MBC 635 Grader Report Team 1 Margaret M. Bagaraan Anthony Ob

2019 0403 Mbc 635 Grader Reportteam 1margaretmbagaraanthonyobeiddandan

Identify the core assignment question: Perform a capacity analysis of Joe's ice cream operation, assuming order size of 1 cup and only one worker (Joe) handling all process steps. Calculate the bottleneck and process capacity in orders per hour, determine the production cycle time, compute direct labor content, total idle time, and labor utilization, and construct a Gantt chart to illustrate the workflow with three concurrent orders, showing the bottleneck operating at full capacity.

Paper For Above instruction

Introduction

The surge in online food delivery services in recent years has generated new entrepreneurial opportunities, particularly within niche markets such as personalized ice cream products. Joe's innovative business idea involves creating customized, made-to-order ice cream cups with various mixers, to be delivered through food delivery platforms. Understanding the capacity constraints and process efficiencies in Joe’s operation is crucial for maximizing throughput and ensuring customer satisfaction. This paper conducts a capacity analysis of Joe's ice cream operation under the assumptions of order size of 1 cup and a single worker—Joe—handling all process steps. The goal is to identify the bottleneck, estimate process capacity, compute cycle times, and visualize workflow through a Gantt chart, thus informing operational decisions to scale production effectively.

Process Description and Assumptions

Joe's process involves seven sequential steps: taking the order, mixing ice cream with desired mixers, spooning into cups, flash freezing, sealing the cups, packing for delivery, and receiving payment. Each process is performed manually, and all steps are assumed to operate with precise, non-variable timings. For a single cup order, the combined process time is 25 minutes, as detailed:

- Order taking: 2 minutes

- Mixing: 5 minutes

- Spooning into cups: 1 minute

- Flash freezing: 10 minutes

- Sealing: 2 minutes

- Packing: 3 minutes

- Payment: 2 minutes

Joe envisions only himself operating, without external constraints on input materials, focusing solely on process timing and resource capacity.

Bottleneck Identification and Capacity Calculation

The capacity of the process hinges on the bottleneck resource—the step with the longest processing time per unit. For the single worker scenario, all steps are sequential, but the flash freezer process imposes a strict limit:

- The freezing step takes 10 minutes per cup, and its capacity is limited to 6 cups per hour (since 60 minutes / 10 minutes per cup = 6 cups/hour).

- Other steps are shorter and do not reduce total throughput below this limit.

Thus, the flash freezer's capacity defines the maximum feasible throughput of the entire process. Therefore, the process capacity is 6 orders per hour when operated with one worker full-time, constrained by the flash freezer.

Mathematically:

Process Capacity (orders/hour) = (Number of resources m) / (Time per resource p) * 60

For the flash freezer:

= 1 / 10 * 60 = 6 orders/hour

Since no other step impedes processing at this rate, the bottleneck is the flash freezer.

Production Cycle Time

The production cycle time per order includes all process steps performed sequentially:

- Total cycle time = 2 + 5 + 1 + 10 + 2 + 3 + 2 = 25 minutes

This includes the initial order taking, mixing, spooning, freezing, sealing, packing, and payment.

In a steady state with continuous orders, the cycle time per order remains 25 minutes, meaning that each order is completed every 25 minutes, constrained by the bottleneck.

Labor Content, Idle Time, and Utilization

- Direct labor content per order: The sum of all labor steps involving Joe:

- Order taking: 2 min

- Mixing: 5 min

- Spoon: 1 min

- Payment: 2 min

Total labor time per order = 2 + 5 + 1 + 2 = 10 minutes

- Total scheduled time per order: 25 minutes, as per process flow.

- Idle time: The difference between total cycle time and direct labor time:

- Idle time per order = 25 - 10 = 15 minutes

- Idle time per cycle indicates that Joe spends only part of the cycle actively working; much of the time, the process waits for the freezing step or involves other non-labor delays.

- Labor utilization:

- Utilization = (Total labor content / cycle time) * 100

- = (10 / 25) * 100 = 40%

This indicates that Joe is actively engaged with the process only 40% of the cycle time, with the remaining 60% idle, primarily due to the freezing step.

Workflow Visualization: Gantt Chart

Constructing a Gantt chart for three concurrent orders emphasizes the bottleneck's operation at full capacity. The key points:

- Orders are initiated at intervals aligning with the cycle time, every 25 minutes.

- Joe's activities are scheduled for each order during the initial 10 minutes, accommodating order taking, mixing, and spooning.

- The freezing process, taking 10 minutes per cup, overlaps with subsequent orders, filling the schedule without gaps due to the process’s sequential but overlapping nature.

- Completing three orders in the system demonstrates continuous operation at the maximum throughput of 6 orders/hour, with the freezing step consistently fully occupied.

Sample timings:

| Order | Start Time | Activities | End Time |

|--------|--------------|----------------------------------------------|-----------|

| 1 | 0 min | Take order (2 min), Mix (5 min), Spoon (1 min), Freeze (10 min), Seal (2 min), Pack (3 min), Payment (2 min) | 25 min |

| 2 | 25 min | Similar activities, starting immediately after Order 1 | 50 min |

| 3 | 50 min | Starts at 50 min, ends at 75 min | 75 min |

Through this schedule, the freezing process consistently operates at maximum capacity, confirming its role as the bottleneck.

Conclusion

The capacity analysis illustrates that in the single-worker, 1-cup order scenario, Joe's operation is constrained by the flash freezer, limiting throughput to six orders per hour. The total cycle time per order is 25 minutes, with the worker actively involved in less than half that time, resulting in a labor utilization of approximately 40%. A Gantt chart depiction confirms the process can sustain three concurrent orders, fully leveraging the freezing step’s capacity. To increase throughput, Joe could consider adding additional freezing units or optimizing process steps, thus reducing wait times and increasing capacity. Such analysis enables strategic operational planning to meet growing demand efficiently.

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