As the Cottrell Bicycle Co. of St. Louis completes plans for its new assembly line, it identifies 25 different tasks in the production process. VP of Operations Jonathan Cottrell now faces the job of balancing the line. He lists precedences and provides time estimates for each step based on work-sampling techniques. His goal is to produce 1,000 bicycles per standard 40-hour workweek.
|
TASK
|
TIME (sec)
|
PRECEDENCE TASKS
|
TASK
|
TIME (sec)
|
PRECEDENCE TASKS
|
|
K3
|
60
|
-
|
E3
|
109
|
F3
|
|
K4
|
24
|
K3
|
D6
|
53
|
F4
|
|
K9
|
27
|
K3
|
D7
|
72
|
F9, F2, F3
|
|
J1
|
66
|
K3
|
D8
|
78
|
E3, D6
|
|
J2
|
22
|
K3
|
D9
|
37
|
D6
|
|
J3
|
3
|
-
|
C1
|
78
|
F7
|
|
G4
|
79
|
K4, K9
|
B3
|
72
|
D7, D8, D9, C1
|
|
G5
|
29
|
K9, J1
|
B5
|
108
|
C1
|
|
F3
|
32
|
J2
|
B7
|
18
|
B3
|
|
F4
|
92
|
J2
|
A1
|
52
|
B5
|
|
F7
|
21
|
J3
|
A2
|
72
|
B5
|
|
F9
|
126
|
G4
|
A3
|
114
|
B7, A1, A2
|
|
E2
|
18
|
G5, F3
|
|
|
|
a) Balance this operation, using various heuristics. Which is best and why?
b) What happens if the firm can change to a 41-hour workweek?