COB 300 OPERATIONS FINAL EXAM
QUESTIONS WITH CORRECT ANSWERS
Types of variability - Answer-arrival variability, request variability, capability variability,
effort variability, subjective preference variability
More accommodation - Answer-more cost
Less accommodation - Answer-less satisfaction
Behavioral science in service encounters - Answer-1. the front-end and back-end of the
encounter are not created equal
2. segment the pleasure, combine the pain
3. Let the customer control the process
4. Pay attention to norms and rituals
5. People are easier to blame than systems
6. Let the punishment fit the crime in service recovery
Service Guarantees as Design Driver - Answer-1. any guarantee is better than no
guarantee
2. involve the customer as well as employees in the design
3. do not quibble or wriggle when a customer invokes a guarantee
4. make it clear that you are happy for customers to invoke the guarantee
Service blueprinting & Fail-safing - Answer-unique feature is the distinction between
high customer contact aspects of the service and those activities the customer does not
see (made by "line of visibility"
Dimensions of product quality - Answer-performance, aesthetics, special features,
conformance, reliability, durability, perceived quality, serviceability, consistency
Dimensions of service quality - Answer-convenience, reliability, responsiveness, time,
assurance, courtesy, tangibles, consistency, expectations
Consequences of poor quality - Answer-loss of business, liability, productivity, costs
External failure costs - Answer-costs incurred when a customer is exposed to poor
quality
Internal failure costs - Answer-associated with correcting a defect before the customer
comes into contact with the product or service
Appraisal costs - Answer-costs associated with product inspection, testing, and auditing
of quality related systems
, Testing - Answer-specific type of inspection that is used when visual inspection cannot
reveal whether or not products meet specifications
Prevention costs - Answer-associated with efforts to prevent errors or defects from
happening (employee training, process improvement and control activity, quality
planning activity)
Quality certification programs - Answer-ISO 9000, ISO 9000 2000, ISO 14000
Total quality management - Answer-philosophy that involves everyone in an
organization in a continual effort to improve quality and achieve customer satisfaction; 3
key elements: continuous improvement, involvement of everyone in the organization,
customer satisfaction
TQM Approach - Answer-1. Find out what customers want- include internal customers
as well as external or final customers
2. Design a product or service that will meet or exceed what customers want- make it
easy to use and easy to produce
3. Design processes that facilitate doing the job right the first time- fail-safing:
incorporating design elements that prevent incorrect procedures
4. Keep track of results & use them to guide improvements in the system
5. Extend these concepts throughout the supply chain
6. Top management must be committed and visibly involved
Six Sigma - Answer-business process for improving quality, reducing costs, and
increasing customer satisfaction
Six Sigma: management component - Answer-provide strong leadership, define
performance metrics, select projects likely to achieve business results, select & train
appropriate people
Six Sigma: technical component - Answer-improving process performance, reducing
variation, utilizing statistical methods, designing a structured improvement strategy
(definition, measurement, analysis, improvement, and control), DMAIC (define,
measure, analyze, improve, control)
Plan-Do-Study-Act Cycle - Answer-Plan: study & document current process, develop
plan for improvement and specify measures for evaluating the plan
Do: implement the plan on a small scale if possible, collect data for evaluation
Study: evaluate the data collected in the "do" phase, check how closely the results
match the original goals of the plan phase
Act: if results are successful, standardize the new method, communicate, train for new
method
Seven basic quality tools - Answer-1. flowcharts
QUESTIONS WITH CORRECT ANSWERS
Types of variability - Answer-arrival variability, request variability, capability variability,
effort variability, subjective preference variability
More accommodation - Answer-more cost
Less accommodation - Answer-less satisfaction
Behavioral science in service encounters - Answer-1. the front-end and back-end of the
encounter are not created equal
2. segment the pleasure, combine the pain
3. Let the customer control the process
4. Pay attention to norms and rituals
5. People are easier to blame than systems
6. Let the punishment fit the crime in service recovery
Service Guarantees as Design Driver - Answer-1. any guarantee is better than no
guarantee
2. involve the customer as well as employees in the design
3. do not quibble or wriggle when a customer invokes a guarantee
4. make it clear that you are happy for customers to invoke the guarantee
Service blueprinting & Fail-safing - Answer-unique feature is the distinction between
high customer contact aspects of the service and those activities the customer does not
see (made by "line of visibility"
Dimensions of product quality - Answer-performance, aesthetics, special features,
conformance, reliability, durability, perceived quality, serviceability, consistency
Dimensions of service quality - Answer-convenience, reliability, responsiveness, time,
assurance, courtesy, tangibles, consistency, expectations
Consequences of poor quality - Answer-loss of business, liability, productivity, costs
External failure costs - Answer-costs incurred when a customer is exposed to poor
quality
Internal failure costs - Answer-associated with correcting a defect before the customer
comes into contact with the product or service
Appraisal costs - Answer-costs associated with product inspection, testing, and auditing
of quality related systems
, Testing - Answer-specific type of inspection that is used when visual inspection cannot
reveal whether or not products meet specifications
Prevention costs - Answer-associated with efforts to prevent errors or defects from
happening (employee training, process improvement and control activity, quality
planning activity)
Quality certification programs - Answer-ISO 9000, ISO 9000 2000, ISO 14000
Total quality management - Answer-philosophy that involves everyone in an
organization in a continual effort to improve quality and achieve customer satisfaction; 3
key elements: continuous improvement, involvement of everyone in the organization,
customer satisfaction
TQM Approach - Answer-1. Find out what customers want- include internal customers
as well as external or final customers
2. Design a product or service that will meet or exceed what customers want- make it
easy to use and easy to produce
3. Design processes that facilitate doing the job right the first time- fail-safing:
incorporating design elements that prevent incorrect procedures
4. Keep track of results & use them to guide improvements in the system
5. Extend these concepts throughout the supply chain
6. Top management must be committed and visibly involved
Six Sigma - Answer-business process for improving quality, reducing costs, and
increasing customer satisfaction
Six Sigma: management component - Answer-provide strong leadership, define
performance metrics, select projects likely to achieve business results, select & train
appropriate people
Six Sigma: technical component - Answer-improving process performance, reducing
variation, utilizing statistical methods, designing a structured improvement strategy
(definition, measurement, analysis, improvement, and control), DMAIC (define,
measure, analyze, improve, control)
Plan-Do-Study-Act Cycle - Answer-Plan: study & document current process, develop
plan for improvement and specify measures for evaluating the plan
Do: implement the plan on a small scale if possible, collect data for evaluation
Study: evaluate the data collected in the "do" phase, check how closely the results
match the original goals of the plan phase
Act: if results are successful, standardize the new method, communicate, train for new
method
Seven basic quality tools - Answer-1. flowcharts
