Chapter 6 Flashcards
Process Flowcharting
Creation of a visual diagram to describe a transformation process
Other names for Process Flowcharting
Flow-process charting
Process mapping
Service blueprinting
Value stream mapping
Process Flowcharting Purpose
To describe a process visually to find ways of improving the current process.
-Find repetitive operations
-Identify bottlenecks
-Describe directions and distances of flows (people, material and information)
-Reduce waste
Keep component of certifications such as ISO 9000
Process Flow Analysis Might Result in Changes to:
Raw materials
Suppliers
Product (output) design
Job design
Processing steps used
Equipment or tools
Management control information
i.e. Anything but customers may be changed!!
Steps in Process Flowchart AnalysisUsing the Systems Approach
- Select a process to study
- Form a team to analyze & improve the system
- Specify the boundaries of the transformation
process - Identify and sequence the operational steps
- Identify the performance metrics
- Draw the flowchart
Operation
a task or work activity
Inspection
an inspection of the product for
quantity or quality
Transportation
a movement of material from
one point to another
Storage
an inventory or storage of materials
awaiting the next operation
Delay
a delay in the sequence of operations
Questions to Ask in Process Flow Analysis
Who What When Where Why How
Who
is performing the job? Can the operation be redesigned to use less skill or less labor? Can operations be combined to enrich jobs?
What
does the customer need?, operations are necessary? Can some operations be eliminated, combined, or simplified?
When
is each operation performed? Is there excessive delay or storage? Are some operations creating bottlenecks?
Where
is each operation conducted? Can layout be improved?
Why
is the operation performed in the present manner? Why is that machine tool used?
How
is the operation done? Can better methods, procedures, or equipment be used?
Additional Questions to Ask in Process Flow Analysis
Flow Time . Quantity Quality Cost
Flow
Balanced? Where is the bottleneck? Are all steps necessary? How jumbled is the flow?
Time
How long to produce one unit? Can it be reduced? Cycle time? Excessive set-up time? Excessive waiting time?
Quantity
Theoretical production amount? How easy to change? How many units actually produced?
Quality
Historical defect rate? Which step contributes to defect rate? Where do errors occur?
Cost
Cost to produce one unit? What are cost buckets for one unit? Can some of the buckets be reduced or eliminated?
Other Process Flow Analysis Tools
Assembly Drawing Assembly Chart Routing Sheet Man and Machine Process Chart Simo Chart
Business Process Reengineering (BPR)
the fundamental rethinking and radical redesign of business [or organizational] processes to achieve dramatic improvements in critical, contemporary measures of performance, such as cost, quality, service and speed
BPR can be thinked of as…
“If I were recreating this company today, given what I know and given current technology, what would it look like?”
BPR is in contrast to…
incremental change or continuous improvement of an existing process.
Principles of Business Process Reengineering (BPR)
Organize around outcomes
Have the people who do the work, process their own information
Put the decision point where work is performed and build control into the process
Eliminate unnecessary steps in the process
