easy operational management case study
Questions:
- Analyze the current process. Using the process flow map (available on CTools) of the current process at Receiving Plant No.1, mark the capacity and utilization of each of the resources. Show the flows of wet and dry berries separately.
- On a busy day, what is RP1’s current maximum throughput rate?
- Assuming that all of the operations at RP1 start at 7 am on a “busy” day, present the situation during such a day, by constructing an inventory build-up diagram for bins and trucks.
- What are the possible capital investments considered by NCC? Quantify the costs and benefits of three of them: the fifth Kiwanee dumper purchased in 1980, and two other investments. What recommendations would you make to Mr. Schaeffer? Please be ready to discuss in class other factors that might influence your recommendations to NCC.
Some additional information about National Cranberry follows. Not necessarily all of this information is relevant to your answers. You may assume that:
–On an average “busy” day, 18000 bbl arrive over the 12-hr period. This is based on a typical day in September.
–Process is approximately a “continuous flow” type.
–Wet berries are 75% of all berries.
–Holding bins 17-24 are dedicated to wet berries.
–Capacity of the dumpers is 3,000 bbl / hr (it takes on average 7.5 minutes to dump a truck, a truck holds on average 75 bbl so, from Little’s Law, each dumper will take 600 bbl/hr).
–Drivers are paid $10/hr.
I will attached the write up format belowe
Question One
The analysis of the current process is illustrated by the step by step mapping below:-
- The first step is the arrival of the berries at the initial station which is known as RP1 and this berries are expected to weigh in at 75 barrel oil per hour
- The second step is sampling and this will be done in order to ensure that the berries that are brought forth are actually what is expected and up to par.
- Immediately after sampling the berries are at that pint classified accruing to the color it has because they present the different stages of berry development.
- The next step involves the use of the Kiwanee Dumpers. With the presence of the existing 5 separate dumpers existing it is vital that one understands the working of this dumpers. The estimated time that berries will be loaded into any of the dumpers stands at 7.5 minutes. At this stage the berries will be dumped into one of the dumpers.
(1,105 words)