Week4-Ops571

Running head: BOTTLENECKS IN A PROCESS Bottlenecks in a Process YOUR NAME(S) OPS/571 DATE NAME OF PROFESSOR Bottlenecks in a Process As displayed in the flowchart (Figure 1.1), the process of driving to work is not always straightforward; it is multifarious in some capacity. Besides for the mentioned processes contained within the flowchart, the daily excursion, which at times may last up to 29 minutes (Figure 1.2), may potentially include unforeseen events such as car wrecks, sudden stops, school buses, etc. – all which have the potential to complicate the process. Nonetheless, based on the flowchart, it is apparent that the main bottleneck is the point in which the driver needs to make a determination if there is enough gas to get to work. In general, a bottleneck takes place when the capacity for production in one process is larger than the capacity for production capacity in the subsequent process. According to the flowchart, the driver enters the vehicle, opens the garage door, puts on the seatbelt, turns on the vehicle, and drives safely out of the garage. Assuming the garage door and vehicle function properly, the processes will flow normally without having deficiencies in capacity; however, the potential for a bottleneck does occur thereafter. Once the driver pulls out of the garage, there is a hindrance pertaining to the driver's capacity to drive directly to work. If the driver has an adequate supply of gas, then the automobile has the capacity to let the driver proceed to the final destination. Nonetheless, if there is not an adequate supply of gas, the driver must drive to the closest gas station in order to obtain enough gas for the automobile to be able to drive to work. Once the gas predicament is solved, the remaining flow is practically free of potential bottlenecks. There are ways in which this bottleneck can be properly eliminated. One possible method would involve shifting the process to a more expedient time in which the bottleneck may have excess capacity. For example, the driver could obtain gas prior to the flow even beginning; at a time in which the gas station is much less occupied, possibly at night. In other words, the amount of traffic at nighttime has less capacity to produce the transport of other vehicles, which would make the process of obtaining gas much quicker. This, in turn, would permit the driver to drive directly to work every morning without having to drive to a gas station during the flow. The driver may additionally obtain gas on the weekend, which would also permit the driver to drive directly to work, although the process may take longer (depending on the time of day). The driver may additionally consider speeding up the other processes (putting on seatbelt, safely driving out of garage, driving to work, etc.) so as to reduce the potential bottleneck’s capacity to slow down the overall flow. Figure 1.1 Figure 1.2 Week One |Day of Week |Time (minutes) | |Monday             |22 | |Tuesday              |17 | |Wednesday        |15 | |Thursday             |25 | |Friday                   |29 |   Week Two |Day of Week |Time (minutes) | |Monday             |24 | |Tuesday             |17 | |Wednesday        |16 | |Thursday             |24 | |Friday                   |26 |   Week Three |Day of Week |Time (minutes) | |Monday             |22 | |Tuesday             |17 | |Wednesday        |16 | |Thursday             |24 | |Friday                   |29 | ----------------------- [pic] [pic] Find parking and safely park in the main parking lot Is there a parking space available in the main parking lot' End - enter final destination (work) Turn off, exit and lock vehicle Find parking and safely park in the alternative parking lot Search for parking No Yes Reach Destination Yes No Drive to gas station and fill up tank Safely drive out of garage Is there enough gas to get to work' Put on seatbelt Turn on vehicle Flowchart Open garage door Drive to work Start – enter vehicle