Explain the importance of process selection in system design.
Process selection refers to the ways organizations choose to produce or provide their goods and services. It involves choice of technology, type of processing, and so on. These choices have important implications for capacity planning, layout of facilitie
Briefly describe the five process types, and indicate the kinds of situations in which each would be used.
There are five basic process types:
a. Jobshop: Jobshop is used when a low volume and a large variety of goods or services are needed. Jobshop involves intermittent processing, high flexibility, skilled workers, relatively large work-in-process inventory,
Briefly discuss the advantages and disadvantages of automation.
Advantages: Uniform output (low variability); boredom and fatigue are not factors;and machines donot go out on strike, ask for higher wages, or file labor grievances. Disadvantages: High purchase cost, less flexibility than human labor, and workers' fear
Briefly describe computer-assisted approaches to production.
Numerically controlled (N/C) machines are programmed to follow a set of processing instructions based on mathematical relationships. Robots have movable arms that enable them to handle a wide variety of tasks such as welding, assembly, loading and unloadi
What is a flexible manufacturing system, and under what set of circumstances is it most appropriate?
See Question #4 above for a description of a FMS. Flexible manufacturing systems often appeal to managers who hope to achieve both the flexibility of a job shop and the productivity of repetitive processing.
Why is management of technology important?
Process selection decisions often include aspects that require highly technical knowledge. Many managers do not possess such expertise. However, if those decisions are delegated to engineers or others who do have the expertise, there is the danger that ma
Why might the choice of equipment that provides flexibility sometimes be viewed as a management cop-out?
Managers sometimes view flexible systems as a hedge; hence, they opt for such systems without having complete understanding of future needs, reasoning that their lack of knowledge is offset by the flexible nature of the system. However, such systems are m
What are the trade-offs that occur when a process layout is used? What are the trade-offs that occur when a product layout is used?
The trade-offs between product layouts and process layouts include the following:
a. Process layout has more equipment flexibility.
b. Process layout generally requires higher skilledworkers.
c. Product layout involves higher volume manufacturing.
d. Proc
List some common reasons for redesigning layouts.
The most common reasons for redesign of layouts include:
a. Inefficient operations.
b. Accidents or safety hazards.
c. Changes in the design of products or services.
d. Introduction of new products or services.
e. Changes in the volume of output or the mi
Briefly describe the two main layout types.
Product layoutsgenerally are characterized by specialized labor and equipment designed for repetitive processing. The layout often is based on processing sequence. Process layouts are more general in nature in terms of labor, processing equipment, and mat
What are the main advantages of a product layout? The main disadvantages?
The main advantages of product layouts include:
a. A potentially high rate of output.
b. Low unit costs.
c. Low training costs and wide span of supervision due to specialization.
d. Low unit cost for material handling.
e. High utilization of labor and equ
What are the main advantages of a process layout? The main disadvantages?
The main advantages of process layouts are:
a. They can handle a variety of processing requirements.
b. They are less vulnerable to equipment failures than product layouts are.
c. The general-purpose equipment used often is less costly than the specialize
What is the goal of line balancing? What happens if a line is unbalanced?
The main goal of line balancing is to achieve a set of task groupings at workstations in the line that have equal time requirements to attain high utilization of labor and equipment. Unbalanced lines have bottlenecks at some workstations and idle time at
Why are routing and scheduling continual problems in process layouts?
Routing and scheduling are continual problems in a process layout because a variety of jobs pass through the system, and they tend to differ in terms of routing and scheduling requirements. In contrast, product layouts typically handle items with little o
Compare equipment maintenance strategies in product and process layouts.
With a product layout, equipment breakdown has serious implications because the separate pieces of equipment are closely tied together. If one piece of equipment fails, the line will quickly come to a halt. Consequently, preventive maintenance to reduce t
Briefly outline the impact that job sequence has on each of the layout types.
Job sequence usually determines the arrangement of equipment in a product layout. In a process layout, job sequences vary, so there is much less influence on equipment arrangement. Because of differences in job requirements, sequencing is a continual task
What are heuristic approaches, and why are they used in designing layouts?
Heuristic approaches are rules designed to guide decision-makers to satisfactory decisions by reducing the number of alternatives that must be considered. They do not yield optimal solutions necessarily. They usually are employed when there is a problem i
Why are product layouts atypical in service environments?
Nonmanufacturing environments do not usually lend themselves to product layouts because they tend to involve more processing variety than many manufacturing environments do.
According to a study by the Alliance of American Insurers, it costs more than three times the original purchase price in parts and labor to reconstruct a wrecked Chevrolet. Explain the reasons for this large discrepancy in terms of the processes used to a
The original car probably was one of a large number of similar cars produced on an assembly line, which was set up to speed the flow of work. That is, inventories of parts were on hand and specialized machinery, workers, and material handling equipment we
Name some ways that a layout can help or hinder productivity.
Layout can lead to high productivity if it contributes to a smooth flow of work with high utilization of labor and equipment. Creating a layout requires careful consideration of future work requirements to determine what will be needed and a certain amoun
What is cellular manufacturing? What are its main benefits and limitations?
In cellular manufacturing, machines are grouped into cells. The basis for grouping can be operations needed to process a group of similar items or part families. Advantages of such systems include relatively short throughput time, reduced material handlin
What is group technology?
Group technology involves items that have similar design or processing requirements and grouping them into part families for cellular manufacturing. It also includes a coding system for items.
Explain the consequences of task time variability on line balancing.
25. Although we treated the task completion times as fixed when balancing assembly lines, it is more realistic to assume variable task times whenever humans are involved. The lower the level of automation, the higher the variability of task times will be.