A simple product has eight elements (a to h) whose times and immediate predecessors are shown in Table 7.5. Devise a product layout that will produce products at a rate of at least six products an hour. How many people will be required for this layout and what will be its balancing loss?

Table 7.5 The immediate predecessors table for a simple product Task Time (mins) Immediate predecessor task a b DU CH g h 54342634 a DDC b b C d, e, f g