitive task. The observer recorded the following times, in seconds, using the continuous method. The ratings for each element and frequency it is performed are also indicated in the table. The allowance fraction is 20 percent. Element Cycle 1 Cycle 2 Cycle 3 Cycle 4 Rating Frequency 1 15 106 208 309 1.10 1.0 2 37 131 234 334 1.05 0.5 3 47 143 245 348 1.20 0.5 4 90 190 293 392 1.15 1.0 Use the information in Table H.3. What is the standard time for the complete cycle? A) fewer than 90 seconds B) greater than or equal to 90 seconds but fewer than 97 seconds C) greater than or equal to 97 seconds but fewer than 104 seconds D) greater than or equal to 104 seconds

Q: If a worker spends 10 hours per day performing a task, and the allowance for this task is 19 percent, how many hours during the average day is the worker involved in nonproductive activities? A) fewer than 1.75 B) greater than or equal to 1.75 hours but fewer than 5 hours C) greater than or equal to 5.00 hours but fewer than 8.25 D) greater than or equal to 8.25 hours

Q: A time study analysis was performed on a task with two work elements. The select times for these work elements are 21.0 seconds and 13.0 seconds, with rating factors of 1.1 and 1.2, respectively. Each work element is performed twice per cycle. If an allowance of 20 percent is used, what is the standard time for this task? A) fewer than 50 seconds B) greater than or equal to 50 seconds but fewer than 70 seconds C) greater than or equal to 70 seconds but fewer than 90 seconds D) greater than or equal to 90 seconds

Q: Table H.2 Work Element t (sec) RF F 1 5.6 1.1 1 2 3.1 1.0 1 3 1.9 1.1 1 4 4.0 0.8 2 Use the information in Table H.2. If the allowance for this task is 20 percent, what is the standard time for the entire task? A) fewer than 20 seconds B) greater than or equal to 20 seconds but fewer than 22 seconds C) greater than or equal to 22 seconds but fewer than 24 seconds D) greater than 24 seconds

Q: Table H.2 Work Element t (sec) RF F 1 5.6 1.1 1 2 3.1 1.0 1 3 1.9 1.1 1 4 4.0 0.8 2 Use the information in Table H.2. Which work element will take the longest for an average worker to perform per cycle? A) work element 1 B) work element 2 C) work element 3 D) work element 4

Q: The observer assigned a performance rating factor of 1.15 to the worker and the company employs an allowance factor of 20%. How many more observations must be made in order to develop an estimate of the select time for all elements of the job that are within 3% with 95% accuracy? A) 225 B) 357 C) 440 D) 429

Q: The observer assigned a performance rating factor of 1.15 to the worker and the company employs an allowance factor of 20%. How many more observations must be made in order to develop an estimate of the select time for Element 4 that is within 5% with 95% accuracy? A) 1 B) 3 C) 5 D) 7

Q: The observer assigned a performance rating factor of 1.10 to the worker and the company employs an allowance factor of 20%. What is the standard time for Element 4? A) 58.58 seconds B) 56.23 seconds C) 46.86 seconds D) 42.6 seconds

Q: The observer assigned a performance rating factor of 1.15 to the worker and the company employs an allowance factor of 20%. What is the normal time for Element 3? A) 16.2 seconds B) 23.29 seconds C) 18.63 seconds D) 22.36 seconds

Q: The observer assigned a performance rating factor of 1.15 to the worker and the company employs an allowance factor of 20%. What is the select time for Element 2? A) 25.3 seconds B) 24.29 seconds C) 20.24 seconds D) 17.6 seconds

Q: How many more observations must be made in order to estimate the select time for Element 1 if the company wishes to be within 6% of the actual value with 95% confidence? A) 81 B) 67 C) 53 D) 48

Q: A time study analyst is determining the standard time for a work element. The select time is 6.0 minutes, and the standard deviation of the select time is 2.2 minutes, based on a pilot sample of 20 observations. What is the appropriate sample size if the estimate for the select time is to be within 10 percent of the true average time 95 percent of the time (z = 1.96)? A) fewer than 30 observations B) greater than or equal to 30 observations but fewer than 40 observations C) greater than or equal to 40 observations but fewer than or equal to 50 observations D) greater than or equal to 50 observations

Q: A worker was observed for four cycles of a repetitive task. The observer used the continuous method for recording the times. The continuous times (in seconds) for each element are: Which one of the following are the "select times" ( ) for each element? The first number is the select time for the first element, the second number is the select time for the second element, and so on. A) 19.5, 23, 25, 30 B) 1.5, 3.5, 5, 2 C) 2, 3, 2, 5 D) 1.5, 3.5, 2, 5

Q: An industrial engineer is conducting a time study for a work element. The select time is 4.5 minutes, and the sample standard deviation of the observed time is 20 seconds. What is the appropriate sample size if the estimate is to be 5 percent of the true average time 95 percent of the time? A) fewer than or equal to seven B) greater than seven but fewer than or equal to eight C) greater than eight but fewer than or equal to nine D) greater than nine

