Final answer:
A manager seeking to determine the total pounds of lettuce used by a fast food chain should use a Transaction Processing System or an Enterprise Resource Planning system to track and calculate inventory usage.
Step-by-step explanation:
A manager wishing to ascertain the total pounds of lettuce used by a fast food chain over a quarter would benefit from utilizing a Transaction Processing System (TPS) or an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system. These systems are capable of tracking and reporting the inventory usage data required to determine the total amount of a specific product consumed over a set period. A TPS captures the day-to-day transaction data, while an ERP system could provide more comprehensive insights by integrating various business processes, aiding the manager in decision-making and strategic planning.
Given the mean weight of a head of lettuce is 2.2 lb with a population standard deviation of 0.2 lb, the manager could cross-reference inventory records to calculate total usage. If the number of lettuce heads used in the quarter is known, the manager can multiply this quantity by the mean weight to estimate the total pounds utilized.