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A capacity-leading strategy is a proactive approach that adds or subtracts capacity in anticipation of future market demand. It is an aggressive strategy with the objective of improving the service level and decreasing lead time1. An advantage of adopting a capacity-leading strategy is that there issufficient capacity to meet demand, which means that the organization can satisfy customer needs and expectations, as well as capture new market opportunities. A capacity-leading strategy can also help the organization gain a competitive edge by being the first to offer new products or services, or by lowering prices due to economies of scale2.

The other options are not advantages of adopting a capacity-leading strategy. There is not necessarily sufficient demand to consume capacity, which means that the organization may face overcapacity problems, such as high inventory costs, low utilization rates, and reduced profitability3. All demand is not satisfied, and profit is not maximized, because there may be other factors that affect customer satisfaction and profitability, such as quality, price, or service4. Overcapacity problems are not minimized, but rather increased, by adopting a capacity-leading strategy, because the organization may have more capacity than needed if demand does not increase as expected3.

References: CPIM Part 2 Exam Content Manual, Domain 4: Plan and Manage Supply, Section 4.1: Supply Management Concepts and Tools, p. 33-34; Capacity Planning Strategies: Types, Examples, Pros And Cons - Toggl; Lead Capacity Strategy, Lead Demand Strategy - UniversalTeacher.com; Capacity Planning Strategies For End-to-End Supply Chain Profitability; Capacity Planning Strategies: Types, Examples, Pros And Cons - Toggl.

 In a lean environment, one uses material requirements planning (MRP) processing primarily to create plans to share with suppliers. MRP is a software-based system that calculates the quantity and timing of materials needed for production, based on the master production schedule, the bill of materials, and the inventory status. MRP helps to coordinate the flow of materials from suppliers to the production process, reducing waste and inventory costs. MRP can also generate purchase orders, work orders, and other documents to communicate the plans with suppliers and internal departments. MRP does not calculate average daily demand, which is a measure of the average amount of a product or service that is sold or consumed per day. MRP does not determine the kanban circuit locations, which are the physical places where kanban cards or containers are exchanged between processes in a pull system. MRP does not determine where to use supermarkets, which are locations where a small amount of inventory is kept to buffer against fluctuations in demand or supply. References: CPIM Exam Content Manual Version 7.0, Domain 4: Plan and Manage Supply, Section 4.1: Supply Planning Concepts, p. 24; Lean MRP; Manufacturing resource planning.

 A life cycle assessment (LCA) would be used to determine environmental aspects and impacts. Environmental aspects are the elements or characteristics of a product or service that can interact with the environment, such as emissions, energy use, water use, waste generation, etc. Environmental impacts are the effects or consequences of the environmental aspects on the environment, such as climate change, acidification, eutrophication, human health, biodiversity, etc1

A life cycle assessment (LCA) is a systematic analysis of the potential environmental impacts of products or services during their entire life cycle. During an LCA, you evaluate the potential environmental impacts throughout the entire life cycle of a product (production, distribution, use and disposal) by considering all the relevant environmental aspects and their interactions with the environment23

An LCA can help you:

Identify the most significant environmental aspects and impacts of your product or service

Compare the environmental performance of different products or services

Find opportunities to reduce the environmental impacts and improve the environmental performance of your product or service

Communicate the environmental benefits of your product or service to your customers, stakeholders, and regulators

Therefore, an LCA would be used to determine environmental aspects and impacts.

References: 1: Environmental Aspect Definition 2: Life-cycle assessment - Wikipedia 1 3: Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) - Complete Beginner’s Guide - Ecochain 2

A purchase order is issued to the supplier for each delivery requirement is an activity that represents waste in a system. Waste is any activity or process that does not add value to the customer or the product, but consumes resources, time, or money. Waste can reduce the efficiency, productivity, and quality of the system, as well as increase the costs, defects, or delays. Waste can be classified into seven types: overproduction, inventory, transportation, motion, waiting, overprocessing, and defects1.

