Please complete the chart if possible.

Go to the HBS Simulations Coursepack. Read the overview and definitions.

Note throughput time used in the tutorial is the same as flow time and output rate is the same as flow rate.

View Parts B, C, D, and E and answer the following questions. (These are questions presented in the tutorial.) The table at the end could help you summarize some of the results and draw conclusions.

Part B: Process with variation in task times. Pay attention to the blocking and starving and apply these to your explanations

• How do output, throughput time, and utilization rates compare to the process in Part A? Why does the uncertainty in processing times have this effect?

Part C: Comparison of magnitude of variation; Impact of reduced / increased variation on process measures

• Compared to the results in Part B, how do increases or decreases in variation affect the lines output and each workstations utilization? Why? The following table could help you summarize the results to organize your explanation

Part D: Length of the process (line); observe the impact of variation on process measures in a 4 step line (and compare to the 2-step line in Part B)

• Compare the results for the two-workstation line from Part B to this four-workstation line. From the videos, note how they differ in terms of blocking and starving, as well as the resulting line output. How do the number of workstations impact (a) the relationship between variability and workstations utilization, and (b) the relationship between variability and line output.

Part E: Effect of adding buffer between steps; buffer of 1, 2, and 4 units

• Based on these results, how do line output, throughput time, and workstations utilization differ from those for the process in Part D (which is otherwise the same) when we add a one-unit buffer? Why?
• Based on these results from a 2 buffer and 4 buffer choices, what can you say about how buffer size affects line output and why? How much benefit is seen with the additional buffers? (The tutorial provides the summary data.)

	Two Workstation Process	Two Workstation Process	Two Workstation Process	Two Workstation Process	Four Workstation Process
	Part A No Variation	Part B Variation	Part C-1 High Variation	Part C - 2 Low Variation	Part D
	Process Times = 1.0	Process Times = [0.5-1.5]	Process Times = [0.0-2.0]	Process Times = [0.75-1.25]	Process Times = [0.5-1.5]
Cycle time (mins/unit)
Average Flow Time (mins/unit)
Flow rate (units / hour)
Utilization %