Elderberry Ltd is an established organisation in the agricultural industry but has recently expanded into manufacturing its own juice range. The company is at the 'Introduction' stage of the product lifecycle and is attempting to bring new products to market. Which of the following performance objectives would be the most dominant at this stage of the lifecycle?

• A. dependability
• B. flexibility
• C. speed
• D. cost

Below are details of 4 local manufacturing companies. For each company you must decide what the main objective is for the organisation and what layout their manufacturing plant has. Company 1: This company creates large, delicate products which are hard to move. The main aim of the company is to stand out from competitors due to the superior level of materials used and by using the latest forms of technology to create the items.
Company 2: This company produces 72 different items and has designated zones within its premises for the creation of each item. The zones are organised based on the technology used and some products may be passed between different zones to be completed. The company creates many different items in response to changing customer demands, with many product lines only lasting a single season.
Company 3: Company 3 creates one product which flows along a single production line, with staff members adding to the product on four different occasions. The company must produce a high volume of this singular product in order to break even. Therefore, there is always a steady flow of items through the plant and it is important there is no stoppage in production.
Company 4: This company produces small batches of products, as and when they are ordered by customers. Due to uncertainty in demand, a high profit margin is added to the cost of each item. Teams in the factory are grouped into different areas depending on the technological process they are using.
Complete the table below by listing the objective criteria and plant layout for each company. Each response should only be used once: flexibility, speed, quality, cost, functional layout, cell layout, product layout, fixed-position layout

Which of the following will you put into box 1?

• A. quality
• B. flexibility
• C. speed
• D. cost

There are four manufacturing companies located on Seashell Industrial Estate. Each company creates a different product and employs a different maintenance approach to its operations. For each company, select the corresponding maintenance approach and the key operating process characteristic.
Company 1: This company creates craft beer and offers customers a tour of the brewery for a small charge. The brewing equipment is serviced monthly and the brewery is kept extremely clean. All equipment is labelled with the last service date.
Company 2: This company produces seasonal items such as Easter Eggs and Christmas Cake. The equipment has a control panel where lights will flash red advising staff to check oil levels and components. Staff can then report issues to the maintenance team if remedial work is required. Product demand fluctuates throughout the year.
Company 3: This equipment does not often break down and is only fixed when it is reported by staff as no longer working. Company 3 creates toys, providing a large range of product sizes and colours based on different customer requirements.
Company 4: Parts of the machine are serviced quarterly but in general, the machine is left to run its course and is then replaced when it is no longer financially viable to fix. The company produces cereal and the operating process is focused on the quantity produced and therefore uses standardised processes.
Complete the table below by listing the maintenance approach and operating process characteristic for each company. Each response should only be used once: preventative maintenance, run to breakdown maintenance, condition-based maintenance, mixed maintenance, volume, visibility, variation, variety

Which of the following will you put into box 3?

• A. condition-based maintenance
• B. mixed maintenance
• C. run-to-breakdown maintenance
• D. preventative maintenance

Which of the following items created by an organisation are intangible? Select TWO

• A. Legal Advice provided by a solicitor
• B. A cup of coffee from a restaurant
• C. A shirt bought at a retail outlet
• D. A massage given at a Spa

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 7?

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