1
1 mark
Which one of the following is the method of production where one unit of output is completed at a time?
Select one answer.
Lean
Flow
Batch
Job
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Production (Edexcel IGCSE Business): Exam Questions
Exam code: 4BS1
1 hour22 questions
2
1 mark
Many manufacturers make use of robots in their production processes.
Define the term robotics.
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3
1 mark
Define the term capital intensive production.
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4
1 mark
Which one of the following is an advantage of job production when compared to other methods of production?
Select one answer.
Workers will be better motivated
Production speeds will be faster
Unit costs will be the same
Less training will be needed
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5
1 mark
Which one of the following job roles is most likely to be associated with capital-intensive production?
Select one answer.
Hairdresser
Car assembly worker
Soft fruit picker
Chef
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6
1 mark
Define the term job production.
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7
1 mark
Define the term labour intensive production.
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8
2 marks
Case Study
Most people recognise Heinz for the phrase ‘57 varieties’ even though it now produces many more than the original 57 varieties. H J Heinz, the founder of the Heinz business, believed the phrase sounded lucky.
Kraft Heinz is a world-wide producer of food products. It was formed from the merger of Kraft Foods and Heinz in 2015. This created the third largest food and drinks business in the USA and the fifth largest food and drinks business in the world.
Kraft Heinz has over 24 different brands, including Greenseas in Australia and Nutri+Plus in New Zealand. America has the largest number of brands from Maxwell House to Cool Whip. Kraft Heinz produces many different products including tomato sauce, ‘Mac&Cheese’, pasta and its famous baked beans that are used and eaten by many people.
Kraft Heinz uses many methods to advertise its products. These include posters, billboards and leaflets in supermarkets.
Kraft Heinz has set itself many targets to reach before 2025. These include reducing its impact on the environment and improving its use of robotic technology for production. It is hoped that these targets will lower the impact Kraft Heinz production has on the environment by reducing its waste and greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming.
Outline one impact that will come from Kraft Heinz’s use of robotic technology.
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9
1 mark
Define the term inventory.
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10
1 mark
Which one of the following describes Kaizen?
Select one answer.
Skilled manufacturing
Just-in-time (JIT)
Market orientated
Continuous improvement
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11
2 marks
Case Study
Huawei is a leading global provider of information and communications technology, infrastructure and smart devices. In March 2011, over one million of its C8500 smartphones were sold in China following its launch.
It now manufactures a wide variety of different products including Huawei smartphones, watches and tablets. In recent years Huawei has won many awards. In 2018 it was named the 68th most valuable brand by Best Global Brands. In 2019 it introduced a smartphone which had new photographic technology.
Outline one reason why Huawei would use robotics in the production of its products.
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12
1 mark
Case Study
The Alternative Drum School (TADS) was set up in the wealthy area of Cricklade, England in 2008 by Ollie Tanner who had a passion for and enjoyed drumming. Ollie invested all of his savings into the drumming school. He saw the potential of being located away from other drumming schools.
Ollie promotes his business by writing columns in local papers, performing at local music festivals and by word of mouth recommendations. He has invested heavily in computer technology to allow students to produce the music they enjoy playing.
Ollie finds it difficult to maintain a good work-life balance. Ollie currently works 60 hours a week in a business that does not have reliable profits.
State one benefit to TADS of investing in computer technology.
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1
3 marks
Explain one disadvantage for a business of using flow production to produce its goods.
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2
6 marks
Case Study
Most people recognise Heinz for the phrase ‘57 varieties’ even though it now produces many more than the original 57 varieties. H J Heinz, the founder of the Heinz business, believed the phrase sounded lucky.
Kraft Heinz is a world-wide producer of food products. It was formed from the merger of Kraft Foods and Heinz in 2015. This created the third largest food and drinks business in the USA and the fifth largest food and drinks business in the world.
Kraft Heinz has over 24 different brands, including Greenseas in Australia and Nutri+Plus in New Zealand. America has the largest number of brands from Maxwell House to Cool Whip. Kraft Heinz produces many different products including tomato sauce, ‘Mac&Cheese’, pasta and its famous baked beans that are used and eaten by many people.
