Shuzworld Case

A. How to improve current workflow in the plant.

In order to improve the workflow in the plant, Shuzworld will have to improve the layout of their facility in order to create their product in a cost efficient and productive manner. This will enable Shuzworld to increase productivity, while ensuring the quality that consumers have grown to be accustomed to. Shuzworld will be able to accomplish this by equalizing the task times at the company's work stations in order to ensure that employee time is maximized to its full potential. This can be accomplished by organizing employees into work cells that focus primarily on the product they are working on. By focusing on the product within the work cell, the company will be able to make better use of the production floor, as well as reduce the amount of direct labor required while increasing the sense of participation by employees. This will translate into higher rates of productivity on the assembly lines. One way to improve the work area for the employees is to create work cells that enable employees to communicate with each other in a simpler fashion, as well as have employees cross trained so that they can intervene and assist when necessary. Instead of having a traditional assembly line, the assembly line should be made into a U shape. The U shaped assembly line will reduce the amount of employee movement, and make it easier for employees to communicate amongst themselves during the construction process (MyOMLabs, 2012). It will also make it easier for employees to assist other employees because it will provide them with more space to maneuver, and make it easier for them to communicate with each other when assistance is needed.

A1 Quantitative Analysis

In order to determine how to staff and balance the work cells, Shuzworld will first have to determine the Takt time. Shuzworld is budgeted for, and requires that 48 units be created during an 8 hour shift (Shuzworld, 2012). The Takt time is established by taking the total amount of work time available (480 minutes), and dividing it by the number of units required in a work day (48) (MyOMLab, 2012). By doing this calculation it is determined that the Takt time is 10 minutes.

In order to determine the amount of employees/stations needed to accomplish Shuzworld's goal of creating 48 units in an 8 hour work day, Shuzworld will have to take the total operation time (46 minutes), and divide it by the Takt time (10 minutes) (MyOMLab, 2012). After finishing the calculations, it is determined that Shuzworld will need 4.6 employees to accomplish the goal of creating 48 units in an 8 hour work day, however because you can't have .6 of a person, Shuzworld will have to use 5 employees/stations in order to accomplish their goal of 48 units.

The next step that is needed in order to staff and balance the work cells and assembly line is to assign specific tasks to the work stations. This is done by analyzing the assembly schedule, and determining what tasks are dependent upon the previous tasks, and how much time each specific task takes. In the production of the units, Shuzworld incorporates 8 steps into the production of their work boots which take 46 minutes to produce (Shuzworld, 2012). Task A requires 10 minutes of production, task B requires 6 minutes of production, task C requires 3 minutes of production, task D requires 8 minutes of production, task E requires 3 minutes of production, task F requires 4 minutes of production, task G requires 3 minutes of production, and task H requires 9 minutes of production. Tasks B and C are dependent on task A being completed, task D is dependent on tasks B, and C being completed, tasks E and F are dependent of task D being completed, task G is dependent on tasks E, and F being completed, and task H is dependent on task G being completed (Shuzworld, 2012).

Due to the Tact time being 10 minutes, the maximum amount of time that can be spent in each station in order to be effective is 10 minutes. Therefore to be the most productive, Shuzworld will have organize their work stations in a manner that maximizes the Takt time to its full potential coming as close to 10 minutes as possible. This can be accomplished by using the most following tasks strategy. This enables Shuzworld to choose the available tasks with the largest number of following tasks, and group them together in work stations to increase productivity (MyOMLab, 2012). The following tasks should be grouped together into the following work stations. Since task A requires 10 minutes of production and is not dependent on any other task it will be placed into station 1. Tasks B and C are both dependent on task A, and when combined total 9 minutes of production time and will be placed into station 2. Task D is dependent on tasks B and C, and accounts for 8 minutes of production time. Task D is unable to be joined with any other task, because if task D were to be joined with another task it would exceed the 10 minute Takt time. Task D will be placed into station 3. Tasks E, F, and G when combined will total 10 minutes of production time, and will make full use of the 10 minute Takt time allotted for each station. Since G is dependent on tasks E, and F, task E and F, will have to be completed before starting task G. Tasks E and F are both dependent on task D, and will be able to start immediately in either order after assembly is passed to them from station 3. Tasks E, F, and G will be placed into station 4. The final and 5th station will consist of task H which is dependent on task G, and has a production time of 9 minutes and is unable to be combined with any other tasks due to the 10 minute Takt time.

By using the most followed task strategy Shuzworld will have an efficiency rate of 92%. The efficiency rate is calculated by dividing the task time (46 minutes), by the number of work stations (5) multiplied by the Takt time (10) (MyOMLab, 2012). By station, the efficiency rate will be 100% for station 1, 90% for station 2, 80% for station 3, 100% for station 4, and 90% for station 5.

A1a Outputs

A1ai Explanation of decision analysis tool

The most following task tool was used in this example due to the fact that on the assembly line the product can be sent down the assembly line in the precise order the product is to be assembled. By using the most following task model, employees can save steps transferring the product from station to station increasing productivity time. By starting with task A in station 1, there are 7 tasks behind it. Station 2 which is dependent on task A and station 1 will have 5 tasks behind it because it encompasses tasks B and C, and can start assembly immediately on their tasks once station 1 transfers the product to station 2. Station 3 will have