Issuing a purchase order to the supplier for each delivery requirement is an example of overprocessing waste. Overprocessing waste is any activity or process that is unnecessary or excessive for meeting the customer needs or specifications. Overprocessing waste can result from poor communication, unclear requirements, redundant tasks, or outdated procedures. Issuing a purchase order to the supplier for each delivery requirement is an overprocessing waste because it involves more paperwork, approvals, and transactions than needed. It can also create confusion, errors, or delays in the delivery process. A better way to eliminate this waste is to use a pull system, such as kanban2, that signals the supplier to deliver only when there is a demand from the customer.

The other options are not activities that represent waste in a system. More kanbans with smaller quantities are added to the supply chain is an activity that reduces waste in a system. Kanban is a pull system that uses visual signals, such as cards or containers, to indicate when and how much to produce or deliver. Kanban can help reduce waste by synchronizing the production and delivery processes with the customer demand, minimizing inventory levels, improving quality and efficiency, and preventing overproduction or underproduction3. Adding more kanbans with smaller quantities can help reduce inventory waste by lowering the holding costs, transportation costs, or obsolescence costs of inventory. It can also help reduce overproduction waste by producing or delivering only what is needed by the customer.

A kanban is eliminated from the system is an activity that reduces waste in a system. Eliminating a kanban from the system means reducing the number of signals or containers used in the production or delivery process. Eliminating a kanban from the system can help reduce waste by increasing the throughput and velocity of the process, reducing cycle times and lead times, improving responsiveness and flexibility, and enhancing customer satisfaction4.

A production forecast is issued to the supplier is not an activity that represents waste in a system. A production forecast is an estimate of the future demand or sales of a product or service. A production forecast can help plan and manage the production and delivery processes by determining how much and when to produce or deliver. A production forecast can help reduce waste by optimizing the use of resources and capacity, minimizing inventory levels and costs, improving service levels and quality, and avoiding stockouts or shortages5. Issuing a production forecast to thesupplier can help align the production and delivery processes with the customer demand and expectations.

References := The 7 Wastes With Examples: How to Identify Them | Lean Manufacturing, What Is Overprocessing Waste? Definition And Examples, Kanban - Wikipedia, How To Reduce Inventory With Kanban | Lean Manufacturing, Production Forecasting - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics

To find the cumulative difference between the required capacity and the available capacity of Months 1 through 37, we need to sum up the differences for each month. The difference for each month is calculated by subtracting the available capacity from the required capacity. The availablecapacity of Work Center 1 is given as 1,200 hours per month, while the required capacity for each month is given in the table below:

The difference for each month is then:

The cumulative difference is the sum of all the differences:

-200 -100 +0 +100 +200 +300 +400 + … +1,700 = 150

Manufacturing flexibility can be measured by using changeover time. Changeover time is the time it takes to go from the last good part of one product run to the first good part of the next product run1. Manufacturing flexibility is the ability of a system to handle a range of products or variants with fast setups2. By using changeover time as a measure of manufacturing flexibility, we can assess how quickly and efficiently a system can switch from one product to another, and how well it can respond to changes in customer demand, product mix, quality standards, and delivery schedules3.

Some of the benefits of reducing changeover time and increasing manufacturing flexibility are4:

Lower manufacturing costs: More value-added capacity can be unlocked because the equipment is idle for less time.

Higher customer satisfaction: Customers can get their products faster and with more variety.

Greater competitive advantage: The system can adapt to market changes and offer more customized products or services.

Improved quality and productivity: The system can avoid defects, waste, and errors that may occur during long or complex changeovers.

Some of the methods or tools that can help reduce changeover time and increase manufacturing flexibility are5:

Single-minute exchange of die (SMED): A technique that aims to reduce changeover time to less than 10 minutes by converting internal setup activities (those that can only be done when the machine is stopped) to external setup activities (those that can be done while the machine is running), and streamlining both types of activities.

Total productive maintenance (TPM): A technique that involves maintaining and improving the equipment performance and reliability by involving all employees in preventive maintenance, autonomous maintenance, focused improvement, and quality management.

Quick response manufacturing (QRM): A technique that focuses on reducing lead times throughout the entire organization by applying the principles of time-based competition, cellular manufacturing, system dynamics, and enterprise-wide application.

