The case described about Kristen’s cookie company which provide freshly made cookies with variety of ingredients available to add to the cookies. The company is established in the on campus apartment.
The cookies are made by 2 people, using a standard dough mixing equipment, tray and the apartment oven. Below is the explanation and evaluation of the preliminary process design in making and selling the cookies to the customers. Kristen’s cookie company promises that the cookies will be ready for pick up within an hour.
1. The analysis of the processing operations at Kristen’s cookies:
The process is shown in the process flow below:
wash mixer, add ingredien ts & mix
•3 dozens • 6 mins
put dough into the tray • 1 tray
/dozen
•2 mins/tray put in oven, set timer • 1 tray
/baking
in the oven • 1 min
baking
9 mins
cooling
5 mins
packing
2 mins
accept payment a. The total time to produce 1 dozen of cookies is= 6+2+1+9+5+2+1 = 26 minutes
b. The total baking time is 10 minutes
c. The output from mixing is for 3 dozens of cookies while the oven’s capacity is only for 1 dozen for every baking process.
2. The bottleneck operation:
The capacity of the operation in making cookies is based on the output of the bottleneck. The bottleneck operation is baking the cookies in the oven, which can process 60min/(1+9) min = 6 dozen orders per hour. This assumes one dozen order sizes.
3. Number of orders that can be fulfilled in a night:
The operational hours is assumed 4 hours every night. The first dozen requires 26 minutes, so the time left is= (60 minutes x 4 hours) – 26 minutes = 214 minutes. As the baking operation is the bottleneck and it requires 10 minutes per dozen, so the numbers of the cookies can be produced after the first dozen is = 214 minutes/10 minutes ~ 21 dozens. The total production for 4 hours operation is = 1+21 = 22 dozens. To optimize the capacity, the oven has to be continuously in operation every 10 minutes.
4.