MNO3701/103/3/2023
Tutorial letter 103/3/2023
PRODUCTION AND OPERATIONS
MANAGEMENT
MNO3701
Semesters 1 and 2
Department of Operations Management
This tutorial letter contains important information about your module.
BARCODE
,Dear MNO3701 students,
I know that you are all overwhealmed with obligations as well as your studies. I order to make
things easier for you I have compiled this TL103 comprising of Questions and answers. Please
review the Questions and answers in preparation for the examination.
Good luck!
Yours sincerely
Prof Alet Tolmay
Production and Operations Management
2
, MNO3701/103/3/2023
ASSIGNMENT 1
1 Which three of the following statements are correct?
a All operations of all types of businesses produce goods or render services, or a mixture of the two, by
a process of transformation.
b Transformed input resources comprise materials, information and customer/clients.
c The difference between transforming and transformed input resources, respectively, lies in their
position concerning the output resources.
d A dominant transformed material resource, such as a factory plant, would be found in all types of
manufacturing operations.
e After having gone through materials, information or customer processing, outputs emerge in the form
of goods or services, which are generally different, because of tangibility, storability, transportability and
customer/client contact.
1 a, b, e
2 a, b, c
3 b, c, d
4 c, d, e
5 a, d, e
Answer to Question 1
Options (a), (b) and (e) are correct; therefore, alternative 1 is correct. Option (c) is incorrect, because both
transforming (facilities and staff) and transformed (materials, information and customers/clients) resources
are inputs that are fed into the transformation process at the start and their relative position to what is
denoted by the term “output resources” (incidentally a term that we made up), is irrelevant. Option (d) is
incorrect, because the factory plant is a transforming, rather than a transformed resource. Options (a), (b)
and (e) are all correct.
Refer to pages 11 – 13 in Slack et al. (2017).
2 Which one of the following is not an operations strategy?
1 Top-down operational strategy
2 Bottom-up operational strategy
3 Statistical process control (SPC) operational strategy
4 Market requirements operational strategy
5 Capabilities of operations resources operational strategy
Answer to Question 2
Alternative 3 is the correct answer.
Operations strategies include the following:
• Top-down
• Bottom-up
• Market requirements
• Capabilities of operations resources
Refer to page 57 in Slack et al. (2017)
Statistical process control (alterative 3) is not an operations strategy, but forms part of operations planning
and control (chapter 17).
3 Which of the following is correct regarding dependability inside the operation?
a Dependability has the potential to offer more reliable delivery of services and products
b Dependability saves money
c Dependability gives stability
d Dependability saves time
e Dependability is an ISO standard
3
, 1 a, e
2 b, e
3 c, e
4 d, e
5 a, b, c, d
Answer to Question 3
Alternative 5 is correct. Option (e) is incorrect. Options (a), (b), (c) and (d) are correct. Dependability
provides the potential for more reliable delivery of services and products, dependability saves money,
dependability gives stability, and dependability saves time.
Refer to page 41 in Slack et al. (2017).
4 Which option is incorrect regarding the basic performance objectives for production/operations
management?
1 Speed
2 Dependability
3 Flexibility
4 Profit
5 Cost
Answer to Question 4
The correct answer is alternative 4. The basic performance objectives for production and operations
management include the following:
• Qualities
• Speed
• Dependability
• Flexibility
• Cost
Alternative 4 namely profit not a performance objective, as cost and not profit is a performance objective
for production and operations management. Profit is always important in an organisation. However, this
discipline should rather be handled by the finance department.
Refer to page 77 in Slack et al. (2017).
5 Which statements is/are correct regarding the product/service life cycle?
a Laggards will only enter (accept) a product/service during the decline phase.
b During the introduction-into-the-market phase, competitors are usually few or none.
c Dominant operations performance objectives during the decline phase will be speed.
d During the maturity phase, competitor numbers will increase.
e During the growth-in-market phase, the likely qualifiers will be quality.
1 a
2 a, b
3 c
4 c, d
5 e
Answer to Question 5
The correct alternative is 2. Options (a) and (b) are correct. Options (c), (d) and (e) are incorrect. Option
(c) is incorrect, because dominant operations performance objectives during the decline-phase will be cost.
Option (d) is incorrect, because during the maturity-phase, competitor numbers will be stable. Option (e)
is incorrect, because during the growth-in-market-phase, the likely qualifiers will be price or range.
Refer to page 64 in Slack et al. (2017).