Therefore, changeover time is a measure that can be used to evaluate the manufacturing flexibility of a system.

References: 1: What is Changeover? (Lean terminology) - Velaction 5 2: FLEXIBILITY IN MANUFACTURING | SpringerLink 3 3: How to Reduce Changeover Time - MachineMetrics 6 4: The Tradeoff Between Inventory Costs And Transportation Costs 5: Changeover [Manufacturing Definition] | Creative Safety Supply 

 The approved output of the distribution requirements planning (DRP) process is an input to the master production planning (MPS) process. The DRP process determines the quantity and timing of finished goods to be delivered to each distribution center or warehouse to meet customer demand1. The output of the DRP process is a distribution schedule that specifies the planned delivery dates and quantities of products2. The distribution schedule is then used as an input to the MPS process, which determines the quantity and timing of end items to be produced at each manufacturing facility3. The MPS process balances the demand from the distribution schedule with the available capacity and resources of the production system3. The output of the MPS process is a master production schedule that specifies the planned production dates and quantities of end items3.

References: CPIM Part 2 Exam Content Manual, Domain 4: Plan and Manage Supply, Section 4.1: Supply Management Concepts and Tools, p. 33-34.

A lean relationship is a type of supplier-customer relationship that focuses on eliminating waste, improving quality, and reducing costs throughout the supply chain. A lean relationship requires a high level of collaboration, trust, and transparency between the supplier and the customer. Communication between the counterparts at the two companies is an essential activity that will enhance a successful lean relationship. Communication can help to align the goals, expectations, and performance measures of the supplier and the customer, as well as to identify and resolve any issues or problems that may arise. Communication can also facilitate information sharing, feedback, and continuous improvement initiatives. References: CPIM Exam Content Manual Version 7.0, Domain 7: Plan and Manage Distribution, Section 7.1: Develop Distribution Plans, Subsection 7.1.3: Describe how to develop supplier-customer relationships (page 66).

A reduction in purchased lot sizes will reduce inventory levels. Purchased lot sizes are the quantities of inventory that a stage of the supply chain either produces or purchases at a given time1. Inventory levels are the amount of stock available throughout the distribution network2. By reducing the purchased lot sizes, a company can lower the amount of inventory it holds, which can reduce the inventory costs, such as holding costs, shortage costs, and order costs3.

Holding costs are the costs associated with storing and maintaining inventory, such as rent, utilities, insurance, taxes, depreciation, and obsolescence4. Shortage costs are the costs incurred when demand exceeds supply, such as lost sales, customer dissatisfaction, and backorder costs4. Order costs are the costs involved in placing and receiving orders, such as transportation, inspection, setup, and administrative costs4.

Reducing the purchased lot sizes can lower the holding costs by decreasing the average inventory in the supply chain due to either production or purchases in lot sizes that are larger than those demanded by the customer1. This is also known as cycle inventory1. Reducing the purchased lot sizes can also lower the shortage costs by increasing the frequency of orders and decreasing the lead time between orders5. This can help avoid stockouts and meet customer demand more consistently. Reducing the purchased lot sizes can also lower the order costs by optimizing the order quantity based on the trade-off between holding costs and order costs. This is also known as economic order quantity (EOQ).

Therefore, a reduction in purchased lot sizes will reduce inventory levels and inventory costs.

References: 1: Chapter 11 Flashcards by Amy Horton 3 2: Optimal Inventory Levels: Calculate & Manage Your Stock Levels 2 3: Inventory Levels Explained: The Highs & Lows Of Optimal Stock 1 4: Economic Order Quantity Model in Inventory Management 4 5: Dual sourcing: Advantages and disadvantages : Economic Order Quantity: What Does It Mean and Who Is It For5

Measurements are quantitative or qualitative data that indicate the magnitude, frequency, or impact of the problem. Measurements help to define the problem clearly, objectively, and specifically, as well as to establish a baseline for improvement. Therefore, what should be added to the problem statement to make it more useful is measurements that help describe the problem. For example, a more useful problem statement could be “We have observed that the inventory system causes 15% of plastic parts to be damaged or misplaced every month, resulting in $10,000 of additional costs and 5% of customer complaints.”