Process Analysis: Introduction / The Three Measures
Process Analysis: Introduction / The Three Measures
Process Analysis: Introduction / The Three Measures
25 Minutes later.
Flow rate / throughput: number of flow units going through the process per unit of time
Flow Time: time it takes a flow unit to go from the beginning to the end of the process
Inventory: the number of flow units in the process at a given moment in time
Flow Unit: Customer or Sandwich
Immigration department
Champagne
MBA program
Auto company
Applications
Bottle of champagne
Student
Car
Graduating class
Processing time
2 years
60 days
Pending cases
Content of cellar
Total campus
population
Inventory
Summary
When observing a process, always aim to understand the three process measures
Flow rate / throughput: number of flow units going through the process per unit of time
Flow Time: time it takes a flow unit to go from the beginning to the end of the process
Inventory: the number of flow units in the process at a given moment in time
In the next session, we will discuss what drives these measures
We will then find out that the three measures are related to each other
Process Analysis
Finding the bottleneck
Process Analysis
Station 2
Station 3
Processing times: how long does the worker spend on the task?
Capacity=1/processing time: how many units can the worker make per unit of time
If there are m workers at the activity: Capacity=m/activity time
Bottleneck: process step with the lowest capacity
Process capacity: capacity of the bottleneck
Flow rate =Minimum{Demand rate, Process Capacity)
Utilization =Flow Rate / Capacity
Flow Time: The amount of time it takes a flow unit to go through the process
Inventory: The number of flow units in the system
Process Analysis
Labor productivity measures
Bottleneck
a4
=Idle Time
=Processing time
a2
Labor Productivity Measures
a1
a3
3 min/unit
5 min/unit
2 min/unit
3 min/unit
6 min/unit
2 min/unit
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
Purchased
parts and
assemblies
40%
30%
Parts and
material
costs
Logistics costs
20%
Material costs
10%
0%
Final
Assemblers
cost
Including
Tier 1
Costs
Including
Tier 2
Costs
Rolled-up
Costs over
~ 5 Tiers
Process Analysis
Littles Law
- units
Implications:
Out of the three fundamental performance measures (I,R,T), two can be chosen by
management, the other is GIVEN by nature
Hold throughput constant: Reducing inventory = reducing flow time
Given two of the three measures, you can solve for the third:
Indirect measurement of flow time: how long does it take you on average to respond to an email?
You write 60 email responses per day
You have 240 emails in your inbox
Process Analysis
Inventory Turns / Inventory costs
Inventory Turns
Inventory Turns
Computed as:
Inventory turns=
COGS
Inventory
Example:
Annual inventory costs=30%
Inventory turns=6
Per unit Inventory costs=
Process Analysis
Buffer or Suffer
Subway
1. Customer orders
2. Customer waits for making of sandwich
3. Customer orders can filled with delay
=> Customer waits for sandwich
http://www.minyanville.com/businessmarkets/articles/drive-thrus-emissions-fast-food-mcdonalds/5/12/2010/id/28261
Prof. Christian Terwiesch
Source: De Groote
Prof. Christian Terwiesch
Process Analysis
Multiple flow units
File
File
m=1
3 min/app
Department
Contact
prior
m=3
employers
15 min/app
Department
Benchmark
gradesm=2
8 min/app
Print invoice
m=1
Confirmation
letter2 min/app
For each resource, compute the number of minutes that the resource can
produce
Create a process flow diagram, indicating how the flow units go through
the process
Create a table indicating how much workload each flow unit is consuming
at each resource
Add up the workload of each resource across all flow units.
Compute the implied utilization of each resource as
Pitches
Scripts
Processing time
2 days
10 days
Resources
(250 days per year)
5 judges
3 script writers
2/6
6/20
20/70
70/500
500 ideas
per year
Pilots
30 days
2 pilot teams
Shows
70 days
2 Series crews
New
Series
200 days
1 Main crew