Certified Production & Operations Manager (POM) Practice Exam

What term describes the range of output that can be produced by operation X feeding into operation Y?

1. Design capacity

2. Effective capacity

3. Maximum utilization

4. Throughput

The correct answer is: Design capacity

The term that accurately describes the range of output that can be produced by one operation feeding into another is "throughput." Throughput refers to the amount of product that is processed through a system in a given amount of time. In this context, operation X's output becomes the input for operation Y, thus directly relating the output capacity of operation X to the input capacity of operation Y. Design capacity refers to the maximum output that can be achieved under ideal conditions, which does not necessarily account for the efficiency or practical limitations of the operations. Effective capacity represents what can realistically be produced after considering factors like maintenance and worker efficiency, but again, it does not capture the interaction between two operations as clearly as throughput does. Maximum utilization measures the extent to which the capacity of an operation is being used but does not define the interdependence of outputs between operations. Therefore, throughput is the most fitting term that captures the dynamic and interactive nature of operations feeding into one another, highlighting the range of output that can be effectively utilized between different operational stages.