Business Operations and Service Management Questions

Which of the following is an example of a service?

• A car manufactured on an assembly line

• A new smartphone

• A haircut at a salon

• A pair of shoes

A company is trying to compete by offering the lowest prices on its products. According to the competitive priorities framework, which of the following would be a key focus for this company?

• Outstanding product research

• High productivity and economies of scale

• The ability to produce a wide variety of goods

• Flexible, rapid response to customer demand

Which of the following would be considered an 'order winner' for a company selling smartphones?

• Reliable performance and a long battery life

• A phone that is durable and water-resistant

• A price that is competitive with other brands

• An exclusive, cutting-edge new feature not available on other phones

A multinational enterprise (MNE) is likely to focus on which of the following in its operations strategy?

• Only selling products in its home country

• Sourcing, marketing, and producing goods and services in several countries

• Focusing on a single, highly specialized product line

• Gaining competitive advantage by eliminating all international partnerships

Which of the following is an example of 'soft technology'?

• A robot arm used on a factory floor

• Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software used to manage business processes

• A 3D printer used for rapid prototyping

• A numerical control (NC) machine tool

A key benefit of using a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system is that it can help a firm to:

• Completely automate all production processes.

• Replace the need for human customer service representatives.

• Better understand customer wants, needs, and behaviors to enhance revenues.

• Automatically forecast sales with 100% accuracy.

Which of the following is an example of a low-scalability business?

• A restaurant that requires more chefs and ingredients for each new customer

• A social media platform that can add new users at almost no cost

• A streaming music service that serves a new subscriber with no additional variable costs

• An online education platform that can sell a course to thousands of people after it has been created once

Which of the following is a primary characteristic of a service as opposed to a good?

• Services are always tangible.

• Services are easier to evaluate before they are purchased.

• Services can be stored as physical inventory.

• Service demands are difficult to predict.

A customer who evaluates a service based on 'credence attributes' would be most concerned with:

• Aspects that can be determined prior to purchase, like price.

• Aspects that can be discerned during consumption, like a waiter's friendliness.

• Aspects that they must believe in but cannot easily discern even after consumption, like a doctor's diagnosis.

• Aspects related to the physical product sold with the service.

According to the provided material, which of the following is NOT considered one of the five key competitive priorities?

• Cost

• Quality

• Time

• Customer service