4
Tutorial letter 103/3/2023
PRODUCTION AND OPERATIONS
MANAGEMENT
MNO3701
Semesters 1 and 2
Department of Operations Management
This tutorial letter contains important information about your module.
BARCODE
,Dear MNO3701 students,
I know that you are all overwhealmed with obligations as well as your studies. I order to make
things easier for you I have compiled this TL103 comprising of Questions and answers. Please
review the Questions and answers in preparation for the examination.
Good luck!
Yours sincerely
Prof Alet Tolmay
Production and Operations Management
2
, MNO3701/103/3/2023
ASSIGNMENT 1
1 Which three of the following statements are correct?
a All operations of all types of businesses produce goods or render services, or a mixture of the two, by
a process of transformation.
b Transformed input resources comprise materials, information and customer/clients.
c The difference between transforming and transformed input resources, respectively, lies in their
position concerning the output resources.
d A dominant transformed material resource, such as a factory plant, would be found in all types of
manufacturing operations.
e After having gone through materials, information or customer processing, outputs emerge in the form
of goods or services, which are generally different, because of tangibility, storability, transportability and
customer/client contact.
1 a, b, e
2 a, b, c
3 b, c, d
4 c, d, e
5 a, d, e
Answer to Question 1
Options (a), (b) and (e) are correct; therefore, alternative 1 is correct. Option (c) is incorrect, because both
transforming (facilities and staff) and transformed (materials, information and customers/clients) resources
are inputs that are fed into the transformation process at the start and their relative position to what is
denoted by the term “output resources” (incidentally a term that we made up), is irrelevant. Option (d) is
incorrect, because the factory plant is a transforming, rather than a transformed resource. Options (a), (b)
and (e) are all correct.
Refer to pages 11 – 13 in Slack et al. (2017).
2 Which one of the following is not an operations strategy?
1 Top-down operational strategy
2 Bottom-up operational strategy
3 Statistical process control (SPC) operational strategy
4 Market requirements operational strategy
5 Capabilities of operations resources operational strategy
Answer to Question 2
Alternative 3 is the correct answer.
Operations strategies include the following:
• Top-down
• Bottom-up
• Market requirements
• Capabilities of operations resources
Refer to page 57 in Slack et al. (2017)
Statistical process control (alterative 3) is not an operations strategy, but forms part of operations planning
and control (chapter 17).
3 Which of the following is correct regarding dependability inside the operation?
a Dependability has the potential to offer more reliable delivery of services and products
b Dependability saves money
c Dependability gives stability
d Dependability saves time
e Dependability is an ISO standard
3
, 1 a, e
2 b, e
3 c, e
4 d, e
5 a, b, c, d
Answer to Question 3
Alternative 5 is correct. Option (e) is incorrect. Options (a), (b), (c) and (d) are correct. Dependability
provides the potential for more reliable delivery of services and products, dependability saves money,
dependability gives stability, and dependability saves time.
Refer to page 41 in Slack et al. (2017).
4 Which option is incorrect regarding the basic performance objectives for production/operations
management?
1 Speed
2 Dependability
3 Flexibility
4 Profit
5 Cost
Answer to Question 4
The correct answer is alternative 4. The basic performance objectives for production and operations
management include the following:
• Qualities
• Speed
• Dependability
• Flexibility
• Cost
Alternative 4 namely profit not a performance objective, as cost and not profit is a performance objective
for production and operations management. Profit is always important in an organisation. However, this
discipline should rather be handled by the finance department.
Refer to page 77 in Slack et al. (2017).
5 Which statements is/are correct regarding the product/service life cycle?
a Laggards will only enter (accept) a product/service during the decline phase.
b During the introduction-into-the-market phase, competitors are usually few or none.
c Dominant operations performance objectives during the decline phase will be speed.
d During the maturity phase, competitor numbers will increase.
e During the growth-in-market phase, the likely qualifiers will be quality.
1 a
2 a, b
3 c
4 c, d
5 e
Answer to Question 5
The correct alternative is 2. Options (a) and (b) are correct. Options (c), (d) and (e) are incorrect. Option
(c) is incorrect, because dominant operations performance objectives during the decline-phase will be cost.
Option (d) is incorrect, because during the maturity-phase, competitor numbers will be stable. Option (e)
is incorrect, because during the growth-in-market-phase, the likely qualifiers will be price or range.
Refer to page 64 in Slack et al. (2017).
4
