Question

Consider the Process Flow Diagram for bread-making with two parallel lines shown below. You are given that the cycle time for the mixing, proofing, and packing operations is equal at ¾ hour per 100 loaves; and for the baking operation, the cycle time is 1 hour per 100 loaves. Assuming that the operation is staffed for a single 8 hour shift (with staggered start and end times for each operation) and that it is dedicated to producing a single product - white bread, answer the following questions: Assuming that there are no constraints on materials supplies, what is the bottleneck operation in the complete line?

Answer 1

The bottleneck operation in this bread-making process is the baking operation, as it has the lowest throughput, limiting the overall production capacity to 800 loaves per 8-hour shift.

To determine the bottleneck in the bread-making process, we need to evaluate the cycle time of each operation and identify which one has the longest duration, as this will limit the overall throughput of the system. The bottleneck is the stage in the process that has the lowest throughput (i.e., takes the longest time per unit).

Given data:

- Mixing, proofing, and packing: ¾ hour per 100 loaves

- Baking: 1 hour per 100 loaves

Analysis :

1. Mixing, Proofing, and Packing Operations : These operations take ¾ hour (or 45 minutes) for every 100 loaves. This means in an 8-hour shift, the maximum throughput for each of these operations is:

`\[ \frac{8 \text{ hours}}{0.75 \text{ hours per 100 loaves}} = (8)/(0.75) * 100 \text{ loaves} \]`

2. **Baking Operation**: This operation takes 1 hour for every 100 loaves. Thus, in an 8-hour shift, the maximum throughput for the baking operation is:

`\[ \frac{8 \text{ hours}}{1 \text{ hour per 100 loaves}} * 100 \text{ loaves} \]`

Finding the Bottleneck :

The operation with the lowest throughput (i.e., the lowest number of loaves produced in the 8-hour shift) will be the bottleneck.

Let's calculate the throughput for both types of operations.

The throughput for the mixing, proofing, and packing operations is approximately 1067 loaves in an 8-hour shift, whereas for the baking operation, it is 800 loaves in the same period.

Therefore, the bottleneck operation in this bread-making process is the baking operation, as it has the lowest throughput, limiting the overall production capacity to 800 loaves per 8-hour shift.