Managing Processes Sample Problem on Process Analysis:

Concept Check

Zingerman bakery has approached you to evaluate its decisions to: 1) purchase new equipment and ii) add new products. The bakery is currently producing and selling only one type of bread- white bread. The bakery operates two parallel baking lines, each equipped with a mixer, a proofer and an oven. In addition, the bakery operates a single packaging line that is shared by the two bread-making lines. Attached below is a process flow diagram for the bakery, along with the cycle time of each step of the bread making process and packaging process. The bread is made in batches of 100. Figure 1: Process Flow diagram and cycle times for bread making and packaging

Mix

Proof

Bake

WIP Raw materials Mix Proof Bake

Pack

Finished Goods
Cycle times: For For For For i) mix operation --proofing --baking --packing -- hour/100 loaves for each line hour/100 loaves for each line 1 hour/100 loaves for each line hour/100 loaves.

If both bread making lines finish baking at the same time, determine the cycle time of the bread making process or the throughput of the bread making process?

ii)

What is the bottleneck of the entire process that includes both bread-making and packaging? Explain. Determine the cycle time of the entire process that includes both packaging and bread-making?

iii)

What is the bakerys overall capacity in packaged loaves, assuming it operates the packaging line for 8 hours a day? (consider the system to be in steady state)

iv)

Zingerman is considering replacing some of his existing equipment with more advanced and faster equipment. He is faced with two choices: I) Purchasing two new ovens that are each capable of baking a batch of 100 loaves in hour, or ii) Purchasing a new packaging line that is capable of packaging a batch of 100 loaves in hour. Calculate the increase in capacity achieved by both these options. Which of these two options would result in the greatest increase in the overall bakerys overall capacity? Explain.

v)

Zingerman is also contemplating whether to add wheat bread to his product line along with the white bread. For simplicity, we will assume that the bakery would produce equal quantities of each type of bread and fully dedicate one bread making line to white and the other to wheat. The packaging line, however, would need to switch between packaging wheat and white bread every 100 loaves, i.e. every batch. However, the two breads must be packaged in different bags. Changing the bags requires a setup time of hour. Given this set-up time and the previous values for capacities at the various stages, what would be the impact of this decision on the bakerys overall capacity? Assuming it operated the packaging line for 8 hours a day, what would be the bakerys daily capacity in terms of packaged loaves now?