Q2 Little Richard Laboratories (LRL) is a blood sample testing lab. LRL’s testin
ID: 415716 • Letter: Q
Question
Q2 Little Richard Laboratories (LRL) is a blood sample testing lab. LRL’s testing process consists of four steps carried out by four technicians; Step 1 is carried out by Technician1, Step 2 by Technician2, Step 3 by Technician3, and finally Step 4 by Technician4. Each blood sample has to go through all 4 steps. Little Richard hired you as a process consultant. After initial analysis, you find the following:
Step 1 takes 6 minutes, Step 2 takes 3 minutes, Step 3 takes 2 minutes, and Step 4 takes 6 minute.
a) (5 points) Identify the bottleneck(s). What is the capacity of Little Richard Laboratories (in blood samples per hour)?
Little Richard decides to cross-train Technicians 1 and 2. Now Technician1 can do not only Step 1 but also Step 2. Likewise, Technician 2 can do Steps 1 and 2.
Also, Little Richard cross-trains Technicians 3 and 4. Now Technician 3 can do not only Step 3 but also Step 4. Technician 4 can do Steps 3 and 4 too.
b) (5 points) Identify the bottleneck(s). What is the capacity of Little Richard Laboratories (in blood samples per hour)?
It turns out Technicians1 and 2 hate each other and they don’t want to cross-train each other. So Little Richard decides to cross-train Technicians 1 and 4. Now Technician1 can do not only Step 1 but also Step 4. Likewise, Technician 4 can do Steps 1 and 4.
Also, Little Richard cross-trains Technicians 2 and 3. Now Technician 2 can do not only Step 2 but also Step 3. Technician 3 can do Steps 2 and 3 too.
c) (5 points) Identify the bottleneck(s). What is the capacity of Little Richard Laboratories (in blood samples per hour)?
Explanation / Answer
Answer to question a :
Bottleneck step is the one which takes maximum time which are Step 1 and Step 4 both of which take 6 minutes each. Since capacity of a whole system is decided on basis of capacity of the bottleneck process, it can be concluded that capacity of the Little Richards Laboratories is 6 minutes per sample.
Therefore, capacity of the Little Richards Laboratories ( in terms of numbers per hour ) = 60 / 6 = 10 blood samples / hour
Answer to question b:
Step 1 and 2 is now an integrated process with processing time of 6 +3 = 9 minutes handled by 2 technician
Thus, effective processing time per blood sample = 9/2 = 4.5 minutes
Step 3 and Step 4 is now an integrated process with processing time of = 6 + 2 = 8 minutes handled by 2 technicians
Thus, effective processing time per blood sample = 8/2 = 4 minutes
Thus the bottleneck integrated process will combination of Step 1 + 2 which process 1 blood sample in 4.5 minutes
Therefore, capacity of the Little Richards Laboratories = 60 /4.5 = 13.33 blood samples / hour
Answer to question c :
Step 1 and 4 are now an integrated process with processing time of 6 +6 = 12 minutes handled by 2 technician
Thus, effective processing time per blood sample = 12/2 = 6 minutes
Step 2 and 3 are now an integrated process with processing time of = 3 + 2 = 5 minutes handled by 2 technicians
Thus, effective processing time per blood sample = 5/2 = 2.5 minutes
Thus the bottleneck integrated process will combination of Step 1 + 4 which process 1 blood sample in 6 minutes
Therefore, capacity of the Little Richards Laboratories = 60 /6 = 10 blood samples per hour
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