COB 300 Operations Final Exam (2025 updated)
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS (DETAILED &
ELABORATED) fully solved!!
Explain system design vs. system operations decisions - (ANSWER)Design -
require long term commitment, usually strategic decisions
Operations - tactical and operational decisions, spend more time on it than any
other decision area
Whats an environmental concern for business operations? -
(ANSWER)Sustainability - using resources in ways that do not harm ecological
systems
What comes first? Mass production or mass customization? - (ANSWER)Mass
production - early 1900s
Mass customization came later when Dell was founded
What do Operations Managers try to achieve? - (ANSWER)Manage activities to
generate value efficiently
What are two attributes important to both consumers and businesses? -
(ANSWER)Cost and quality
Selecting and Communicating attributes is a... - (ANSWER)Marketing issue
Delivering attributes is about... - (ANSWER)Operations
,Organizational vs Functional strategies - (ANSWER)Org - Overall strategies that
relate to the entire organization
Functional - Strategies that relate to each of the functional areas and support the
organizational strategy
What is at the top of the strategic hierarchy? - (ANSWER)The organizations
Mission
Explain Core Competencies, give an example - (ANSWER)Special attributes that
give an organization a competitive edge (Hondas is their engines and power
trains)
Explain Order losers, qualifiers, and winners - (ANSWER)Loser- repels customers
Qualifier- basic characteristics that makes products an option to customers
Winner- characteristics that cause the product to be perceived as better than
competition
What are Michael Porter's 3 business strategies? - (ANSWER)Cost Leadership -
price lower than competitors
Differentiation - distinguishing features that customers perceives as value add
When the business strategy is to compete on response, what must be the focus? -
(ANSWER)Flexibility, reliability, and quickness
, What are operational strategies based on? - (ANSWER)Competitive priorities
Explain a balanced scorecard - (ANSWER)Clarifies vision and strategy to put them
into action by developing objectives
Explain productivity - (ANSWER)measure of how effectively you use resources,
ratio of output to input
What are the 6 phases of Product Development? - (ANSWER)1. Planning
2. Concept Development
3. System level design
4. Design detail
5. Testing and refinement
6. Production ramp-up
What phases of Product Development include manufacturing? - (ANSWER)All
phases
Explain Quality Function Deployment - (ANSWER)Translates customer
requirements into goals
Facilitates cooperation between departments
Begins with listening to the customer
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS (DETAILED &
ELABORATED) fully solved!!
Explain system design vs. system operations decisions - (ANSWER)Design -
require long term commitment, usually strategic decisions
Operations - tactical and operational decisions, spend more time on it than any
other decision area
Whats an environmental concern for business operations? -
(ANSWER)Sustainability - using resources in ways that do not harm ecological
systems
What comes first? Mass production or mass customization? - (ANSWER)Mass
production - early 1900s
Mass customization came later when Dell was founded
What do Operations Managers try to achieve? - (ANSWER)Manage activities to
generate value efficiently
What are two attributes important to both consumers and businesses? -
(ANSWER)Cost and quality
Selecting and Communicating attributes is a... - (ANSWER)Marketing issue
Delivering attributes is about... - (ANSWER)Operations
,Organizational vs Functional strategies - (ANSWER)Org - Overall strategies that
relate to the entire organization
Functional - Strategies that relate to each of the functional areas and support the
organizational strategy
What is at the top of the strategic hierarchy? - (ANSWER)The organizations
Mission
Explain Core Competencies, give an example - (ANSWER)Special attributes that
give an organization a competitive edge (Hondas is their engines and power
trains)
Explain Order losers, qualifiers, and winners - (ANSWER)Loser- repels customers
Qualifier- basic characteristics that makes products an option to customers
Winner- characteristics that cause the product to be perceived as better than
competition
What are Michael Porter's 3 business strategies? - (ANSWER)Cost Leadership -
price lower than competitors
Differentiation - distinguishing features that customers perceives as value add
When the business strategy is to compete on response, what must be the focus? -
(ANSWER)Flexibility, reliability, and quickness
, What are operational strategies based on? - (ANSWER)Competitive priorities
Explain a balanced scorecard - (ANSWER)Clarifies vision and strategy to put them
into action by developing objectives
Explain productivity - (ANSWER)measure of how effectively you use resources,
ratio of output to input
What are the 6 phases of Product Development? - (ANSWER)1. Planning
2. Concept Development
3. System level design
4. Design detail
5. Testing and refinement
6. Production ramp-up
What phases of Product Development include manufacturing? - (ANSWER)All
phases
Explain Quality Function Deployment - (ANSWER)Translates customer
requirements into goals
Facilitates cooperation between departments
Begins with listening to the customer
