IGNOU FREE MMPC-009 Management of Machines and Materials Solved Guess Paper 2025

Q1. Explain the meaning, scope and importance of Operations Management.

Operations Management is a branch of management that is concerned with the planning, organising, directing and controlling of production and service operations to convert inputs such as raw materials, labour, capital and technology into finished goods and services efficiently and effectively. It deals with the core activities of an organisation and plays a central role in achieving productivity, quality and customer satisfaction. The scope of operations management is very wide and covers activities such as product design, process design, facility location and layout, production planning, scheduling, quality control, maintenance management, inventory management and supply chain coordination. It is applicable not only to manufacturing industries but also to service organisations such as hospitals, banks, hotels and educational institutions. The importance of operations management lies in the fact that it directly affects the cost, quality, delivery and flexibility of products and services. Efficient operations management helps in the optimum utilisation of resources and reduces waste, breakdowns and idle time. It ensures smooth production flow and timely delivery of goods to customers. It improves product quality through quality control techniques and standardisation. Operations management also supports innovation through better process design and use of modern technology. It helps organisations achieve competitive advantage by reducing production cost, improving efficiency and enhancing customer satisfaction. In today’s highly competitive and globalised business environment, organisations must continuously improve their operations to survive and grow. Poor operations management leads to high costs, low quality, delays and customer dissatisfaction. Therefore, operations management is the backbone of every production and service organisation and plays a crucial role in achieving long-term profitability, growth and sustainability.

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Q2. Discuss the concept and steps involved in Facilities Planning.

Facilities planning refers to the process of designing and selecting the physical arrangement of machines, equipment, departments, storage areas and services within an organisation in order to achieve smooth workflow and efficient utilisation of resources. It includes decisions regarding plant location, plant layout, space planning and material handling systems. The concept of facilities planning is based on the idea that a well-planned facility reduces production cost, improves productivity, minimises material handling, ensures safety and enhances employee morale. The steps involved in facilities planning start with analysing the nature of the product, production volume, process requirements and future expansion needs. The next step is selecting a suitable plant location by considering factors such as availability of raw materials, labour, transport, power supply, market proximity and government policies. After location selection, plant layout is designed by arranging machines and departments in a logical sequence to ensure smooth flow of work. Space planning is done to ensure sufficient working area, storage space and movement of workers and materials. Material handling systems such as conveyors, forklifts and cranes are selected to reduce manual effort and delays. Finally, safety, lighting, ventilation and environmental factors are considered to create a healthy working environment. The importance of facilities planning is that it minimises production time and material movement, reduces congestion and delays, improves coordination among departments and increases overall productivity. It also reduces operating cost by eliminating unnecessary handling and backtracking. Good facilities planning improves worker comfort, safety and morale. It supports future expansion without major disruption. Thus, effective facilities planning is essential for achieving operational efficiency, cost control and long-term organisational success.

Q3. Explain the concept and techniques of Operations Planning and Control.

Operations Planning and Control (OPC) refers to the process of planning production activities in advance and controlling their execution to ensure that production is carried out efficiently, on time and within cost limits. It acts as a link between marketing demand and production capacity. The concept of operations planning and control is based on deciding what to produce, how much to produce, when to produce and how to produce, and then ensuring that actual production follows the plan. The main techniques of operations planning include forecasting, production planning, routing, scheduling, loading and dispatching. Forecasting helps in estimating future demand. Production planning determines the overall production targets. Routing decides the path and sequence of operations. Scheduling fixes the time for each operation. Loading assigns work to machines and workers. Dispatching gives instructions to start production. The control aspect of OPC includes follow-up, inspection, corrective actions and feedback. Follow-up ensures that work proceeds as per schedule. Inspection checks product quality. Corrective actions are taken to remove deviations. Feedback helps in improving future plans. The importance of operations planning and control lies in ensuring optimum utilisation of machines, labour and materials. It reduces production delays, bottlenecks and idle time. It improves delivery performance and customer satisfaction. It helps in cost control by avoiding overproduction and underutilisation of resources. It also ensures better coordination between different departments such as purchasing, production and sales. In the absence of effective OPC, production becomes disorganised, leading to high costs, delays and poor quality. Therefore, operations planning and control is essential for smooth production flow, efficiency and competitiveness.

Q4. Discuss the concept and significance of Work and Job Design.

