Question

Problem 11-16

Wally’s Widget Warehouse takes orders from 7 A.M. to 7 P.M. The manager wants to analyze the process and has provided the process flow diagram shown below. There are three steps required to ship a customer order. The first step is to take the order from a customer. The second step is to pick the order for the customer, and then they have to pack the order ready for shipping. Wally promises that every order placed today gets shipped tomorrow. That means that the picking and packing operations must finish all orders before they go home.

Wally wants to figure out the following.

a.	What is the current maximum daily output of the process assuming that no one works overtime? (i.e., meaning all three operations work a 12-hour shift)

Current maximum output

units per day

b.	How long (in hours) will the picking and packing operations have to work to finish all the orders that were taken if we have a day where the order taker works at his maximum capacity?

Pick orders	hours
Pack orders	hours

c.	Givenb, what is the maximum number of orders waiting to be picked?

Maximum number of orders

units

d.	Givenb, what is the maximum number of orders waiting to be packed?

Maximum number of orders

units

Management is considering doubling the packing capacity (from 60 to 120 orders per hour). Please answer the following based on that change.

e.	How long will the picking and packing operations have to work if we have a day where the order taker works at his maximum capacity?

Pick orders	hours
Pack orders	hours

f.	Givene, what is the maximum number of orders waiting to be picked?

Maximum number of orders

units

g.	Givene, what is the maximum number of orders waiting to be packed?

Maximum number of orders

units

Answer 1