2- Process, Design and Analysis

Question 1

What is a Process?

example?

Answer 1

Arrangement of input resources in such a way that maximum value is added in the operation
eg: car manufacturing processes, social media service processes [YouTube, for example, takes in users who are willing to consume advertisements and transforms them using the internet infrastructure, its service platform, and content uploaded by other users]

Question 2

4D model of Operations Management

Author?

Answer 2

Develop > Direct > Design > Deliver ↵↵

Slack et al.

Question 3

Types of Processes? [5]

Answer 3

Projects, Jobbing, Batching, Mass Production, Continuous

Question 4

x6 Characteristics of Projects

EG

Answer 4

Large scale
Often unique, one-off  products
High value product
Specialised skills
Complex planning & control
Resource intensive
EG: Eurotunnel

Question 5

x5 Characteristics of Jobbing

EG x2

Answer 5

Low production volumes
Customised, high value products
Skilled workforce with wide task variety
Small batches
Flexible production

EG Custom made grand pianos
Welder

Question 6

x5 Characteristics of Batching

EG x3

Answer 6

Medium volumes
Lower variety than jobbing
Lower value products
Production in periodic batches
Medium flexibility
EG: Graphene batch production for semiconductor industry
Most component parts in the auto industry are produced by batch processes
Baking of e.g. mince pies often happens in batches

Question 7

x7 Characteristics of Mass Production

EG x2

Answer 7

Sequenced work stations
Low product variety
Low and/or narrow skills in operations
Often highly skilled technical support
High FIXED costs
Inflexible process
No / little work-in-progress between stages

EG : Coca-cola, Cars

Question 8

x6 Characteristics of Continuous Processing

EG x1

Answer 8

Product homogeneity
Completely automated
Inflexible process
Predictable, smooth flow
Highly specialised workers
Capital intensive
High machine utilisation required 

EG: Energy utility

Question 9

x4 Characteristics of Professional Services

EG x2

Answer 9

High contact with the customer
High levels of customisation
People based rather than equipment based
Staff given much discretion
EG: Management consulting, Surgery

Question 10

x2 Characteristics of Service shops

EG x2

Answer 10

Less customer contact, flexibility and employee discretion
Mix of front and back office activities
EG: Auto repair shop: back office takes care of parts availability etc.
Health club: front office gives direct advice, back office takes care of facilities maintenance

Question 11

x5 Characteristics of Mass Services

x2 EG

Answer 11

High volume of customer transactions
Limited contact time
Little customisation
High division of labour
Structured processes of customer interactions
EG: Supermarket, Call centres

Question 12

What does the product-process matrix show?
Both excess flexibility and excess rigidity lead to economic ____
This matrix can be used for any type of ____ whether it is a ____ or ____

Answer 12

Many important elements of process design are related to the position of a certain process in the volume-variety diagonal.
underperformance

process
service or product

Question 13

Process Layout Def

& x4 Types

Answer 13

Layout refers to how the input resources
are physically positioned in the process
Project, Work Centre, Cell Layout, Assembly line

Question 14

Project Layout, Why x3?

• also known as ?
• x3 egs

Answer 14

Transformed resources are stationary
- Too large to be moved
- Too delicate
- Does not want to be moved
Transforming resources move as necessary
Also known as fixed position layout
Shipyard: too large
Surgery: too delicate
Restaurant: customers object to move where the food is prepared

Question 15

WorkCentre Layout
AKA x2?
Characteristics x3
x2 EGs

Answer 15

Also known as functional layout or a job shop layout
Similar resources and processes are together
Transformed resources move between different workcentres in a pre-planned sequence
Optimised movement of resources
EGs: Motorcycle exhibition, Shopping centre

Question 16

Cell Layout

Eg

Answer 16

Transformed resources are pre-selected to enter one part of the operation where appropriate transforming resources are located
Resources can also move from one cell to another
The cell itself may be arranged as a workcentre or a line layout
Bread making

Question 17

Assembly Line Layout
x3 characteristics
x2 EGs

Answer 17

Transforming resources arranged for the convenience of transformed resources
Optimises the production rate
Flow is clear, predictable and easy to control
EGS: Ford model T assembly line: products follow the same standardized assembly procedures
Mass vaccination: all customers follow the same route of activities

Question 18

4 components of process anaylsis, explain each

Answer 18

Work in Progress [WIP] - Number of items in the process at any time, or ‘inventory’

ThroughPut Time [TPT] - How long it takes for an item to go through. Also known as flow time.

Cycle time [CT] - Average time between completions of successive outputs of a process

Arrival Rate [AR] -Arrivals at the process within a time unit. Inverse of CT

Question 19

Little’s Law explain and formula x2?

Answer 19

Little’s law tells about the relationship between the different metrics: if you know WIP and CT, you can calculate TPT
TPT = WIP × CT
Or in another form WIP = AR × TPT

Question 20

What is process balancing?

What is a balancing loss?

Answer 20

An ideal ‘balance’ where work is allocated equally between the stages

The proportion of the time invested in processing the product or service which is not used productively.

If load in workcentre 4 increases to 3 minutes, this creates idle time for the other workcentres, leading to increase in TPT