If 8 hour shift, 7 days a week with 3 to 4 employees, sold an average of 1100 dozen doughnuts per day stage 1: batching: took 2 mins to place ingredients in bowl size ranging from 2lb to over 20lb. each doughnut required 2oz of dough. stage 2: mixing: mixing process took 2.5 mins turned off automatically and store had 2 mixers. stage 3: production: extruding- the machine used 3 cutters at a rate of 18 extrusions per min. the machine made at a rate of 54 doughnuts per min. the set up took approximately 1.5 min frying - 90 sec glazing- 45 sec stage 4: customizing two doughnuts every 3.5 sec. the problem: noticed he was unable to make enough doughnuts to meet demand. he needs to fin a way to increase his capacity. one change can be to increase the batch size. the staff suggested there might be a way to keep the current bach and instead focus on improving some of the more manual steps or the extruder be modified to operate 6 cutters and increase the rate at which doughnuts could be extruded. Flow Diagram of proposed new process (if modified). 

what might be improved (done) to resolve the root cause? 

• What is the potential improvement that might be achieved by each alternative (e.g., what the capacity of each alternative is)? 

• What is the best option? Demonstrate (calculate) that your suggested solution will resolve the problem (e.g., calculate the resulting capacity). 

• What is the cost of the alternative/s? How would the improved operations translate to higher revenues and profits?