Quality Technology $(QT),$ Inc. $is$ a small $to$ medium$-$sized company that was founded $by$ two first$-$year

college students. They started the company $to$ produce a customized knockoff real estate board game

similar $to$ the popular Parker Brothers game Monopoly. Initially, they created the board game based $on$

popular local landmarks $in$ their small college town $to$ help pay for their college expenses. The game

turned out $tobe$ a great success, and they enjoyed running their own business $so$ much that they decided

$to$ pursue $it$ full$-$time after graduation.

$QT$ has grown rapidly over the last couple $of$ years, designing and producing customed real estate trading

games for universities, municipalities, chambers $of$ commerce, and recently even some businesses. Orders

range from a couple $of$ hundred games $toan$ occasional order for several thousand.

$QT\text{'}s$ orders are either for a new game board that has not been produced $or$ repeat orders for a previously

made game. $If$ the order $is$ for a new game, the client first meets with a graphic designer from $QT\text{'}s$ art

department and the actual game board $is$ designed. The board's design can take a few hours $to$ several

weeks, depending $on$ how much the client has thought about the game before the meeting. All design

work $is$ done $on$ personal computers.

After the client approves the design, a copy $of$ the computer file containing the design $is$ transferred

electronically $to$ the printing department. Workers $in$ the printing department load the file onto their

personal computers and print out the board design $on$ special decals, $19\mathrm{.}25$ inches $by19\mathrm{.}25$ inches, using

high$-$quality color inkjet printers. The side $of$ the printed decal $is$ usually light gray, and the other side$|$

contains $an$ adhesive covered $by$ a removable backing.

The printing department $is$ also responsible for printing property cards, game cards, and money. The

money $is$ printed $on$ colored paper using standard laser printers. Ten copies $of$ a particular denomination

are printed $on$ each $8\mathrm{.}5-$inch $by11-$inch piece $of$ paper. Money $is$ then moved $to$ the cutting department,

where $itis$ cut into individual bills. The property cards and game cards are produced similarly, the major

difference being that they are printed $on$ a material resembling a poster board.

$In$ addition $to$ cutting money, game cards, and property cards, the cutting department also cuts cardboard

that serves $as$ the substrate for the actual game board. The game board consists $of$ two boards created $by$

cutting a single $1919\mathrm{.}25$ inch piece $of$ cardboard $in$ half, yielding two boards, each measuring $19\mathrm{.}25$

$19\mathrm{.}5$ inches. After being cut, game boards, money, and cards are stored $in$ totes $in$ a work$-in-$process area

and delivered $to$ the appropriate station $on$ the assembly line $as$ needed.

Due $to$ its explosive growth, the $QT$ assembly line was never formally planned. $It$ simply evolved into the

$19$ stations shown $in$ Table $1.$

Questions

What type $of$ process does $QT$ use during the Design phase? What process $is$ most likely used for

printing?

What $is$ the cycle time $of$ the $19-$station line? What $is$ the efficiency $of$ the current process?

What $is$ the line's maximum daily capacity $if$ the annual demand $is20,000$ units, assuming $it$

operates for $an8-$hour shift with less than two $15-$minute breaks? $IfQT$ works $300$ days per year,

what $is$ its annual capacity? How does its capacity compare with $a10\%$ increase $in$ projected

demand $in$ the next three years? Show the projected demand for the next three years. $20,000$

units should not $be$ used $to$ calculate the cycle time.

Assign tasks $to$ workstations according $to$ the "greatest number $of$ following tasks" approach.

Calculate the efficiency $of$ the new process.