Work and job design refers to the process of organising tasks, duties and responsibilities into a complete job in such a way that it improves efficiency, productivity, job satisfaction and employee motivation. Work design focuses on how tasks are performed, while job design focuses on how tasks are grouped into jobs. The concept of job design is based on balancing organisational efficiency with human satisfaction. Traditional job design focused on specialisation and simplification, while modern job design emphasises job enlargement, job enrichment, job rotation and employee empowerment. Job enlargement increases the number of tasks at the same level. Job enrichment increases the depth of a job by adding responsibility and decision-making power. Job rotation involves shifting employees between different jobs to reduce monotony. The significance of work and job design is very high in modern organisations. Proper job design improves employee motivation, morale and job satisfaction. It reduces boredom, fatigue and turnover. It increases productivity by matching employee skills with job requirements. Good job design improves quality of work and reduces errors and accidents. It enhances flexibility by developing multi-skilled workers. It also supports employee growth and career development. Poor job design leads to dissatisfaction, low productivity, absenteeism and industrial unrest. Therefore, effective work and job design is essential for achieving both organisational efficiency and employee well-being.

Q5. Explain the concept, objectives and importance of Materials Management.

Materials management refers to the integrated function of planning, purchasing, storing, moving and controlling materials from the point of purchase to the point of use in order to ensure uninterrupted production at minimum cost. Materials include raw materials, spare parts, components, consumables and finished goods. The concept of materials management is based on the idea of “right material, in right quantity, at right time, at right place and at right cost.” The objectives of materials management include ensuring continuous supply of materials, reducing materials cost, minimising inventory investment, avoiding wastage and obsolescence, improving quality of materials and maintaining good relations with suppliers. It also aims at efficient storage, proper material handling and accurate record keeping. The importance of materials management is very high because materials constitute a major portion of the total cost of production. Efficient materials management reduces production cost and improves profitability. It ensures uninterrupted production by avoiding shortages of raw materials. It minimises inventory carrying cost by maintaining optimum stock levels. It reduces losses due to theft, damage and obsolescence. It improves productivity by ensuring timely availability of quality materials. It also supports better coordination between purchasing, production, stores and finance departments. In today’s competitive environment, organisations that manage materials efficiently can reduce cost, improve delivery performance and gain competitive advantage. Therefore, materials management is a vital operational function that directly affects cost, quality, efficiency and customer satisfaction.

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Q6. Explain the concept and importance of Capacity Planning.

Capacity planning refers to the process of determining the production capacity needed by an organisation to meet changing demands for its products or services. It involves deciding the level of output an organisation can achieve with available resources such as machines, labour, space and technology. Capacity planning ensures that the organisation has neither excess capacity nor shortage of capacity at any time. If capacity is too high, resources remain underutilised and lead to higher fixed costs, whereas if capacity is too low, it results in production delays, loss of customers and reduced market share. The process of capacity planning begins with demand forecasting, where future market demand is estimated. Based on this, existing capacity is evaluated to identify the gap between current capacity and required capacity. Then alternative methods are considered such as expansion, outsourcing, multiple shifts, subcontracting or technological upgrades. Finally, the most economical and feasible alternative is selected and implemented. The importance of capacity planning is very high in operations management because it directly affects cost, productivity, delivery performance and customer satisfaction. Proper capacity planning ensures optimum utilisation of machines and manpower. It prevents bottlenecks in production and ensures smooth workflow. It helps organisations respond efficiently to fluctuations in demand. It also supports long-term investment decisions related to plant expansion and new machinery. Capacity planning helps in maintaining balance between production and market demand. It reduces production cost by avoiding over-investment in facilities. It improves employee morale by avoiding excessive work pressure or unemployment. In service organisations like hospitals, banks and transport systems, capacity planning ensures timely services and better customer experience. In today’s competitive business environment, where demand patterns change frequently, effective capacity planning helps organisations remain flexible, cost-efficient and customer-oriented. Therefore, capacity planning is a strategic decision that ensures both operational efficiency and long-term organisational growth.

Q7. Discuss the concept and importance of Value Engineering.

Value Engineering is a systematic and scientific technique used to analyse the functions of a product, process or system in order to achieve the required performance at the lowest possible cost without affecting quality, reliability and safety. The main objective of value engineering is to eliminate unnecessary costs while maintaining or improving the value of the product. Value is defined as the ratio of function to cost, and value engineering focuses on increasing value by either improving functions or reducing costs. The process of value engineering begins with the identification of the product or process to be analysed. This is followed by functional analysis, where each function of the product is studied in detail. Then alternative methods to achieve the same function at lower cost are generated through brainstorming and creativity techniques. These alternatives are evaluated based on feasibility, cost, quality and performance, and the best alternative is selected for implementation. The importance of value engineering lies in the fact that it helps organisations reduce production costs without compromising quality. It encourages innovation and creativity in product design and manufacturing processes. It improves profitability by lowering material, labour and overhead costs. It helps in the optimum utilisation of resources. Value engineering also improves product competitiveness in the market by offering better quality at lower prices. It supports continuous improvement and waste reduction. It also helps in meeting customer expectations by delivering better value for money. In today’s globalised and highly competitive markets, cost reduction without quality compromise is a major challenge. Value engineering helps organisations achieve this balance effectively. Therefore, value engineering is an important managerial tool that enhances operational efficiency, customer satisfaction and long-term business sustainability.

