Process Configuration - Phase 2

Question 1

Name the 4 process configuration elements that help a manager understand and improve the flow of transformed resources as they progress through the operation.

Answer 1

1) Importance of balancing the tasks within each individual process (i.e. line balancing)
2) Organising the tasks within a layout - i.e. long and thin or short and fat processes
3) Calculation of process performance (i.e. Little’s Law)
4) Addressing the bottlenecks within the process (Drum, Buffer and Rope concept)

Question 2

What is balancing loss?

Answer 2

The quantification of the lack of balance in a production line. Defined as the percentage of time used for non-productive purposes compared to the total time invested in making a product.

Question 3

What is line balancing?

Answer 3

The activity of attempting to equalise the load on each station or part of a line layout or mass process.

Question 4

What is loading?

Answer 4

Amount of work that is allocated to a work centre

Question 5

What is a bottleneck?

Answer 5

The capacity constraining stage in a process. It governs the output of the whole process.

Question 6

What is ‘Drum, Buffer and Rope’?

Answer 6

An approach to operations control that comes from the theory of constraints (TOC) and used the bottle neck stage in a process to control materials movement.

Question 7

What is Little’s Law?

Answer 7

The mathematical relationship b/w Throughput TIME, Work in Process and Cycle time. Expressed as TPT = WIP * C/T

Question 8

What is a long and thin process?

Answer 8

Process designed to have many sequential stages. Each stage performing a relatively small part of the total task. The opposite of short and fat process.

Question 9

What is short and fat process?

Answer 9

Processes designed to have relatively few sequential stages - each of which performs a relatively large part of the total task. The opposite of long and thin process.

Question 10

What is WIP?

Answer 10

The number of units within a process waiting to be processed further.

Question 11

What are transformed resources?

Answer 11

The resources that are treated, transformed or converted in a process (usually a mixture of materials, customers and information).

Question 12

What are transforming resources?

Answer 12

The resources that act on the transformed resources. Usually involves plant, equipment and people.

Question 13

What is cycle time?

Answer 13

Average time b/w units of output emerging from the process.

Question 14

What is through put time?

Answer 14

The time for a unit to move through a process.

Question 15

What is through put efficiency?

Answer 15

The work content needed to proceed an item in a process. Expressed as a percentage of total through put time

Question 16

What is work content?

Answer 16

The amount of work required to produce a unit of output. Usually measured in standard time.

Question 17

In line balancing, it is important to allocate work equally between the stages of the process. What is the impact if this doesn’t happen?

Answer 17

Effectiveness of line balancing is measured by balancing loss. Any imbalance will increase cycle time of the line. If the cycle time increase becomes greater than the required cycle time, then another stage might need to be added to compensate for the imbalance.

Question 18

What does the concept DBR do?

Answer 18

Helps decide exactly where in the process control should occur. The bottle neck in the process should be the control point of the whole process.

Question 19

Why is the bottleneck called the “drum”?

Answer 19

Sets the beat for the rest of the process to follow.

Question 20

What are the negative effects of bottlenecks in production?

Answer 20

A)Cause delays and queues.
B) Disrupt production flow
C) in process inventory
D) Slow down processes