The Process of Line balancing:

* Line balancing is essential for an effective product layout. * It is difficult to achieve equal work content to all stages in a process so therefore this will result in an imbalance hence a balancing loss. In the case of a line imbalance, extra resources need to be allocated to ensure the process is brought back to an efficient level of activity. With as high as possible the level of effectiveness for each stage in the process. * If a line is not properly balanced and therefore there is an imbalance the effectiveness of this is known as a balancing loss. The measure of a balancing loss is where the problem occurs of unequal allocation of work as part of the overall time needed to produce a product or service. * Perfect balancing would mean that work content is evenly allocated to each stage of the process. * The effectiveness of the balancing activity is measured by the balancing loss. * The longest stage in the process is called a bottleneck; it governs the flow of items through the whole process.
Balancing Technique: * Various numbers of techniques available, must decide which is the best for the goal you are aiming for.
Precedence Technique: * “This technique is a representation of the ordering of the elements which compose the total work content of the product or service” (Topic four product layout page 197)
Worked Example: * Is the technique who the number of stages equal the total work content divided by the required cycle time. * “This variation can introduce irregularity into the flow along the line, which in turn can lead to periodic queues at the stages and lost processing time”(Topic four hand-out page 197) * “ it may even prove necessary to introduce more resources into the operation to compensate for the loss of efficiency resulting from work-time variation”(Topic four hand-out page 197)

The Process of Functional layout development:

* “A functional layout allows the customers to define the sequence of service activities to meet their needs and thus, affords some degree of customization” ( Topic three Functional layouts) * The functional layout allows this service to be altered or designed to customer specifications which therefore is delivering personalized service * This layout is known as “functional layout” as it conforms to the needs and convenience of the functions to which it performed by the transforming resources in the process. * In the functional layout some resources or process which are deemed to be similar are often located together, this could be a result of them being convenient to having them located together, also it is considered that the utilization of transforming resources is improved, this is defined as when materials, information or customers move through the operation and the route which they take is decided knowing there particular needs. * Various other products or customers will take alternative routes depending on their needs this does however make the flow patterns in to the operation very complex.

Examples of functional layouts:
“Hospital: some processes (example: X-Ray machine and laboratories) are required by several different types of patients, some processes (example: general words) can achieve high staff and bed utilization” (topic Two Layout and Flow page 182)
“Supermarket: some products, such as tinned foods are convenient to restock if grouped together. Some areas such as those holding frozen vegetables need the common technology of freezer cabinets. Others such as areas holding fresh vegetables might be located together because that way they can be made to look attractive to customers”(Topic Two layout and flow)

Cell layout: * Is whereby the transformed resources entering the operation are pre-selected to move on to a part of the cell. * Once they have been processed in the cell, the transformed resources may in turn move on to another cell.
Examples of cell layout: * “some laptop assembly: within a contract manufacturer’s factory, the assembly of different laptop brands may be done in a special area dedicated to the one brand that has special requirements such as particularly high quality levels”( Topic two layout and flow) * “Maternity unit in hospital: customers seeking maternity attention are a well-defined group who can be treated together and who are unlikely to need the other facilities of the hospital at the same time as the need maternity unit” ( Topic Two Layout and flow)
Product Layout: * Method of locating the transforming resources entirely for the convenience of the transformed resource. The transformed resources flow as in a line through the process. * Process layout engages assembling mutually in one section based leading their operation. * Process layout is handiness for inspection and supervision, example: in industrial engineering process layout is the ground plan of the plant. *
Examples of product layout: * “Automatic Assembly: almost all variants of the same model require the same sequences of processes.(Topic Two layout and flow) * Self-service cafeteria: generally the sequence of customer requirements (starter, main course, desert and drinks) is common to all customers but layout also helps control customer flow” (Topic Two layout and flow)
Performance Objectives:

* How well the transformation system works will have to do with the layout and flow i.e. how it will affect competiveness. 1. Quality: providing error free products and services whilst satisfying the needs and expectations of your customers. 2. Sped: Ensuring you meet the deadline, customers getting the product or service when they have been informed they will. 3. Cost: ensuring your products or services are priced correctly and that you receive a profit. 4. Dependability: Ensuring your customers can rely on you that they trust your word when you say.

The Process of loading, sequencing, scheduling and controlling.

Loading: * Method of determining the available capacity in each stage in a process and allocating a work task to each stage. Loading involves assigning jobs to various sectors. If a job can be processed on only one machine, no difficulty is presented, however, if a job can be loaded on multiple machines, therefore there is multiple jobs to process and the assignment becomes more difficult.
Infinite loading: * Infinite loading does not place a limit on the work loaded onto a stage, this could be because of it is not possible to limit demand or it is acceptable to have a drop in performance. With infinite loading jobs are assigned without having regards for the capacity.

Finite loading: * Finite loading projects actual start and stop times of each job. Finite loading considers the capacity of each machine and compares the processing time so that the process time does not exceed capacity. With finite loading the scheduler loads the job that has the highest priority.

Sequencing; * Sequencing is the process that determines the priorities job orders should have in the manufacturing process. In order to attempt the to control the progress of a job through a process job priority system is used. The priority of jobs queening at a process determines the order in which they were processed.

Priority rules: 1. DD- Due Date of a job: the job having the earliest date has the highest priority. 2. FCFS- first come, first served: the first job reaching the production centre is processed first. 3. LPT- longest processing time: jobs having the longest processing time have the highest priority. 4. PCO- preferred customer order: a job from a preferred customer receives the highest priority. 5. SPT- shortest processing time: the job having the shortest processing time has the highest priority.

Scheduling: * Scheduling pertains to establishing both the timing and use of resources within an organization. Under the operation function scheduling relates to use of equipment and facilities, the scheduling of human activity and receipts of materials. * In a decision making hierarchy scheduling is usually the final step in the transformation process before the actual output is produced. Scheduling decisions are made within the constraints established by these longer term decisions. * Generally, scheduling objectives deals with trade-offs among conflicting goals for efficient utilization of labour and equipment, lead time, inventory levels and processing times. * There are two general types to scheduling forward and backward scheduling. Along as they are applied properly the choice of methods is not significant. If a process leads time9move,queen,and set up time) add to the job lead time and process time is assumed to occur at the end of the process time, than forward scheduling and backwards scheduling will have the same result. With forward schedule the scheduler selects a planned order release date and schedules all activates from this point forward. * With backward scheduling, the scheduler begins with a planned receipt date or due date and moves backwards in time, according to the required processing time, until he or she reaches a point where the order will be released.

Controlling: * Capacity planning and control is the task of setting the effective capacity of an organisation so that it can respond to the demands placed upon it.

The Objectives of capacity planning and control:

1. “ costs: will be affected by the balance between capacity and demand” 2. Revenue: will be affected the by capacity and demand but in the opposite way. 3. Working capital: will be affected if an operation decides to build up finished goods. 4. Quality of goods: might be affected by a capacity plan which involves large fluctuations at capacity level. 5.

Name: Clare M.C. Ardle ID: L00073670 Title: Operations Management. Word count: 2046 Signature: