Dainty Diners, Inc., produces various types of bird feeders. The following is a detailed description of the steps involved in the production of wooden bird feeders:

1. Raw materials, such as wood, nails, and clear plastic are purchased.

2. The raw materials are unloaded from the delivery truck into a raw materials storage area.

3. The purchase order is checked for accuracy by an employee doing a visual count of the items.

4. The materials are inspected for defects such as rotting, excessive knots, and scratches.

5. The Cutting Department orders raw materials by sending a requisition form to the raw materials storage area.

6. When a requisition is received, raw materials are moved from the storage area to the Cutting Department.

7. The wood and plastic are cut into properly sized pieces.

8. The cut pieces are stacked and moved to a work in process warehouse.

9. The Assembly Department orders cut pieces when they are needed by sending a requisition form to the work in process warehouse. 10. When a requisition is received, cut pieces are moved from the work in process warehouse to the Assembly Department.

11. The cut pieces are assembled into a bird feeder.

a. For each of the above steps, indicate whether it is a value-added or non-value-added activity.

b. For each of the non-value-added activities, determine whether it can be eliminated; if it cannot be eliminated, suggest ways in which the costs could be minimized or productive efficiency increased.