OPS Wk 2 Coursework
Chapter 3: Discussion Questions 6 & 8 pg.78:
6) Discuss the challenges that an operations manager can expect to encounter when applying the principles of process performance to the upstream (supply-based) section of a supply chain.
8) Under what conditions could inspection, storage, and transport be considered value-adding?
Chapter 3: Problems 5, 8 & 10 pg. 84:
5) Best Bicycles manufactures three different types of bikes: The Tiny Tike, the Adult Aero, and the Mountain Monger. Given the information in the table, calculate the required capacity for this year’s production. Note that the times are given for assembly
lines, so capacity calculations should be in terms of the number of lines necessary.
Assume that Best Bicycles operates two shifts, each with 2,000 hours per year.
Demand Forecast Processing Time Lot Size Setup Time
Bike cast (units/year) (minutes/unit) (# of bikes) (minutes/setup)
Tiny Tike 14,000 8 10 50
Adult Aero 16,000 10 10 80
Mountain Monger 19,000 12 25 40
8) New Time Videos (NTV) is a new online video rental service. In the field, it is trying to compete by offering its customers access to all of the major new video releases in one business day. That is, if you order a video from NTV, you can expect it in one business day from the time when you placed the order. When you are done with the video, you simply drop it in the prepaid mailing envelope and return it. All videos arrive in a sorting facility located in the Midwest where envelopes with the videos are opened, checked (right video with the right sleeve, no scratches, no cracks, no dirt on the videos), and made ready to be sent out again.
As the manager of this facility, your goal is to turn the returned videos around in 6 hours (a shift is 8 hours long).
You have the following information: Inventory of videos: 450,000 per shift Throughput: 325,000 per shift
a. Calculate the expected average flow time. (Hint: Use Little’s Law.)
b. What changes would you recommend to meet the goal of processing a returned video within 6 hours?
10) Mike operates a hair-cutting salon that specializes in providing quick walk-in service for just about any type of haircut. He deals with customers as they walk in the door. This includes writing down the customer’s name and what they desire in terms of haircut, wash, dry, and so on. This process usually takes two minutes. If no hair stylist is available, the customer then goes to the waiting area, where he/she is processed on a first-come, first-serve basis. The salon has five hair stylists who work eight hours each day. It takes, on average, 25 minutes for a stylist to greet the customer, wash and/or cut his hair, and wish him a fond farewell. Then Mike completes the process by taking the customer’s money and telling him about the satisfaction guarantee offered by the shop. This final set of steps takes two minutes on average.
a. Assuming that the waiting area always has at least one customer in it, how many customers on average can Mike’s salon process in a day (assuming no problems in utilization, quality, or efficiency)?
b. Suppose that you need an “average” haircut, and as you walk into the salon you see three people sitting in the waiting area. You notice that another person is just sitting down in one of the stylists’ empty chair, and the other stylists are all busy with customers. Assuming you choose to wait, how long would you expect it to be before you are ready to leave the salon?
Read Chapter 3s: Midwestern Lighting Case Study pg. 109-110. Answer Questions 1-4:
1. Assess the production process for the Dodge Ram taillight assembly. How efficient is it?
2. Develop a process map for this operation.
3. Where are the largest opportunities to reduce waste and associated costs?
4. What strategy/approach would you use for making recommendations to Barry Jamieson
Read Chapter 4: Alpha Timer Case Study Project A ONLY pg. 138. Answer Questions 1-4:
1. What features of the timer design appear to offer Doorley the strongest advantages over its competitors’ products? What features are apparent weaknesses?
2. Which manufacturing methods are most strongly related to the goal of producing a flexible drive system? Do any of these methods conflict with each other?
3. Which design parameter has the strongest dependence on any of the manufacturing methods?
4. What evidence is there that the ALPHA team has used a DFM approach?
