Operations Management

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Process Layout

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The sequence of the process can be drawn where each work station depend or not of another. In this case, the first process is “Review application for correctness”, basically it makes a follow up about the applications whether there will be an error or not, it takes 10 seconds to do. The second is “Verify information and check for outstanding debt”, it confirms if there is inaccurate information and if the debt is completed, it takes 60 seconds to do and it is the bottleneck step of the system which happening in parallel with process 1. The third process is “Process and record payment” and depends on step 1 and 2 to happen, it is the second process which takes more time beyond step 2, it takes 30 seconds and, basically, it makes two activities for payment, the process and registered that check if the payment was made with successful. The fourth step is to take photo of the students, employees or visitors, and it takes 20 seconds to do, and it happens independent of previous steps. The fifth step depends if the step 3 and 4 is done because the step 5 needs to use the photo (step 4) and all the application needs to be alright. Finally, the last step takes 10 seconds and the process needs to be completed by step 5 to finalize the application.

According to the time information on the table, which describes how much time each step takes, it is possible to realize that the step 2 takes more time, as described before; therefore, Step 2 is the bottleneck of the process and, because of that, the system is able to process one applicant every minute. Thus the pace of application will be every 60 seconds.

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The table below shows all six steps with the respective precedence, time and which worker will care with the step.

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Therefore, each worker will have their respective total time working per application, as showed on the table below:

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Finally, the system will utilize three workers and the time for ending one application is 140 seconds, the global efficiency of the system will be 77.8 %, as showed on the below:

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The Grab ‘n Go Café

The Café has some issues on its processes and it creates big lines and customer dissatisfaction. It happens because the company have not created standard process and the actual layout is not properly signalized with a lot of missing information. Its target audience are the students and since they don’t have big incomes, they need to know in advance how much they will pay for the product before ordering. Another big issue is the products; they lose a lot of time in the cashier asking about sandwiches and other products since there is no pictures or images of it. The Café should implement visual identification to help customers to decide faster their orders and to clarify the prices from the moment the customer gets into the Café.

Below are some actions The Café should take:

- Display contenting pictures, names and prices of the products

- Equipment to limit and direct the line-up

- Signalization in general

- Redraw the layout (IN and OUT)

- Mapping the process flow

- Implementing self-serve ordering

- Developing promotions as combos to increase sales and speed up customer’s decision

- Attractive atmosphere as background music

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When the customers get into The Café they have two options. Neither they can order directly on the self-serve kiosks and go straight to the waiting area nor they can go to the cashier (if they don’t like automated service or if the kiosks are busy) and order with an employee.

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Comparing the possible types of layout have showed on the book, we could conclude that the Freeflow Layout is more similar to Centennial’s layout than Grid, Loop and Spine.

Loop and Spine layouts would make students to walk along the College, but it does not happen because students are able to get in though the main entrance or any other entrance; besides, they can make their path around the College and they do not need to follow any sequence.

Grid layout is a layout with long rows and they have a standard shape, however Centennial College has diversity of standards along the Campus.

Finally, Centennial would seem more with FreeFlow layout because students can browsing any part of the Campus, and it makes students to be free and walk along the Campus without be pressure to pass along other parts.

We would suggest to Centennial College more links between blocks instead of just one tunnel. Besides, the Campus could concentrate classes from the same program on the same