WGU C215 Operations Management – 150 Practice Questions with
Answers & Explanations | Western Governors University Study
Guide 2026
1. What is the primary goal of operations management?
A. Maximizing employee satisfaction
B. Minimizing marketing expenses
C. Maximizing efficiency while meeting customer needs
D. Increasing product variety
Answer: C
Operations management focuses on producing goods and services efficiently while
satisfying customer requirements.
2. Which competitive priority focuses on producing goods at the lowest cost?
A. Quality
B. Flexibility
C. Delivery speed
D. Cost
Answer: D
Cost leadership emphasizes minimizing production and operating costs.
3. A company that emphasizes quick delivery and short lead times is focusing on
which priority?
A. Cost
B. Quality
C. Speed
D. Flexibility
Answer: C
Speed reflects the ability to deliver products or services quickly.
,4. What is a transformation process in operations management?
A. Selling finished goods
B. Converting inputs into outputs
C. Advertising products
D. Hiring employees
Answer: B
Operations transform inputs such as labor and materials into outputs.
5. Which of the following is an example of an input?
A. Finished product
B. Customer satisfaction
C. Raw materials
D. Revenue
Answer: C
Raw materials are inputs used in the production process.
6. A hospital providing patient care is an example of which type of organization?
A. Manufacturing
B. Service
C. Retail
D. Wholesale
Answer: B
Hospitals provide intangible services rather than physical goods.
7. Which operations strategy aligns operations with business goals?
A. Process strategy
B. Location strategy
C. Operations strategy
D. Capacity strategy
,Answer: C
Operations strategy ensures processes support overall business objectives.
8. What does process design focus on?
A. Advertising strategy
B. How work is performed
C. Pricing decisions
D. Employee benefits
Answer: B
Process design determines how tasks and workflows are structured.
9. A repetitive process is best described as:
A. Low-volume, high-variety
B. High-volume, low-variety
C. Project-based
D. One-time production
Answer: B
Repetitive processes produce standardized items in large quantities.
10. Which process type is used for customized products?
A. Continuous
B. Repetitive
C. Job shop
D. Assembly line
Answer: C
Job shops handle low-volume, high-variety customized work.
11. What is capacity planning concerned with?
, A. Product pricing
B. Workforce scheduling
C. Determining production capability
D. Advertising budgets
Answer: C
Capacity planning determines how much can be produced within a given period.
12. A firm consistently producing below maximum capacity is experiencing:
A. Overutilization
B. Balanced utilization
C. Underutilization
D. Bottlenecking
Answer: C
Underutilization occurs when capacity is not fully used.
13. What is a bottleneck?
A. Excess inventory
B. A step limiting overall output
C. A quality defect
D. An idle workstation
Answer: B
A bottleneck restricts the flow of production.
14. Which metric measures how effectively inputs are converted to outputs?
A. Quality
B. Productivity
C. Efficiency
D. Capacity
Answer: B
Productivity compares outputs to inputs.
Answers & Explanations | Western Governors University Study
Guide 2026
1. What is the primary goal of operations management?
A. Maximizing employee satisfaction
B. Minimizing marketing expenses
C. Maximizing efficiency while meeting customer needs
D. Increasing product variety
Answer: C
Operations management focuses on producing goods and services efficiently while
satisfying customer requirements.
2. Which competitive priority focuses on producing goods at the lowest cost?
A. Quality
B. Flexibility
C. Delivery speed
D. Cost
Answer: D
Cost leadership emphasizes minimizing production and operating costs.
3. A company that emphasizes quick delivery and short lead times is focusing on
which priority?
A. Cost
B. Quality
C. Speed
D. Flexibility
Answer: C
Speed reflects the ability to deliver products or services quickly.
,4. What is a transformation process in operations management?
A. Selling finished goods
B. Converting inputs into outputs
C. Advertising products
D. Hiring employees
Answer: B
Operations transform inputs such as labor and materials into outputs.
5. Which of the following is an example of an input?
A. Finished product
B. Customer satisfaction
C. Raw materials
D. Revenue
Answer: C
Raw materials are inputs used in the production process.
6. A hospital providing patient care is an example of which type of organization?
A. Manufacturing
B. Service
C. Retail
D. Wholesale
Answer: B
Hospitals provide intangible services rather than physical goods.
7. Which operations strategy aligns operations with business goals?
A. Process strategy
B. Location strategy
C. Operations strategy
D. Capacity strategy
,Answer: C
Operations strategy ensures processes support overall business objectives.
8. What does process design focus on?
A. Advertising strategy
B. How work is performed
C. Pricing decisions
D. Employee benefits
Answer: B
Process design determines how tasks and workflows are structured.
9. A repetitive process is best described as:
A. Low-volume, high-variety
B. High-volume, low-variety
C. Project-based
D. One-time production
Answer: B
Repetitive processes produce standardized items in large quantities.
10. Which process type is used for customized products?
A. Continuous
B. Repetitive
C. Job shop
D. Assembly line
Answer: C
Job shops handle low-volume, high-variety customized work.
11. What is capacity planning concerned with?
, A. Product pricing
B. Workforce scheduling
C. Determining production capability
D. Advertising budgets
Answer: C
Capacity planning determines how much can be produced within a given period.
12. A firm consistently producing below maximum capacity is experiencing:
A. Overutilization
B. Balanced utilization
C. Underutilization
D. Bottlenecking
Answer: C
Underutilization occurs when capacity is not fully used.
13. What is a bottleneck?
A. Excess inventory
B. A step limiting overall output
C. A quality defect
D. An idle workstation
Answer: B
A bottleneck restricts the flow of production.
14. Which metric measures how effectively inputs are converted to outputs?
A. Quality
B. Productivity
C. Efficiency
D. Capacity
Answer: B
Productivity compares outputs to inputs.
