How do you identify, exploit, subordinate, and elevate in constraint management? I am having difficulty doing it for a case study. This is the case:

Introduction: CruiseTime competes as a no frills Cruise Line offering an alternative for budget-sensitive vacationers who consider price to be an important factor in choosing a cruise line. Given this, CruiseTime has focused on ways to reduce cost in their operation. However, they have found that the quality of service that they provide their customers has suffered, in particular, their check-in process is a mess, as Manager of Check-in Operations Blaine Yee has described it. The cycle time from when we see our first passenger arrive for check-in until we have taken the last passenger to their room has become too long. As well, some customers are finding that they are stuck in too many lines for too long. This is worrisome as it has reduced the number of referrals that we get from our customers. Blaine has thus asked for your help in making better use of our capacity I know that we have enough capacity to get everyone through the process and to their rooms in a reasonable amount of time and with shorter waits, but we just arent using that capacity properly.

The Cruise Check-in Process

Overview: The check-in process is conducted in a serial manner customers complete one activity in the process before proceeding to the next. Often this, along with the general variability in service times at the activities, leads to line-ups in front of the different activities. Blaine has had the theory of constraints described to him, and has commented that although some of the activities are more to blame than the others, there doesnt seem to be one identifiable bottleneck sometimes there will be lines in one area, and sometimes lines in another. In the weeks before departure, passengers will have received an information package in the mail with a brief description of the steps for check-in as well as the documents that are required for check-in (many of which require completion by the passenger). Passengers are permitted to arrive for departure beginning at 11:00 am for check-in, and are required to arrive by 2:00 pm. (most are eager and arrive between 11:00 and 12:30); the checking-in of the passengers (see steps below) proceeds until the last customer is taken to their room. As Blaine describes it what we are trying to do is put a large amount of people through a sequential process in a short amount of time. We need help with managing the flows throughoutthe process as there are many areas that can serve as bottlenecks at any given time.

1. Luggage: When customers first arrive at the CruiseTime terminal (either by cab or hotel shuttle bus or in some cases by personal vehicle) they are required to tag and leave their luggage with a porter. There is a kiosk with tags and pens for customers (although often they dont see this until they have attempted to give their bags to a porter and been asked to tag them first), and four check-in counters. Porters at the counters take the tagged bags, check the tags for correct information, and put them on a trolley that makes regular trips to the ship where the bags are then moved to the passenger rooms (the passengers tickets have their room numbers and the passengers write this on the bag tags bags are generally in rooms well before passengers get there). While the trolley is en route to the ship or back the porters will place luggage in a rack for temporary storage. This has generally worked quite well although management is considering adding a second trolley (comment on whether you think that they should do so.)

2. Security Passengers: now free of their luggage (except for carry-on backpacks or purses) enter a security screening area, not unlike those seen at airports. Here, passengers wait in line at one of six security stations (the first line is usually the longest as it is closest to where luggage is left; often the six th line at the end is much shorter or possibly empty). Once at the front of the line, passengers are required to show their ticket to a security agent and pass through a scanning machine. Carry-on bags are also checked for items that are prohibited, such as alcohol (you are not allowed to bring your own). As Blaine says this really should go quickly we have enough servers in my opinion, but the problem is that people dont think about what they are bringing on board, and then they want to stand and argue about it, and it can get very congested where the first line is by the luggage drop when that line gets slowed down.

3. Check-in: Once through security, passengers wait in a (usually) long single line for the first available check-in clerk. The check-in is where passengers present their documents (including customs documents), provide credit card information, have a photo taken, and receive an ID card that will serve as their security ID as well as a charge card for purchases on the cruise (the charge card will be linked to their credit card). The general process at this activity is: (1) a friendly clerk will review the paperwork (if it in fact was completed by the passenger before arriving) and help resolve questions or problems (which are common), (2) a credit card will be requested and swiped, (3) a photo will be taken (each check-in desk is equipped with a camera), (4) there will be a minute or two where the clerk retreats to a central machine that prints cards (the same machine is used by all clerks), (5) once the clerk returns with the card they will answer any questions the passenger has and then direct them to the next activity the embarkation photo.

4. Embarkation photo: Throughout the cruise, photographers take photos of passengers and provide a reference number for customers to buy/download photos once complete their cruise (about 25% of passengers take advantage of this service it is quite profitable for the cruise line). One such occasion is during embarkation of the ship, which occurs immediately after check-in. Every passenger will pass from the check-in area to a line and will then have their picture taken in front of a backdrop of the ships grand staircase. There are three photographers and they are generally quite efficient, but it can be a finicky job and can have a lot of variation in service time and thus often there are considerable waits at this stage.

5. Lifeboat drill: After the embarkation photo, customers are required to complete a lifeboat drill (customers are unable to pass through this area into the cabin area without completing the drill). The drill is conducted in a closed room that can hold up to 50 passengers at a time and the drill requires approximately six minutes to complete. Passengers will first wait in a large waiting area until the doors open to the drill room. At that time, the 50 passengers that have waited the longest will proceed into the drill room and the door will close. After their drill, they will be let out the other side of the room by another door, it will then be closed and the entrance to the waiting room will be re-opened to allow 50 more passengers in. The attendants have been instructed to not begin until they have very close to if not 50passengers in the room, unless they are the final passengers in the boarding process.

6. Escort to Cabin After being released from the drill room, passengers are escorted by a white-gloved attendant to their room, where their luggage and their dreams await!