Lecture 7 - Process design and analysis Flashcards
How should products be designed?
In a way that satisfies customer needs and can be delivered effectively and efficiently
How should process be desgined?
So that they can deliver product benefits to meet performance objectives
What will the position of a process in terms of volume and variety of demand influence?
- Choice of process type
- Layout
- Job Design
- Technology
What is the volume-variety and process type graph?
- Y variety low to high
- X volume low to high
- Process design characteristics: e.g. performance objectives tasks, flow, layout, tech, job design
What is the impact of volume over time?
As the number of repetitions increases, task times and costs decrease. Performance can improve over time as a result of learning and experience
- Individual learning and improvement
- Organisational learning and improvement
What is process layout?
‘The objective of layout strategy is to develop an effective and efficient layout that will meet the firm’s competitive requirements’
What are the impacts of process layout and look?
- Flow of transformed resources
- Utilisation of space, equipment and people
- Interaction between parts of the process
- Flexibility
- Staff experience and safety
- Customer experience and safety
What are some examples of generic process layout types?
- Fixed-position layout
- Functional layout
- Cell layout
- Line layout
What are the features of fixed-position layout?
- Receiver of the work remains static
- Transforming resources are moved to the work site
- e.g. construction, surgery
What are advantages and disadvantages of fixed position layout?
+ High level of flexibility
+ Receiver of work remains static
+ Job variety for staff
- Scheduling/access complexity
- Movement of staff and equipment
- High costs
What are the features of functional layout?
- Similar transforming resources located together into departments
- Transformed resources routed according to need
- e.g. batch manufacturing, supermarkets, hospital outpatients
What are advantages and disadvantages of functional layout?
+ Support flexible production/sequencing
+ Robust to breakdowns/absences
+ Suitable for batch production
- Complex flow
- High work-in-progress/inventory due to flow
- Can have low facilities utilisation
What are the features of cell layout?
- Transforming resources grouped in teams (cells) to focus on a single product/group of replated products
- Cell layout may be linear or U-shaped
- e.g. manufacturing, dedicated service areas in restaurants
What are advantages and disadvantages of cell layout?
+ Balance between cost/flexibility in higher variety operations
+ Reduced work-in-progress/inventory
+ Heightened employee involvement
- Cost of setup
- May need duplicate equipment
- May give lower utilisation of resources
What are the features of Line layout?
- Transforming resources are arranged sequentially in a pre-arranged ‘line’
- Transformed resources ‘flow’ along the production line
- e.g. automotive assembly, self-service cafeteria
What are advantages and disadvantages of line layout?
+ Low variable unit costs possible for high volume
+ Easier training and supervision
+ Control work in progress
- Low product mix flexibility
- High investment
- Vulnerable to disruption
- Repetitive work
What is process technology?
‘The machines, equipment and devices that create and/or deliver products and services’
What are examples of process technology?
- Information-processing: collects, manipulates, stores or distributes information
-Material-processing: Change, shape, transport or stores physical objects - Customer-processing: act on, monitor or act with customers
- Integrating: integrate multiple technologies
What are features of the volume-variety in terms of process technology?
- Automation: Low vs high
- Scale/scalability: small vs large
- Coupling/ connectivity: Broad/unconstrained vs close/constrained
What is digitalisation?
‘The process of employing digital technologies and information to transform business operation’
What are some drivers of digitalisation?
- Pervasive connectivity
- Digital tech embedded in products/services
- Growth of cloud computing
- Big data
- Exponential improvements in price/ performance capability of IT systems
- Distributed, cross-functional, global business processes/ supply chain
What are examples of digital technologies?
- AI and cognitive technologies
- Internet of Things
- Robotic Process automation
Additive manufacturing - Drones/ unmanned aerial vehicles
- Driverless/ autonomous vehicles
What are examples of digital technology capabilities?
- Automation
- Interactional
- Tracking/monitoring
- Geographical/ mobile
- Informational
- Analytical
- Collaboration and networking
What are potential impacts of automation?
Replace or reduce human labour in a process e.g. robotics
What are potential impacts of interactional?
Interact with employees and customers e.g. query handling, self-service
What are potential impacts of tracking/monitoring?
detailed tracking of tasks and device status, inputs and outputs e.g. Internet of things, GPS
What are potential impacts of geographical/ mobile?
Transfer information with rapidly and ease across large distances, making processes independent of geography and fixed locations e.g. mobile apps
What are potential impacts of informational?
Capture and integrate large amounts of structured and unstructured data from multiple sources into a process (‘Big Data’)
What are potential impacts of analytical?
Apply advanced analytical methods to structure and unstructured data
- Descriptive: capture products’ condition, environment and operations
- Diagnostic: examine the causes of reduced product performance or failure
- Predictive: detect patterns that signal impending events
- Prescriptive: Identify measures to improve outcomes or correct problems
What are potential impacts of collaboration and networking?
Support formal and informal collaboration and networking between individual and groups within a process/project team e.g. video conferencing, augmented reality
What is process mapping?
(Flowcharting) is a graphical representation of the activities that make up the process and the flow of customers, materials or information through the process
What can process mapping aid?
- Understanding a process
- Analysing and improving a process
- Expanding and communicating a process to others
What are the steps of process mapping?
- Describe the process to be mapped using a simple one-line statement such as ‘processing a customer order’
- Identify the ‘trigger’ start event and the target ‘end’ point of the process
- Identify each intermediate activity. Use the verb-noun format
- Identify the precedence of each activity
- Follow the process through to the target (end) point
- Draw up the process map, connecting the symbols
- Review and check for accuracy and consistency
What are swim lanes?
Separates the different functions within an organisation so make roles in the process clearer
