Consider two adjacent stations in a line, labeled A and B. A worker at station A performs a set of tasks on a job and passes the job to station \(B\), where a second worker performs another set of tasks. There is a finite amount of space for inventory between the two stations. Currently, A and B simply do their own tasks. When the buffer is full, A is blocked. When the buffer is empty, B is starved. However, a new policy has been proposed. The new policy designates a set of tasks, some from A's original set and others from B's set, as "shared tasks." When the buffer is more than half full, A does the shared tasks before putting jobs into the buffer. When the buffer is less than half full, A leaves the shared tasks for B to do. Assuming that the shared tasks can be done equally quickly by either A or B, comment on the effect that this policy will have on overall variability in the line. Do you think this policy might have merit?

Step by step solution

01

Understand the Current System

In the existing setup, worker A at station A performs a set of tasks and passes the job to station B, where worker B performs another set of tasks. The space for inventory between the two stations is limited. When the buffer is full, station A gets blocked, and when the buffer is empty, station B gets starved.

02

Explain the Proposed Policy

The proposed policy is to designate some tasks from the original task sets of A and B as "shared tasks." When the buffer is more than half full, worker A does the shared tasks before putting jobs into the buffer. When the buffer is less than half full, worker A leaves the shared tasks for worker B to do. It is assumed that both workers can do the shared tasks equally quickly.

03

Analyze the Effects on Variability

With the new policy, the tasks are distributed more evenly between the workers based on the buffer conditions. This results in better utilization of both workers' time, thus reducing the likelihood of blocking and starving. Consequently, overall variability in the line should decrease since workers can adapt to buffer conditions by prioritizing the tasks accordingly.

04

Comment on the Merits of the Policy

The proposed policy appears to have merit as it addresses the problems of blocking and starving by dynamically allocating tasks between the workers based on buffer conditions. This flexible approach enables better use of the available capacity and can lead to an improvement in overall line efficiency. However, the specific benefits of this policy may be sensitive to individual task times, worker performance, and buffer capacity.

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Key Concepts

These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.

Inventory Buffer Management

In manufacturing systems, inventory buffer management is a critical aspect that helps in balancing work across production stations. A buffer is a storage area between work stations where a predetermined number of units can be held temporarily. It acts as a shock absorber to accommodate fluctuations in production times, preventing delays or stoppages in the work process.

In the given exercise, buffer management is optimized through a new policy that involves task sharing between stations A and B. This approach minimizes blocking, which occurs when station A's buffer space is full, and station A must pause its work; as well as starving, which happens when station B has no work because the buffer is empty. By sharing tasks, workers can keep the buffer at an optimal level, thus ensuring a more consistent workflow and maintaining the line's momentum.

Workflow Variability Reduction

Reducing workflow variability is essential to achieving a stable and consistent production rate. Variability can cause inefficiencies, reduced throughput, and increased cycle times. The proposed policy in the exercise aims to reduce workflow variability by dynamically allocating shared tasks depending upon the buffer's state.

This method ensures that if station A experiences high production rates, it can take on additional shared tasks to avoid blocking. Conversely, if station B is at risk of starvation, A can leave some tasks for B, maintaining workload balance. By responding to real-time buffer levels, the system becomes more resilient to the inherent variability of production processes, hence improving overall workflow stability.

Task Sharing in Production

The concept of task sharing in production involves the distribution of tasks among workers to optimize throughput and balance workloads. It is an effective strategy when handling fluctuating workflow demands. By implementing task sharing, as seen in the given exercise, late processing of a task by one station can be mitigated by another station picking up the shared tasks.

When Station A has excess capacity, it undertakes some of B's work, which fits well with the lean manufacturing principle of load leveling or 'heijunka'. Task sharing also encourages teamwork and skill diversification among workers, which is beneficial for continuous improvement and employee empowerment—key factors in achieving production efficiency.

Production Efficiency

Achieving production efficiency means producing goods using the least amount of resources without compromising quality. In the context of the exercise, improving the efficiency of production lines is done by reducing idle time due to blocking and starving and enhancing overall worker utilization.

Task sharing contributes to this effort by flexibly adapting to the buffer's state, which maximizes the productive use of labor and minimizes the time units spend waiting in the queue. With workers cross-trained on shared tasks, there is less downtime, and resource allocation can be optimized according to workload variations. This collaborative approach can significantly improve line efficiency by ensuring that every resource is contributing to the production process at all times.

Blocking and Starving in Production Lines

The issues of blocking and starving in production lines are critical bottlenecks that can severely hamper flow and lead to inefficiency. Blocking occurs when a downstream station cannot accept more items because its buffer or storage area is already full, while starving happens when an upstream station has no items to work on because the buffer is empty.

The proposed policy in the exercise confronts these issues by ensuring task sharing becomes a dynamic process guided by the level of inventory in the buffer. When appropriately implemented, this policy can significantly mitigate the risks of blocking and starving, promoting a smoother, more reliable flow of materials and work activities through the production line. Thus, decreasing these occurrences is paramount for maintaining a streamlined, efficient production system.