Application Chapter 9 (9.1)

The Assembly Unit

Jones3

Hamil4

James2

Samuels5

Williams 1

Graham6

^ V

CASE: The Assembly Unit

This case concerns a group of workers in an assembly-line operation. They put together motor assemblies that will go into automatic washing machines. The six workers form a semi-circle; the base part starts with one worker and each succeeding worker adds various parts until the finished motor assembly leaves the semi-circle at the sixth work station. There are several such set-ups in the plant, with a supervisor for each one. Each of the other units produces an average of from 55 to 90 completed motor assemblies each shift. The group we are concerned with averages 60. Management has recently told supervisors that the average must be increase, as current total production is so low as to hamper other operations that require the complete assemblies. If each unit averaged 70 assemblies, this would meet the current needs. Of course, the various units are bound to vary their production, and no one expects each unit to produce exactly the same number, constantly. The overall production in averages, however, must be raised. Right now, only two units are at or above 70.

The work is relatively simple, calling mostly for good manual dexterity and eye-hand coordination. Parts are not the problem, as they are supplied to the workers on a continuous basis. As far as can be determined, time-and-motion studies have shown the jobs to be almost exactly equal, none significantly harder or easier than others. The workers are hourly employees.

The supervisor, Wallgreen, has noted that there is a slowdown at the third work station, operated by Jones. Jones is a few years from retirement and is obviously slower than the rest of the workers, who are much younger. Moving Jones out of the unit, or transferring to another job, is not feasible.

Wallgreen puts Jones in position three because it seemed slightly easier than the other jobs, but this made no difference. The slowdown occurred at position four, when Jones was in that job. Interviews with the workers elicited some information from each. Williams, in the first position, holds back on what could be the pace, in order not to pressure Jones or make Jones problem more obvious. James, in the second slot, like most of the crew, likes the others, to the extent of trying to help out Jones (when James is not being seen by the supervisor). Jones seems to try as hard as possible and really would like to do better, but is working as fast as possible now. Samuels, in the fifth position, feels uncomfortable with the situation, and angry at the company for not doing something about Jones; Hamil finds the pace boring and would like to be able to vary the pace and work more quickly in general. This isnt possible because of the bottleneck at position three. Graham, in the final job, confided that the pace is really hard to keep up with right now, and is quite concerned that an improvement achieved perhaps by removing Jones would make visible Grahams own limitations.

How can you rearrange this scenario to meet the production goal? Keep a few things in mind:

1) You CANNOT fire anyone! You also CANNOT hire anyone new.

2) You can have fewer or more work stations if you like

3) You cannot just keep the same number of stations and change the names -

this wont solve the problem.

4) You can redesign the work stations

Send me your suggestion, and submit assignment for marking.