WGU C215 Study Guide – FINAL Latest 2025

Total Quality Management (TQM) Philosophy - 1. customer focus 2. continuous improvement 3. employee empowerment 4. use of quality tools 5. product design 6. process management 7. managing supplier quality Process Capability Index (Cpk) - Basic function of Six Sigma. Measures the process potential and performance of processes. The higher the range of Cpk, the improved is the ability of the process to complete its necessities. Uses both the process variability and the process specifications to determine whether the process is "capable." Six Sigma - A disciplined, data-driven approach and methodology for eliminating defects (driving toward six standard deviations between the mean and the nearest specification limit) in any process - from manufacturing to transactional and from product to service. Design Capacity - The theoretical maximum output of a system in a given period under ideal conditions. Effective Capacity - The capacity a firm expects to achieve given its current operating constraints. Location Analysis - proximity to customers, transportation, source of labor, community attitude, proximity to suppliers, and many other factors. Line Processes - A type of process used to produce a large volume of a standardized product. Batch Processes - A type of process used to produce a small quantity of products in groups or batches based on customer orders or specifications. Project Processes - A type of process used to make a one-at-a-time product exactly to customer specifications. Continuous Processes - A type of process that operates continually to produce a high volume of a fully standardized product. Bottleneck - Longest task in the process. Flexible Manufacturing System (FMS) - A type of automated system that combines the flexibility of intermittent operations with the efficiency of continuous operations. Output/Input Control - A technique for monitoring the flow of jobs between work centers. Value-Added - The net increase created during the transformation of inputs into final outputs. Hybrid Layouts - Layouts that combine characteristics of process and product layouts. Relationship Chart (REL) - Table that reflects opinions of managers with regard to the importance of having any two departments close together. Rectilinear Distance - The shortest distance between two locations using north-south and east-west movements. From-To Matrix - Table that gives the number of trips or units of product moved between any pair of departments. Block Plan - Schematic showing the placement of resources in a facility. Mean Observed Times - The average of the observation times for each of the work elements. Normal Time - The mean observed time multiplied by the performance rating factor by the frequency of occurrence. Standard Time - The length of time it should take a qualified worker using appropriate process and tools to complete a specific job, allowing time for personal fatigue and unavoidable delays. Just-in-Time (JIT) - A philosophy designed to achieve high-volume production through elimination of waste and continuous improvement. Based on a "pull" system rather than a "push" system. The three elements are just-in-time manufacturing, total quality management, and respect for people. Kanban card - A card that specifies the exact quantity of product that needs to be produced. Continuous Improvement - A philosophy of neverending improvement. Tier One Suppliers - Supplies materials or services directly to the processing facility. Tier Two Suppliers - Directly supplies materials or services to a tier one supplier in the supply chain. Tier Three Suppliers - Directly supplies materials or services to a tier two supplier in the supply chain. Supply Chain Management (SCM) - Management of the flow of materials from suppliers to customers in order to reduce overall cost and increase responsiveness to customers. Capacity Requirements Planning (CRP) - Determines the labor and machine resources needed to fill the open and planned orders generated by the MRP. Material Requirements Planning (MRP) - A system that uses the MRP, inventory record data, and BOM to calculate material requirements. Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) - Large software programs used for planning and coordinating all resources throughout the entire enterprise. Aggregate Plans - Includes the budgeted levels of finished products, inventory, backlogs, workforce size, and aggregate production rate needed to support the marketing plan. Third-Party Logistics (3PL) - Businesses used to outsource elements of the company's distribution and fulfillment services. They typically specialize in integrated operation, warehousing and transportation services which can be scaled and customized to customers' needs based on market conditions, such as the demands and delivery service requirements for their products and materials. Supply Chain Operations Reference model (SCOR) - the world's leading supply chain framework, linking business processes, performance metrics, practices and people skills into a unified structure. The goals are to increase the speed of system implementations, support organizational learning goals, and improve inventory turns. Project Life Cycle Phases - Initiation, Planning, Execution and Closure. Master Production Schedule (MPS) - A plan for individual commodities to be produced in each time period such as production, staffing, inventory, etc. It is usually linked to manufacturing where the plan indicates when and how much of each product will be demanded. It gives production, planning, purchasing, and top management the information needed to plan and control the manufacturing operation. Total Quality Management (TQM) - The meaning of quality as defined by the customer.