Question 1 (Process Analysis – Batching)

Two UNC students have started their company “Tiers of Joy” that produces and sells muffins in Chapel Hill. The company buys ready-to-use muffin batter from a local supplier. There are three steps in the muffin production process:

Step 1: Baking

In this step, there is one muffin pan that contains 24 muffin cups , and one worker. It takes 30 seconds to fill a muffin cup with the muffin batter. Regardless of the number of filled cups in the muffin pan, it takes 18 minutes to bake muffins in the oven. (There is only one oven, and assume that it does not take any time to put the filled pan in the oven.) The company’s current policy is to fill all 24 muffin cups with the muffin batter before baking.

Step 2: Boxing

After the baking step, each muffin must be boxed separately. On average, it takes 3 minutes to remove each muffin from the pan and box it. There are two workers that work in parallel in this step.

Step 3: Labeling

Finally, boxed muffins must be labeled to include production and expiration date information. On average, it takes 1 minute for a worker to label a muffin box. There is one worker in this step.

assume that 1 day = 10 working hours.

1. 
   
   1. What is the process capacity of Tiers of Joy in terms of muffins/day? Please provide details of your calculations to receive credit from this part. ____________________
2. 
   
   2. [Process Design] The company plans to cross-train workers in the boxing station so that each of these workers can perform both boxing and labeling tasks. Once these workers are cross-trained, the company plans to let the worker in the labeling station go. If you were the owner of Tiers of Joy, how would you decide whether to implement this strategy or not? mention three factors you would consider in your implementation decision.