Case adapted from "Potato Chip Problems" by Helen S. Joyner and Brennan Smith - National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science, University at Buffalo, State University of New York.

"Rohan, I can't take this shipment," sighed Archana. It was too hot to stand outside arguing, but as general manager, the ultimate responsibility for getting problems solved was hers. And the guys in receiving had told her the potato chip problem was back...again. "Look at all of these open bags! It's not like I can glue them shut and sell them to people. I'd get shut down for sure."

Rohan narrowed his eyes. "Hey, you keep ordering these fancy chips from British Columbia. They were just fine when I left. I even had the guys at the plant open a box for me. No problems."

"People like these chips. That's why I order them and I go through a few dozen boxes a week," returned Archana, not in the least disturbed that Rohan, a good foot taller and at least a hundred pounds heavier than her, was getting fairly angry. "It's your job to get them to me the way they were when they left the plant. And unless you had them open the one good box in this shipment, either something happened to them on the way here or I need to start looking for another delivery company."

"Yeah, right," Rohan snorted. "Like there's another delivery company that'd deliver here to the Middle of Nowhere, Manitoba for what you pay us. Do you know what going over all those mountains does to my gas mileage? I barely make anything getting your stuff to you."

Archana rolled her eyes. "You always complain about how expensive gas is. Doesn't change the fact that I'm looking at a bunch of chips that I won't take because the bags are open."

"Look, I told you, I don't know how?"

"And they're all stale too!"

"Hey, I don't make them, I just move them?what do you mean they're stale? What, did you figure you get a bunch of free chips because the bags're open and start eating them?" Rohan scowled.

"No! My customers have been complaining about the chips being stale for a while, okay? Even the ones in the bags that are closed.I wouldn't eat those; they've been open for I don't even know how long."

"So why's this the delivery guy's problem?" Rohan continued to scowl. "It's always the delivery guy's problem. Everything else I brought in's fine, everything except for your fancy chips. Call up Solar Snacks if you wanna complain, but don't blame me."

Archana put her hands on her hips. "You're right, sorry. It's crazy hot and I'm just tired of getting bad chips all the time. Everything else in this shipment looks good. Let's head to my office and get a soda. I'll get the paperwork for the shipment going and call Solar Snacks. They should know about this problem, anyway."

In her office, Archana called the company. Rohan leaned against the wall outside the office and listened in on the call. After getting passed through several people, Archana was finally able to talk to someone who would at least listen to the problem.

"Hi, I'm having problems with the bags of chips I'm getting from your company... Well, they've been coming in stale for at least a month... No, I don't have the lot numbers right here, but I can probably get them out of my records... Yeah, I can get them to you. I'm also having another problem. I've never had this problem with any of my other products, but the bags of chips from your company keep coming to me opened...No, they're not cut open. It looks like they've been ripped open...Well, the delivery guy said he checked the bags when he picked them up and they looked fine...Yeah, I have no idea what's going on. It's not every single bag, but it's a lot of them and I can't accept shipments that have that many open bags...I'd say at least half of the bags are open when I get them...Okay, I can get the lot numbers for those. I think a lot of them are the same as the ones for stale chips. Where should I send that info? Okay, I'll make sure they get it...No, that's everything. I hope we can figure out what's going on. I'm really disappointed that this is happening. My customers aren't happy...Okay, that'd be great...Thanks, you too. Bye."

Archana poked her head out the door. "They said they'd look into the problem, so that's good. They want you to bring back the open bags."

"Hope they pay for them" said Rohan, straightening up. "I'll bring 'em back. You got that paperwork done?"

"Just about, I did it while on hold," said Archana, scribbling her signature on the forms. "Here you go! Hope the next shipment comes in okay."

"It better, seeing as how I have to haul all these chips back," grumbled Rohan, taking the paperwork. "Thanks, I'm off to my next stop now."

"Okay, and sorry for being a grouch," said Archana. "I'll get one of the stock guys to help you load the chips."

Your group is the quality management team for Solar Snacks, the company that makes the chips that Archana has been purchasing. The customer service department has forwarded Archana's complaints on to you. As this is the fourth complaint of this type that you have gotten in a month, your team wants to track down the source of this problem. One of the process engineers has provided your group with a block diagram of the manufacturing process of the potato chips (Figure 1, see below). Your team has also confirmed that none of the complaints are from your local British Columbia retailers; they are all from retailers in the Prairies, Ontario and Eastern Canada. Now you need to figure out where the problems of the open bags and stale chips could be occurring.

Receiving Sorting Peeling Slicing Salting Frying Cooling Packaging Shipping Storage Figure 1. Potato chip manufacturing process.