Q: An industrial engineer is conducting a time study for a work element. The select time is 7.5 minutes, and the sample standard deviation of the observed time is one minute. What is the appropriate sample size if the estimate is to be 3 percent of the true average time 95 percent of the time (z = 1.96)? A) fewer than or equal to 70 B) greater than 70 but fewer than or equal to 80 C) greater than 80 but fewer than or equal to 90 D) greater than 90

Q: During a time study, the following times were observed for a particular job using the continuous (non-snapback) method: 22, 51, 72, 98, 128, and 150 seconds. There is only one element per cycle. The sample standard deviation of the observed times has already been computed as 3.9 seconds. If an estimate for the average time that is within 4 percent of the true long-range average 95 percent (z = 1.96) of the time is desired, how many additional observations are needed? A) fewer than or equal to 40 B) greater than 40 but fewer than or equal to 55 C) greater than 55 but fewer than or equal to 70 D) greater than 70

Q: An analyst using a time study approach: A) observes the worker at random times, categorizing what he or she is doing at that time. B) must rate the performance of the worker on each element of the total task. C) divides the total task into micro-motions such as "reach" and "grasp" and then times the worker on each one. D) should use all observations in determining the standard, regardless of how irregular they might be, to be fair to the worker.

Q: When using a time study approach, the standard time is the: A) normal time per cycle multiplied by 1.0 plus the allowance. B) select time multiplied by the rating factor, summed over all work elements. C) select time plus z times the standard deviation. D) normal time plus z times the standard deviation.

Q: With a time study approach, the: A) nature of the task can be different with each replication, and the standards will still be good. B) skill of the observer is not very important. C) sample size is a function of the desired precision of the time estimate. D) sample size is typically larger than required for the work sampling approach.

Q: To set a time standard for a machining operation, the least likely approach to be used is the: A) time study method. B) elemental standard data approach. C) predetermined data approach. D) work sampling method.

Q: A time study analyst is attempting to determine the standard time for a work element. She or he observes a worker performing the work element at a lower-than-average pace. How will this fact be reflected in the time standard that is eventually created? A) The frequency of the work element per cycle will be increased. B) The proportion of allowance time will be increased above 1.0. C) The performance rating factor will be set less than 1.0. D) The normal time for the work element will be increased.

Q: Which one of the following statements about the time study method is true? A) It is most appropriate for "thinking" jobs such as an automobile mechanic's diagnosis of a problem. B) It is used most often for setting time standards. C) Using the time study method technique, time standards can be set for new jobs before production begins. D) Performance ratings are not needed in the derivation of time standards.

Q: The gentleman farmer recorded the time it took to feed and water his chickens and collect eggs each morning. He has done this several times, so he assigns himself a rating of 1.25. The allowance factor for this endeavor is 5%. What is the standard time for this job element? Observation Time (min) 1 5 2 7 3 5 4 6 5 7 A) greater than or equal to 8.5 minutes B) less than 8.5 minutes but greater than or equal to 8.0 minutes C) less than 8.0 minutes but greater than or equal to 7.5 minutes D) less than 7.5 minutes

Q: The gentleman farmer recorded the time it took to feed and water his chickens and collect eggs each morning. He has done this several times, so he assigns himself a rating of 1.15. The allowance factor for this endeavor is 5%. What is the standard time for this job element? Observation Time (min) 1 6 2 7 3 5 4 6 5 7 A) 6.0 minutes B) 6.5 minutes C) 6.9 minutes D) 7.5 minutes

Q: The gentleman farmer recorded the time it took to feed and water his chickens and collect eggs each morning. He has done this several times, so he assigns himself a rating of 1.15. The allowance factor for this endeavor is 5%. What is the normal time for this job element? Observation Time (min) 1 5 2 7 3 5 4 6 5 7 A) 6.3 minutes B) 7.6 minutes C) 6.9 minutes D) 6.0 minutes

Q: The gentleman farmer recorded the time it took to feed and water his chickens and collect eggs each morning. He has done this several times, so he assigns himself a rating of 1.15. The allowance factor for this endeavor is 5%. What is the select time for this job? Observation Time (min) 1 5 2 7 3 5 4 6 5 7 A) 5 minutes B) 6 minutes C) 7 minutes D) 8 minutes

Q: Keith assembles peanut valves and the recorded data is displayed in the table. During one of the cycles, he pauses to answer a phone call from his friend who suggests that he seek employment elsewhere. Keith fields calls with some regularity, but that's not considered part of his routine job responsibilities. What is the select time for this job element? Time (minutes) Observations 2.5 15 3.0 23 3.5 25 10 1 A) greater than or equal to 3.2 minutes B) less than 3.2 minutes but greater than or equal to 2.8 minutes C) less than 2.8 minutes but greater than or equal to 2.4 minutes D) less than 2.4 minutes