Kraft Heinz uses many methods to advertise its products. These include posters, billboards and leaflets in supermarkets.
Analyse how Kraft Heinz could benefit from reducing its waste.
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3
3 marks
Explain one reason why a business would use robotics in its production.
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4
3 marks
Explain one reason why businesses want to use resources effectively in manufacturing.
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5
6 marks
Case Study
As We Grow (AWG) is a clothing business in Iceland. The social objective of the business is to use natural materials, such as wool, and produce environmentally friendly products. It aims to design clothes that will last a long time, to encourage families to buy fewer clothes and reduce waste in society.
AWG’s increasing product range now includes jumpers, dresses, shirts and baby clothes. These are produced in small workshops that employ family and friends. Waste is kept to a minimum and any leftover material is used to make scarves and hats. The business has one store in Iceland. It uses its website to advertise and sell its clothing online to customers in other countries. The business has received the Icelandic Design Award for its contribution to the environment.
AWG is considering introducing Kaizen.
Analyse how this could affect its business.
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6
6 marks
Case Study
The LEGO Group is a privately-owned business in Denmark. The business was founded in 1932 by the Kristiansen family. The family still owns it. The name LEGO is an abbreviation of two Danish words, ‘leg godt’ which means ‘play well’. It is now one of the world’s largest manufacturers of toys with 15 factories and over 18,000 employees around the world.
LEGO manufactures toys, games and art materials for boys and girls of all ages, and products from films such as Star Wars and Harry Potter. It believes that children are the role models of the future and playing with LEGO can support children in a developing and complex world.
Quality has always been one of LEGO’s main values. It wants everything that it makes and sells to be the best so its toys can help children learn and develop. It has a motto that ‘only the best is good enough’. The founder of LEGO set a company rule that ‘No one must be able to do this, better than us’. He also stated that he wanted ‘only the best people that money could buy’ to work at the business.
Analyse the benefits to LEGO of increasing the use of robotics in the manufacture of toys and games.
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7
3 marks
Explain one reason why a business would use batch production.
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1
9 marks
Case Study
Irsi Chocolatier is a chocolate shop in Brussels, the capital city of Belgium. There are many other chocolate shops nearby. Opened in 1989 by the Corne family, the business now has four directors and three employees. Florent Corne is the Managing Director with three other family members as directors. Irsi Chocolatier opens from Tuesday till Saturday. The shop sells a variety of handmade chocolates and jelly fruit sweets. It delivers locally and has a website for information purposes only.
Irsi Chocolatier is planning to produce chocolate lollipops in different shapes and flavours.
Currently, handmade chocolates are made using batch production, and cakes for special occasions use job production.
To make the new chocolate lollipops, Irsi Chocolatier is considering using:
Option 1: batch production
Option 2: job production.
Justify which one of these two options Irsi Chocolatier should choose.
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2
9 marks
Case Study
Vela is a sports clothing manufacturer based in Medellín, Colombia. It produces training kits, sports shoes and gym wear for professional sports teams and individual customers across South America. It employs 800 workers across two large factories. In recent years, demand for Vela's products has grown significantly and the business is struggling to keep up with orders. Product quality has also become inconsistent, with some customers complaining about faulty stitching and sizing errors.
Vela is considering two options to improve its production:
Option 1: invest in robotic technology to automate parts of the manufacturing process
Option 2: introduce Kaizen to encourage workers to suggest continuous small improvements.
Justify which one of these two options Vela should choose.
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3
12 marks
Case Study
Nori is a large instant noodle manufacturer based in Seoul, South Korea. It was founded in 1985 and produces over 500 million packets of noodles each year, sold in supermarkets across Asia, Europe and North America. Nori uses flow production and robotic technology on its main production lines. It also employs 2,000 workers in quality control roles, checking that each packet of noodles meets the required standard before leaving the factory. In recent years, Nori has faced growing competition from rival noodle brands in China and Japan that are able to produce noodles at a lower cost per packet.
Evaluate the importance to Nori of maintaining high quality standards in the production of its noodles. You should use the information provided as well as your own knowledge of business.
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