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Rajiv Misra
where
Process 2
Now that you have finished Process 1, consider the same process, but assume we assign
Betty, an additional worker, to a step B. Betty and Bob are equally qualified, and they are
told to split the work of step B (working simultaneously complete the 5 minutes of work on a
unit in half that time).
1.
Before doing any calculations, which process metrics would you expect to change
relative to Process1
3 Min
3.
20 per hr.
4.
What is the throughput time for a rush order (that is, an order arriving when the
system is empty that is moved through the process without delay)?
10 min
5.
6.
83.33%
7.
Process 3
Look at Process 3, a variant of Process 1 ( 3 workers, Alice does step A, Bob step B, and
Charlie step C). However, assume that steps A and B can be completed in parallel, as shown
in the process diagram. (In parallel means that Alice can work on her component at the
same time as Bob works on his component. For example, Alice could be finishing a table top
at the same time Bob is finishing the four legs, and Charlie could be assembling the table by
attaching the legs to the table top.)
1. Before doing any calculations, which process metrics would you Process I?
Cycle time, throughput time
2. What is the bottleneck of this process?
Workstation B
3. What is the cycle time of this process?
5 Min
4. What is the capacity of this process?
12 per hr
5. What is the throughput time for a rush order (that is an order arriving when the system
is empty that is moved through the process without delay)?
7 Min
6. What is the labor utilization of each worker?
Alice: 60%, Bob: 100%, Charlie: 40%
7. What is the average labor utilization of the workers?
66.67%
8. What have you learned?
Throughput time can be reduced by doing activities in parallel.
Process 1
To begin, consider the four step process model in the Process 1 tab.
1. Calculate the amount of the time it would take to get a rush order through the process.
14.5 Min
2. Calculate the capacity of the process.
12 per Hr
3. Calculate the labor content of the process.
A: 100%, B: 60%, C:50%, D: 80%
4. Calculate the average labor utilization.
72.5%
Process 2
For the process 2, assume that you have hired an additional worker (i.e., a fifth for the
process). This new worker is cross trained at every step in process (can perform any of the 4
steps or any portion of any of the four steps). Inventory is permitted between steps so that the
cross trained worker can move around freely. Assume no transportation time in moving from
one step to another.
1.
At which step (s) does the worker spend the majority of his or her time?
Workstation A
2.
Process 3
For Process 3, you have the opportunity to send each of your four specialists to get additional
training in the other process steps. As a result of this training program, you will have five
workers available to you, each one cross-trained at each of the four process steps.
1.
Process 4
Go to Process 4, a variant of Process 1. Your analysis was done with the assumption that no
inventory would be allowed to build up between steps. Answer these questions without that
assumption.
1. How would performance change if this restriction were relaxed? That is, what would
impact of allowing inventory to accumulate between steps?
Capacity changed to 12 per hr, utilazation to 72.5%
Process 2
For the next two questions, consider a fifth step added to the process along with a fifth
worker. The fifth step, Step E, is done after Step C, and before Ste D, as depicted Process 2.
All steps (A, B, C, D, and E) are necessary to create each finished unit. Processing times are
shown for each process step.
3. What is the fastest that a rush order can go through the process?
45 min
2. If you could add one inventory buffer, where would you add it to maximize capacity?
Would add inventory buffer before lowest workstation utilization hence workstation C to
make sure that low utilization is not due to material unavailability
3. If you added a second unit of buffer to the same location as the first, what would be the
incremental impact on capacity of the second unit as compared with the first unit?
Incremental impact of the second inventory buffer would be less as compared to the first unit
From this point forward, assume that inventory is not permitted to accumulate, and that work
cannot be passed to the next stage until the worker receiving the unit is ready.
5. If a fifth worker were added to the process, what would the maximum capacity be?
Assume that you can add the fifth worker to anyone of the four tasks, that the worker is
not cross trained to do any of the other tasks and that the fifth worker works at the same
rate as the original worker doing that task.
4 per hr
6. Instead, if a fifth worker who was cross trained for all tasks were added to the process,
what would the new capacity be? Assume that this fifth worker incurs no travel time in
moving between Compare the labor utilization of the worker at Step 1 in the original
situation (four workers, no inventory) and the situation with the addition of the crosstrained fifth worker from the Four Step Process problem. How does it change?
New capacity 5.14 per hr.
Utilization would increase from 62.5% to 85.71%
3. If Krunchy Kreme decides to change batch sizes, for what range of batch sizes is mixing
the bottleneck?
Workstation A & Workstation B: Batch size 28.57
Workstation A & Workstation C: Batch size 81.81
Workstation C & Workstation B: Batch size 175
Part B
Now assume that the second workstation feeds its defects to a rework station that performs a
delicate and lengthy task of disassembling the product and repairing it. Thus, it requires a
relatively long time (here, 40 minutes on average) to fix defects. There is an inventory buffer
in front of this rework step to accommodate for the unlikely case that there are several defects
in a row. While time- consuming, it still is successful only 90% of the time. When rework is
successful, the rework station passes the now- good unit to the third workstation in the line. If
it is not successful, the product is scrapped.
The third workstation, receiving reworked units, now has an average task time of 9 minutes.
1. What is the capacity of this process?
6.22
2. Where is the bottleneck?
Workstation C
3. Is the utilization of the bottleneck step 100%? If so, why? If not, why not?
No. Because of the rework of the scrap material generated
4. What is the yield of the process (the ratio of good finished product to items started in
the process)?
90.896
GENERAL QUESTIONS