AT&T; LTE 5:03 PM * 35% Reflection Paper for The Goal-1-1...M Reflection Paper f

Question

AT&T; LTE 5:03 PM * 35% Reflection Paper for The Goal-1-1...M Reflection Paper for The Goal: A process of ongoing improvement (Goldratt) Your assignment is to write a reflection paper on The Goal: a process reflection paper asks for your views and feelings about the topic. It is not simply a regurgitation of facts from the book. In this reflection paper, I ask that you consider the following three questions. Note that I am looking for your interpretation of what you learned in reading the book. of continuous i mprovement by Eliyahu Goldratt. A 1. Say we have identified the bottleneck machine of a production process. List at least four things suggested in the book that will result in a greater throughput without actually expanding the physical capacity of the machine. 2. Say you have a plant producing a single product that passes through several machines. The industrial engineer suggests that it would be a good idea to make all machines have the same capacity. That way when demand exceeds the capacity, all the machines can run at 100% efficiency. What would Jonah say about this? 3 You are the manage r of a manufacturing plant. The plant is having trouble making a profit, deliveries are always late, customers are dissatisfied, and the workers in the plant are upset and are threatening a strike. Your boss will close the plant if you don't do a lot better by cutting costs and increasing sales. Besides that, your spouse may divorce you and your children are failing in school. Your staff has come up with the following action plans. Comment on the advisability of each plan in terms of Throughput, Inventory and Operating Expense. I want more than a direction of change. I want a reason for the change. a The process engineer suggests that you find the most labor-intensive operation that the plant performs. Reduce costs by automating the operation. b. The plant supervisor suggests that you should tell each worker that a minute of pay means a minute of work. Make spot checks on the plant floor and if a person is idle his or her nav will be reduced. Dashboard Calendar To Do Notifications Inbox

Explanation / Answer

To start with, let us, in simple vocab, define what exactly is a Reflection paper.

A reflection paper is nothing but an essay of your thoughts about something that could be a movie, book, incident, etc. To put it simpler, it is a paper on what you think about something. Most teachers would require students to write about a similar subject such as a reflection essay on this movie or that of an event, etc. Others would give a general topic such as the best childhood experience or such related topics.

Now knowing what exactly is a Reflection paper, we shouldn’t get confused with what it is not. To ensure that you will write the precise type of essay, it is also important that you know what it is not. For instance, a reflection paper is not a piece composed of mixed thoughts of other people or in general. No matter how well known the people you will quote, you will end up with a failing grade as this type of essay requires your own thoughts and nobody else's.

To understand what is a reflection paper, knowing what should be in it might also help a bit. A reflection paper should be mostly about your personal thoughts and insights. It could be your experiences and/or beliefs. It could also be your personal observations. It is easy to write because you just have to express your thoughts and how you see things and nothing else.

So, below is a Reflection Paper on the book "The Goal"

The book, precisely, makes us understand that 'Doing work and making money are not the same thing'. Simplify your problem to the point where you understand the true goal of your organization and don’t be in any sort of myopia. With your goal in mind, identify the constraints within your system (i.e. bottlenecks) and focus on improving the output of that constraint without worrying about the productivity of all related processes altogether.

To Summarize the book in simple points, I have noted down the following pointers:

Now, there are also certain pointers which can be noted down as Rules.

Rule 1: The capacity of any non-bottleneck process is actually determined by something else in the system other than its own capacity.

Rule 2: Activating a resource and utilizing are source aren't indeed synonymous.

A system with local maximums isn’t efficient system. You shouldn’t try to maximize the productivity of every moment because it's not an optimally designed system.

The goal is not to reduce cost, but it is to increase throughput. This has huge implications because nearly everyone is focused on only reducing costs.

To explain the TOC in short:

The Theory of Constraints:

Step one- Identify the Constraints in the system.

Step two- Decide how to exploit those constraints.

Step three- Subordinate all the other processes to the above decisions.

Step four- Elevate and improve those systems constraints.

Step five- If in a previous step a constraint has broken or damaged, return to step one.

Q.1.

After identifying the bottleneck machine, following 4 things can be done for greater throughput without actually expanding its capacity.

Q.2.

The actual idea is good, to increase the capacity of all the machines, but as stated in the book, don’t only look at the numbers, look at the bigger picture.

When a small problem or constraint occurs, the small machines’ work can be pushed to some other big machine, so that not much harm is done to the final product. But if all the machines are of increased capacity, and if some mishap happens, there would not be a secondary machine to carry the double load of the capacity available.

Don’t look at the mere technicality. There are other important things also rather than Output, Capacity and Numbers.

Q.3

a. Cutting costs is not a solution. We need to check whether the next substitute will provide at least the same or rather better productivity. Statistically, what are the error rates of automation vs labor intensive units? This might also help in knowing weather automation would do justice on its part. I liked the idea, but let’s see other options too.

b. This is not the correct method to increase productivity. Motivating them and letting them know their work and its important is much needed, but axing them for idleness might create a sense of pressure and might even reduce their morale. Better would be to allocate and the pay according to merit.

c. This isn’t a good advice. Better have extra materials rather than delays. Once, a customer is gone, it’s very hard to get them back. Last minute things can cost you a lot. There should be proper forecasting done on how much raw materials would be effectively needed and so the order should be placed.

d. Capacity is not the problem. If a certain capacity is giving greater output than others, no need to tough that capacity. If certain capacity is too big against its output, then changes can be made in such cases so that the costs are reduced there.

e. Prices can be slashed and be made competitive. But you should know how much of reduction will affect the BEP, the costs shouldn’t take your firm into losses, at least not for a long time. cost price should be covered. There are agents at the back who are needed to be played.

f. This is one of the best advice you can act upon. If your foundation is not right, you cannot be great at your work. Once your family matter is handled, a great sense of stress will be handled. This will lead to better decision making in your work. You could easily focus on your firm's problems and solve them more efficiently.  

Related Questions

Navigate

• Browse (All)
• Browse A
• Subjects

---

---

Integrity-first tutoring: explanations and feedback only — we do not complete graded work. Learn more.