The Twelve Tasks Necessary to Assemble a Food Blender Are

question 18

Essay

The twelve tasks necessary to assemble a food blender are listed below. The time to perform each task and the tasks that must immediately precede are also listed. 200 blenders are needed per hour and 50 minutes per hour are productive:
$\begin{array}{ccc|ccc}\text { Task }&\text {Time (in minutes)}&\text { Predecessors }&\text { Task }&\text {Time (in minutes)}&\text { Predecessors }\\\hline\text { A } & 0.20 & \text { none } & \text { G } & 0.08 & \text { E, F } \\\text { B } & 0.05 & \text { none } & \text { H } & 0.12 & \text { none } \\\text { C } & 0.15 & \text { none } & \text { I } & 0.05 & \text { none } \\\text { D } & 0.06 & \text { none } & \text { J } & 0.12 & \text { H, I, G } \\\text { E } & 0.03 & \text { A, B } & \text { K } & 0.15 & \text { J } \\\text { F } & 0.16 & \text { C, D } & \text { L } & 0.08 & \text { K }\end{array}$
a.Compute the cycle time per unit in minutes.
b.Compute the minimum number of workstations required.
c.Use the longest-task-time heuristic to balance the assembly line.
d.Compute the efficiency of your assembly line.

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Definitions:

Suboptimal Decisions

Choices or decisions made that are not the best possible ones, often resulting in less efficient or effective outcomes than could have been achieved.

Decentralisation

The distribution of decision-making power and operational responsibilities away from a central authority to lower levels in an organization.

Responsibility Accounting

An accounting system that collects, summarizes, and reports financial information related to the responsibilities of individual managers or departments.

Goal Congruence

The alignment of individual objectives and actions with the overall goals and objectives of an organization.