Certified Production & Operations Manager (POM) Practice Exam

What does a systems approach imply about focusing on subsystems?

1. It guarantees overall efficiency

2. It diminishes the focus on resources

3. It ensures each subsystem operates independently

4. It lessens interdepartmental collaboration

The correct answer is: It guarantees overall efficiency

A systems approach emphasizes the interconnectedness of various components within an organization, highlighting the importance of understanding how subsystems interact and contribute to the overall objectives. By focusing on subsystems with a view of their relationships and dependencies, organizations can identify efficiencies that, while they may enhance subsystem performance, also contribute positively to the overall system's efficiency. This method ensures that optimizing one subsystem does not detrimentally affect another, encouraging a more holistic view of operations that supports overall efficiency. The idea is to enhance performance comprehensively rather than in isolation, recognizing that each subsystem plays a vital role in achieving the larger goals of the organization. In contrast, the other options do not accurately reflect the principles of a systems approach. For instance, a systems approach explicitly recognizes the need for resource management rather than diminishing focus on it, promotes collaboration among departments instead of reducing it, and asserts that subsystems should operate in coordination rather than independently to achieve optimal system efficiency.