Case Studies Old Oregon Wood Store In 2015, George Wright started the Old Oregon
ID: 1106566 • Letter: C
Question
Case Studies Old Oregon Wood Store
In 2015, George Wright started the Old Oregon Wood Store to manufacture Old Oregon tables. Each table is carefully constructed by hand using the highest-quality oak. Old Oregon tables can support more than 500 pounds, and since the start of the Old Oregon Wood Store, not one table has been returned because of faulty workmanship or structural problems. In addition to being rugged, each table is beautifully finished using a urethane varnish that George developed over 20 years of working with wood-finishing materials.
The manufacturing process consists of four steps: preparation, assembly, finishing, and packaging. Each step is performed by one person. In addition to overseeing the entire operation, George does all of the finishing. Tom Surowski performs the preparation step, which involves cutting and forming the basic components of the tables. Leon Davis is in charge of the assembly, and Cathy Stark performs the packaging.
Although each person is responsible for only one step in the manufacturing process, everyone can perform any one of the steps. It is George’s policy that occasionally everyone should complete several tables on his or her own without any help or assistance. A small competition is used to see who can complete an entire table in the least amount of time. George maintains average total and intermediate completion times.
The data are shown in Figure 15.7.
Preparation Assembly Finishing Packing
Tom 100 160 250 275
George 80 160 220 230
Leon 110 200 280 290
Cathy 120 190 290 315
Figure 15.7 Manufacturing Time in Minutes
It takes Cathy longer than the other employees to construct an Old Oregon table. In addition to being slower than the other employees, Cathy is also unhappy about her current responsibility of packaging, which leaves her idle most of the day. Her first preference is finishing, and her second preference is preparation.
In addition to quality, George is concerned with costs and efficiency. When one of the employees misses a day, it causes major scheduling problems. In some cases, George assigns another employee overtime to complete the necessary work. At other times, George simply waits until the employee returns to work to complete his or her step in the manufacturing process. Both solutions cause problems. Overtime is expensive, and waiting causes delays and sometimes stops the entire manufacturing process.
To overcome some of these problems, Randy Lane was hired. Randy’s major duties are to perform miscellaneous jobs and to help out if one of the employees is absent. George has given Randy training in all phases of the manufacturing process, and he is pleased with the speed at which Randy has been able to learn how to completely assemble Old Oregon tables.
Randy’s average total and intermediate completion times are given in Figure 15.8.
Preparation Assembly Finishing Packing
Randy 110 190 290 300
Figure 15.8 Randy’s Completion Times in Minutes
1. What is the fastest way to manufacture Old Oregon tables using the original crew? How many could be made per day?
2. Would production rates and quantities change significantly if George would allow Randy to perform one of the four functions and make one of the original crew the backup person?
3. What is the fastest time to manufacture a table with the original crew if Cathy is moved to either preparation or finishing?
4. Whoever performs the packaging function is severely underutilized. Can you find a better way of utilizing the four- or five-person crew than either giving each a single job or allowing each to manufacture an entire table? How many tables could be manufactured per day with this scheme?
Explanation / Answer
Answer:
Given Information :
Owner : George Brown started the Old Oregon Wood Store to manufacture Old Oregon tables.
Each table is carefully constructed by hand using the highest quality oak.
Old Oregon tables can support more than 500 pounds, and since the start of the Old Oregon Wood Store, not one table has been returned because of faulty workmanship or structural problems.
In addition to being rugged, each table is beautifully finished using a urethane varnish that George developed over 20 years of working with wood-finished materials.
The manufacturing process consists of four steps:
preparation, assembly, finishing, and packaging.
One person performs each step.
In addition to overseeing the entire operation, George does all of the finishing.
Tom Surowski performs the preparation step, which involves cutting and forming the basic components of the tables.
Leon Davis is in charge of the assembly
Cathy Stark performs the packaging.
Although each person is responsible for only one step in the manufacturing process, everyone can perform any one of the steps.
It is George's policy that occasionally everyone should complete several tables on his or her own without any help or assistance.
A small competition is used to see who can complete an entire table in the least amount of time.
George maintains average total and intermediate completion times.
The data are shown in following table.
Table 1
Manufacturing Time in minutes
Tom
Preparation
100
Assembly
160
Finishing
250
Packaging
275
George
Preparation
80
Assembly
160
Finishing
220
Packaging
230
Leon
Preparation
110
Assembly
200
Finishing
Packaging
290
Cathy
Preparation
120
Assembly
190
Finishing
290
Packaging
315
Table 2
Manufacturing Time in minutes
Randy
Preparation
110
Assembly
190
Finishing
290
Packaging
300
Question# 1: What is the fastest way to manufacture Old Oregon tables using the original crew? How many could be made per day?
Answer :
Fastest way to manufacture table as per the original table .
Select the minimum timing as well as alignment of each process.
Table 3
Manufacturing Time in minutes
Tom
Assembly
160
George
Preparation
80
Leon
Packaging
290
Cathy
Finishing
290
Consider the 8 hours shift , in 8 hours shift there are 480 min.
The maximum time required for finishing is 290 min.
So 480 / 290 = 1.66 no
So if they take a over time of 100 min then 2 tables can be manufactured , but it seems difficult from cost point of view.
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Question #2: Would production rates and quantities change significantly if George would allow Randy to perform one of the four functions and make one of the original crew the backup person?
Answer :
If we see above table no 3 & compare with Randy's fig which are mentioned in . , then Randy's fig. are more .So its of no use to use Randy as a replacement other wise production will be hampered & the costs will be increased.
Question #3: What is the fastest time to manufacture a table with the original crew if Cathy is moved to either preparation or finishing?
Answer :
Table 4
Manufacturing Time in minutes
Tom
Finishing
250
George
Packaging
230
Leon
Assembly
200
Cathy
Preparation
120
Consider the 8 hours shift , in 8 hours shift there are 480 min.
The maximum time required for finishing is 250 min in table 4 for operation finishing by TOM.
So 480 / 250 = 1.92 no
So if they take a over time of 20 min then 2 tables can be manufactured , Compare to table no 1 cost can be minimized & production will increased .
Question #4: Whoever performs the packaging function is severely underutilized. Can you find a better way of utilizing the four- or five-person crew than either giving each a single job or allowing each to manufacture an entire table? How many tables could be manufactured per day with this scheme?
Table 4
Manufacturing Time in minutes
Tom
Finishing
250
George
Packaging
230
Leon
Assembly
200
Cathy
Preparation
120
In above table if 5 th no man is added & if he helps to Finishing as well as Packaging then both timing can be come down to half level.Its not only useful to apply the 5 th no person to packaging because its of no use , the finishing is also having more time .
So new time will be
Table 5
Manufacturing Time in minutes
Tom
Finishing
125
George
Packaging
115
Leon
Assembly
200
Cathy
Preparation
120
5 th person
125
115
Consider the 8 hours shift , in 8 hours shift there are 480 min.
The maximum time required for Assembly is 200 min for Leon in table 5
So 480 / 200 = 2.4 no
So in this we productivity can be increased.
Table 1
Manufacturing Time in minutes
Tom
Preparation
100
Assembly
160
Finishing
250
Packaging
275
George
Preparation
80
Assembly
160
Finishing
220
Packaging
230
Leon
Preparation
110
Assembly
200
Finishing
Packaging
290
Cathy
Preparation
120
Assembly
190
Finishing
290
Packaging
315
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