Q: Keith assembles peanut valves and the recorded data is displayed in the table. What is the select time for this job element? Time (minutes) Observations 2.5 15 3.0 23 3.5 27 A) greater than or equal to 3 minutes B) less than 3 minutes but greater than or equal to 2.7 minutes C) less than 2.7 minutes but greater than or equal to 2.4 minutes D) less than 2.4 minutes

Q: Garman observes a worker assembling peanut valves and records the data displayed in the table. During one of the cycles, the worker knocked the shaft out of the fixture and had to realign the fixtures. What is the select time for this job element? Time (seconds) Observations 20 15 25 12 30 12 240 1 A) less than 23 seconds B) greater than or equal to 23 seconds but less than 26 seconds C) greater than or equal to 26 seconds but less than 29 seconds D) greater than or equal to 29 seconds

Q: Garman observes a worker assembling peanut valves and records the data displayed in the table. What is the select time for this job element? Time (seconds) Observations 20 15 25 12 30 12 A) 15 seconds B) 20 seconds C) 25 seconds D) 30 seconds

Q: Timing the work elements using the snap-back method requires: A) the worker to perform each job element as quickly as possible. B) a larger sample size than using the continuous method. C) the use of two stopwatches. D) a smaller sample size than using the continuous method.

Q: The method used most often for setting time standards for a job is the: A) elemental standard data approach. B) time study method. C) predetermined data approach. D) work sampling method.

Q: Time studies are appropriate for setting time standards for tasks that are different each time.

Q: Fatigue, rest, or unavoidable delays are not factored into a work standard by the performance rating factor.

Q: The performance rating factor in a time study is a totally objective measure.

Q: The standard time for a work element is found by multiplying the select time by a performance rating factor.

Q: The snap-back method of time study resets the stopwatch to zero on the completion of each work element.

Q: A larger sample size is required when the time estimate must be more certain.

Q: A larger sample size is required when the job being studied is shorter in average duration.

Q: A larger sample size is required when the job being studied is more consistent in completion time.

Q: The select time is the average observed time based only on representative times.

Q: A time study is the method most often used for setting time standards for a job.

Q: How can work standards be developed for higher level services and creative processes?

Q: Are time standards more useful for manufacturing or service processes? Why?

Q: The process of creating labor standards based on the judgment of skilled observers is ________.

Q: A(n) ________ is the time required for a trained worker to perform a task following a prescribed method with normal effort and skill.

Q: Work standards would not be helpful for management in which area? A) developing costs for current and new products B) determining current and projected capacity requirements for a given demand C) comparing different routings for an item and evaluating new work methods and equipment D) forecasting demand for current products

Q: The work measurement process creates labor standards based on the judgment of skilled observers.

Q: The key to creating a work standard is defining normal performance.

Q: A work standard is the time required for a trained worker to perform a task following a prescribed method with normal effort and skill.

Q: The average outgoing quality (AOQ) is: A) the average number of good units produced per hour. B) the expected proportion of defects a sampling plan will allow. C) the level of quality desired by the customer. D) the worst level of quality tolerated by the consumer.

Q: The management of a company wishes to develop a new acceptance sampling plan that keeps acceptable quality level, lot tolerance proportion defective, and c constant. If the sample size (n) is increased, compared to the prior plan, which of the following is true? A) α increases B) α decreases C) β increases D) α and β increase

Q: Which one of the following actions will decrease the producer's risk? A) Increase n and keep c constant. B) Decrease n and keep c constant. C) Keep n constant and decrease c. D) Increase n and decrease c.

Q: Which one of the following alternatives will reduce the producer's risk for a given AQL and LTPD? A) Reduce n and keep c constant. B) Increase n and keep c constant. C) Increase n and reduce c. D) Increase alpha.

Q: Which one of the following alternatives will reduce the consumer's risk for a given AQL and LTPD? A) Reduce n and keep c constant. B) Increase n and keep c constant. C) Reduce n and increase c. D) Increase beta.

Q: Which one of the following will increase the consumer's risk? A) Decrease sample size and hold constant the number of defective items in a sample. B) Decrease the acceptable number of defective items in a sample and hold constant the sample size. C) Increase the sample size and decrease the acceptable number of defective items in a sample. D) Decrease the acceptable quality level and hold constant both sample size and the acceptable number of defective items in a sample.

Q: For a given AQL and LTPD, which one of the following statements about the single-sampling plan is true? A) If c stays constant but n is increased, both the producer's risk and the consumer's risk will increase. B) If c stays constant but n is increased, both the producer's risk and the consumer's risk will decrease. C) If n stays constant but c is increased, the producer's risk will decrease and the consumer's risk will increase. D) If n stays constant but c is increased, the producer's risk will increase and the consumer's risk will decrease.