Question

Given a precedence diagram and a takt time of 12 minutes, how would you design a line with the fewest number of workstations and the highest efficiency?

Answer 1

For this assignment, I selected Mercedes-Benz from the automotive industry. Its competitor is BMW. The target market group is affluent individuals seeking luxury vehicles, aged between 35-55. The main message intent revolves around technological innovation and timeless elegance.

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Step-by-step explanation:

I chose Mercedes-Benz, a prominent automotive brand, and identified BMW as its competitor within the luxury car market. The target market group comprises affluent individuals aged 35-55, drawn to luxury vehicles. The main message intent centers on technological innovation and timeless elegance, encapsulating the brand's ethos.

To diversify communication, specific messages are tailored for different channels. Social media will emphasize safety features, resonating with users through engaging content. Paid advertising will focus on luxury, performance, and exclusivity, appealing directly to the target market's desires. In earned public relations, highlighting craftsmanship and heritage fosters a sense of prestige and legacy among the audience. Each message's alignment with the chosen channels ensures resonance and relevance to the targeted customer group.

Monitoring and analytics play a pivotal role in evaluating the brand's performance. Metrics such as engagement rates, conversion metrics, and sentiment analysis will be tracked across social media, advertising, and public relations channels. These metrics serve as indicators of the brand's effectiveness in connecting with and influencing the target audience.

For instance, analyzing conversion rates from each channel and sentiment analysis across social media interactions will provide insights into customer perception and behavior towards the brand. The evaluation of these metrics will contribute to grading the brand's performance, allowing for informed adjustments and improvements in future marketing strategies.

Answer 2

Final answer:

To design a line with the fewest workstations and highest efficiency given a takt time of 12 minutes, one must follow the precedence diagram, ensuring that no single workstation's task time exceeds the takt time. By minimizing the number of workstations and selecting production technology with the lowest total cost, such as technology 3 with cheaper machine hours, efficiency is optimized.

Step-by-step explanation:

To design a line with the fewest number of workstations and the highest efficiency given a takt time of 12 minutes, one must first understand the precedence diagram which outlines the sequence of tasks and their relationships. The goal is to group these tasks into workstations where the sum of task times does not exceed the takt time, ensuring a smooth workflow that matches the pace of customer demand.

Takt time is the rate at which a finished product needs to be completed in order to meet customer demand. In this case, the takt time is 12 minutes. To achieve the highest efficiency, you will need to minimize the number of workstations while ensuring that no workstation's total task time exceeds the takt time.

Here’s a basic step-by-step guide:

1. Examine the precedence diagram to understand the order of operations and identify any opportunities for task combination.
2. Start creating workstations by assigning the first task or tasks to the first station, making sure not to exceed the 12-minute takt time.
3. Continue assigning tasks to workstations, respecting the sequence and dependencies shown in the diagram.
4. If tasks cannot be grouped into a current workstation without exceeding the takt time, create a new workstation.
5. The decision to choose production technology 3 is based on the principle of minimizing total production cost by leveraging cheaper machine hours, indicating a shift towards more machine usage and less labor.

Conclusion: The choice of production technology significantly impacts the cost and efficiency of a production line. Therefore, selecting the technology with the lowest total cost is critical for maximizing efficiency.