Q8. Explain the concept and objectives of Inventory Management.

Inventory management refers to the systematic control of ordering, storing and using materials, components and finished goods so that adequate supplies are available at minimum cost. Inventory includes raw materials, work-in-process, finished goods, spare parts and consumables. The main objective of inventory management is to ensure continuous production and sales operations without interruptions due to shortage of materials. At the same time, it aims to minimise the investment locked in inventory. The objectives of inventory management include maintaining optimum stock levels, ensuring uninterrupted production, minimising inventory carrying cost, reducing wastage and obsolescence, improving customer service and ensuring efficient utilisation of storage space. Inventory management also aims at preventing over-stocking and under-stocking situations. The importance of inventory management is very high because inventory constitutes a major portion of working capital. Excess inventory increases storage cost, insurance cost, risk of damage and obsolescence. Insufficient inventory leads to production stoppages, loss of sales and customer dissatisfaction. Effective inventory management ensures smooth flow of materials from suppliers to production and finally to customers. It improves production efficiency by ensuring timely availability of materials. It improves cash flow by reducing unnecessary investment in stock. It helps in meeting customer demand on time. It also improves coordination between purchase, production, sales and finance departments. In modern organisations, scientific tools such as ABC analysis, EOQ, JIT and computerised inventory systems are used to manage inventory effectively. Thus, inventory management plays a crucial role in cost control, operational efficiency and overall organisational performance.

Q9. Discuss the role and importance of Maintenance Management.

Maintenance management refers to the activities involved in keeping machines, equipment and facilities in proper working condition to ensure uninterrupted production operations. It includes inspection, servicing, repairing and replacement of equipment. The primary objective of maintenance management is to prevent breakdowns and ensure smooth and efficient functioning of machines. There are different types of maintenance such as preventive maintenance, breakdown maintenance, predictive maintenance and corrective maintenance. Preventive maintenance is carried out at regular intervals to avoid unexpected failures. Breakdown maintenance is done after equipment fails. Predictive maintenance uses modern techniques to predict failures in advance. Corrective maintenance focuses on restoring faulty equipment to working condition. The importance of maintenance management is extremely high in operations management because machines and equipment are the backbone of production systems. Proper maintenance increases the life of machines and reduces the need for frequent replacements. It minimises production downtime and loss of output. It improves product quality by ensuring accurate and reliable machine performance. It enhances worker safety by preventing accidents due to machine failures. It reduces overall maintenance cost by avoiding major breakdowns. It improves production efficiency and delivery performance. Poor maintenance leads to frequent breakdowns, production delays, increased costs and customer dissatisfaction. In today’s automated and technology-driven industries, maintenance management has become even more critical due to the complexity and high cost of machines. Therefore, effective maintenance management ensures reliability, productivity, safety and profitability of operations.

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Q10. Explain the concept and objectives of Purchasing Management.

Purchasing management refers to the process of selecting suppliers, negotiating contracts and acquiring goods and services at the right quality, right quantity, right time and at the most economical price for use in production and operations. It plays a vital role in materials management as it directly affects cost, quality and continuity of production. The concept of purchasing management is based on the principle of ensuring uninterrupted supply of materials at minimum cost while maintaining quality standards. The objectives of purchasing management include ensuring regular and timely supply of materials, obtaining materials at the lowest possible cost, maintaining consistent quality, developing reliable suppliers, minimising inventory investment, and ensuring compliance with legal and ethical standards. Purchasing also aims at fostering good relationships with suppliers and ensuring transparency in procurement. The importance of purchasing management is very high because materials constitute a large percentage of total production cost. Efficient purchasing reduces material cost and improves profitability. It ensures uninterrupted production by avoiding shortages of raw materials. It affects the quality of final products because poor-quality materials lead to defects and rework. It improves cash flow by avoiding over-purchasing. It also supports effective inventory management by coordinating with stores and production departments. In today’s competitive environment, purchasing has become a strategic function rather than a clerical activity. Organisations now focus on vendor development, long-term supplier relationships and ethical sourcing. Therefore, purchasing management plays a crucial role in cost control, quality improvement, operational efficiency and long-term organisational success.

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