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Session 12: Design of Processes - Coggle Diagram
Session 12: Design of Processes
Step-based approach
Process design is a series of logical steps.
Each step has specific questions about organisation and configuration of a process' features.
Steps
Step 1: Understanding Design Features
2 set of factors
Design influenced by operations performance objectives (quality, speed and cost).
Main drivers are volume of work that needs to go through and outputs.
Step 2: Process Choice
Involves high-level decisions about how resources are organised within a process and how the work flows.
Driven by volume of work and variety of outputs expected.
Step 3: Layout Choice
High-level layout decisions are about how resources are grouped in general terms.
There are fixed set of layout types and generally one of these much be chosen for the process.
Step 4: Detailed Design
Very detailed decisions need to be made about how much equipment is needed, how many people there are and who does what work.
Step 1: Understanding Design Features
(Slack et al., 2010) identified 4 V's that influence design...
Volume
Key differences in how processes are designed based on scale.
Large volumes can use automated equipment and dedicate staff to specific roles. Achieves repeatability and standardisation.
Small volumes will be use less systemisation. Staff expected to perform more than 1 role. Type of operation relies on skill and flexibility of staff.
Variety
High variety limits extent to which a process can be automated and can introduce delays while process is reconfigured.
Low variety is the opposite.
Variation
Many operations are designed to produce approximately the same quantity of output per day.
For fixed demand, the same number of people come to work each day, performing the same tasks, creating a stable process.
For varied demand, have to build in flexibility by either increasing its capacity temporarily or buffering the operation.
Managing in high-variation process in more complex.
Visibility
Most of the time when you order a product, you do not see that item being made in the factory.
A large degree of separation between the customer and the process itself.
Advantages include better efficiency and smooth running of the process.
On the other hand, some operations have high degree of contact with the customer and this is factored into the design.
This operation has to be more flexible.
Different degrees of visibility in the process mean that sometimes the customer is fully involved (high visibility) or sometimes they only observe or witness at a distance what the operation is doing (medium visibility).
Can be profiled in a 4 V's diagram (Slack et al., 2010, p. 23).
Step 4: Detailed Process Design
Floor Plan: essential for both manufacturing and service facilities.
Service Design; must consider customer movement and experience.
Constraints: utilities (power, water), flow efficiency.
Objectives
Cost-focused layouts: minimise unit costs, travel distances and resource flow disruptions.
Revenue-focused layouts: encourage customer spending, even if journeys are longer.
Can use spaghetti diagrams to track movement of materials, staff or customers.
Step 2: Process Choice
Project Processes:
produce one-off or unique outputs.
characterised by complexity, long timescales, large scale and involvement of multi-disciplinary teams.
Jobbing Processes:
low volume, highly tailored, uses general-purpose equipment, expensive labour and complex scheduling.
Batch Processes:
Produces groups of items at once, requires equipment resets between batches, adds complexity.
Mass Processes:
High volume, low variety, dedicated equipment, automation, focus on maintenance & quality.
Continuous Processes:
24/7 operation, steady output stream, challenges in raw material supply & logistics.
Service Processes
Professional Services:
Low volume, highly customised, intensive client interaction.
Service Shops:
Medium volume/variety, some flexibility, customers grouped (e.g., cinemas).
Mass Services:
High volume, low variety, fast and accurate throughput.
Efficient processes align with the volume/variety diagonal (low volume/high variety -> high volume/low variety). Processes off the diagonal struggle with efficiency.
Mass Customisation seeks to combine high volume and high variety. Achieved through modular product design, independent characteristics, clear boundaries and flexible stage processes.
Step 3: Layout Choice
4 Basic Layouts
Fixed Position: resources travel to the work site. Practical challenges, less control.
Functional: resources clustered by type. Flexible, robust but complex journeys.
Product: subsequential flow layout. Efficient, clear, but inflexible to changes in demand/variety.
Hybrid/Mixed: combines functional flexibility with product efficiency.
Choice is influenced by volume and variety.
Functional/cell layouts -> medium volume/variety.
Product Layouts -> high volume.
Layout choice mirrors process choice.