CIPS Operations Management Sample Questions:

1. Khaled has recently been hired as an Operations Manager at a company providing consultancy services. This is his first role in the service industry, previously he has worked at companies providing goods. He understands that services are intangible and therefore there is a difference in how Operations may be managed. Which of the following sentences about services are true? Select THREE

A) there is a transfer of ownership when purchasing a service
B) it is not possible to return a service
C) there is no variability in services
D) services cannot be stored, unlike goods
E) production and consumption occur simultaneously

2. Below are details of five companies who operate a Total Quality Management System (TQM). For each company, select the system used and identify which area of the Balanced Scorecard this relates to.
Company 1: The focus of this company is to gather real-time data to assess the quality of products created during the manufacturing process. There are tight budgets and reworking any defects will affect the bottom line.
Company 2: This company is concerned about how their products are received. They have recently completed market research focused on their client's feelings. The objective is now to improve the product's look and performance to meet these expectations.
Company 3: The focus of this company is defining the customer requirements and translating this into a high-quality specification and effective operational process.
Company 4: Within this company there is a group of 6 employees who meet regularly with the objective of reducing issues that arise in the manufacturing of products.
Complete the table below by listing the TQM System used and the relevant Balanced Scorecard criteria for each company. Each response should only be used once: Quality Circle, Statistical Process Control, Kansei Engineering, Quality Function Deployment, Finance Criteria, Business Process Criteria, Learning and Growth Criteria, Customer Criteria.

Which of the following will you put into box 8?

A) customer criteria
B) learning and growth criteria
C) finance criteria
D) business process criteria

3. In an organisation that uses Quality Assurance to ascertain whether a product meets the needs of a customer, which of the following are you likely to find?

A) proactive maintenance of equipment
B) regular feedback loops from customers
C) staff proactively checking products for defects
D) a steering committee

4. Moto Ltd is a car manufacturer based in Japan. They implement a Kansei Engineering process. In Kansei Engineering which of the following is considered?

A) costs of raw materials
B) environmental impact
C) customer emotions
D) ethical considerations

5. Below are details of five companies who operate a Total Quality Management System (TQM). For each company, select the system used and identify which area of the Balanced Scorecard this relates to.
Company 1: The focus of this company is to gather real-time data to assess the quality of products created during the manufacturing process. There are tight budgets and reworking any defects will affect the bottom line.
Company 2: This company is concerned about how their products are received. They have recently completed market research focused on their client's feelings. The objective is now to improve the product's look and performance to meet these expectations.
Company 3: The focus of this company is defining the customer requirements and translating this into a high-quality specification and effective operational process.
Company 4: Within this company there is a group of 6 employees who meet regularly with the objective of reducing issues that arise in the manufacturing of products.
Complete the table below by listing the TQM System used and the relevant Balanced Scorecard criteria for each company. Each response should only be used once: Quality Circle, Statistical Process Control, Kansei Engineering, Quality Function Deployment, Finance Criteria, Business Process Criteria, Learning and Growth Criteria, Customer Criteria.

Which of the following will you put into box 1?

A) statistical process control
B) quality function deployment
C) quality circle
D) kansei engineering

Solutions: