Table of Content

• QUESTION ONE (a)During the industrial revolution, the average worker was just a part of production with narrow specialized skill. We still see factories today that uses mostly workers with specialized skills. What is the feature of a job with a high degree of specialisation? 15 marks (b) State the advantages a firm has in having a production set-up that requires and employs mostly specialized workforce.

• QUESTION TWO (a) Trace the link between a production or operations management strategy and the firm’s overall corporate strategy. 7 marks (b) What characteristics of the consumers do firms normally use to identify the boundaries of the market segments that it should serve?

• QUESTION THREE (a) Choosing a process that best supports a firm’s strategy is one of the first decisions a production manager makes. Identify the five process types, and discuss them. (b) When should a process decision be made?

• QUESTION FOUR (a)Discuss the role of technology in business management. (b)Discuss the components of information technology.

• QUESTION FIVE The type of relations maintained with suppliers can affect the quality, delivery and price of a firm’s products and services. Discuss two major types of relationships a firm may develop with its suppliers

• QUESTIONS SIX (a) What is vertical integration? 7 marks (b) What is the advantages that vertical integration bring to a manufacturing firm? 8 marks