National Cranberry Cooperative Questions

$1.$ Using the process flow map $($available on eLearning$)$ of the current process at Receiving Plant No$\mathrm{.}1,$ mark the capacity and implied utilization of each of the resources. Detail the calculation for two resources of your choice. Mark the maximum contents of the bins

$.2.$ On a busy day, what is RP$1$s current maximum hourly throughput rate?

$3.$ Assuming that all of the operations at RP$1$ start at $7$ am on a busy day, present the situation during such a day by constructing an inventory build$-$up diagram for bins and trucks. Mark the bin inventory and truck inventory clearly.

$4.$ Quantify the costs and benefits of three capital investments: the fifth Kiwanee dumper purchased in $1995,$ and your choice of two investments from light meter, bins conversion, and more dryers. What recommendations would you make to Mr$.$ Schaeffer? In your recommendations, please specify the best number of bins to convert and$/$or dryers to buy.

Some additional information about National Cranberry follows

: $$ On a typical busy day there are $17,280$ bbl arrive evenly over the $12-$hr period $(7$am to $7$pm$).$ This is based on a typical busy day in September.

$$ The process is approximately a $$continuous flow$$ type. $$ Wet berries are $75\%$ of all berries. $$ Holding bins $17-24$ are dedicated to wet berries.

$$ Capacity of the dumpers is $3,000$ bbl $/$ hr $($it takes on average $7\mathrm{.}5$ minutes to dump a truck, a truck holds on average $75$ bbl$.$ So$,$ from Little$$s Law, each of the five dumpers will take $600$ bbl $/$ hr$).$

$$ Cranberry processors $($shown as boxes in the flow map$)$ hold negligible amount of inventory compared to what bins and trucks $($shown as triangles in the flow map$)$ can hold.

$$ Drivers are paid $$100/$hr$.$ Rates for other employees are given in the case.