Process Design and Analysis Vocabulary Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms, process metrics, flowchart symbols, job design considerations, and operational concepts from Chapter 11 on Process Design and Analysis.

Process

Any part of an organization that takes inputs and transforms them into outputs.

Cycle Time

The average successive time between completions of successive units.

Utilization

The ratio of the time that a resource is actually activated relative to the time that it is available for use ($\text{Utilization} = \frac{\text{Time activated}}{\text{Time available}}$).

Process Flowcharting

The use of a diagram to present the major elements of a process, serving as an essential first step and ideal methodology for process analysis.

Standard Flowchart Symbols

Diagrammatic shapes used to represent process elements: rectangles for tasks/operations, diamonds for decision points, inverted triangles for storage areas/queues, and arrows for flows of material/customers.

Single-Stage Process

A process structure in which all tasks and operations are grouped into a single operational stage.

Multistage Process

A process structure that consists of multiple sequential stages through which an item or customer flows.

Buffer

A storage area between stages where the output of a stage is placed prior to being used in a downstream stage.

Multistage Process with Buffer

A process layout featuring a storage buffer situated between sequential stages (such as Stage 1 and Stage 2) to prevent direct operational dependencies.

Blocking

A condition that occurs when the activities in a stage must stop because there is no place to deposit the item.

Starving

A condition that occurs when the activities in a stage must stop because there is no work or available input.

Bottleneck

The stage in a process that has the longest cycle time and limits the overall process capacity.

Parallel Process Paths

Flowchart structures representing alternative paths, simultaneous activities, or paths producing different products within an overall process.

Make-to-Order

A production strategy activated only in response to an actual order, keeping both work-in-process and finished goods inventory to a minimum.

Make-to-Stock

A production strategy activated to meet expected or forecast demand, where customer orders are served from a target stocking level.

Hybrid Process Strategy

A process approach that combines features of both make-to-order and make-to-stock strategies.

Operation Time

The total operational duration required for processing, calculated as the sum of setup time and run time ($\text{Operation time} = \text{Setup time} + \text{Run time}$).

Run Time

The total processing time for a batch, calculated as batch size multiplied by time per unit ($\text{Run time} = \text{Batch size} \times \text{Time/unit}$).

Throughput Time

The average total time required for a unit to move through the entire system, combining operation time and queue time.

Velocity

A metric defined as throughput time divided by value-added time ($\text{Velocity} = \frac{\text{Throughput time}}{\text{Value-added time}}$).

Throughput Rate

The output rate of a system, defined as the reciprocal of cycle time ($\text{Throughput rate} = \frac{1}{\text{Cycle time}}$).

Efficiency

A performance metric calculated as actual output divided by standard output ($\text{Efficiency} = \frac{\text{Actual output}}{\text{Standard output}}$), or standard time divided by actual time ($\text{Efficiency} = \frac{\text{Standard time}}{\text{Actual time}}$).

Productivity

A measure of process output relative to input ($\text{Productivity} = \frac{\text{Output}}{\text{Input}}$).

Process Metrics Framework

An interconnected system of operational parameters (such as batch size, setup time, run time, queue time) that determine key metrics including cycle time, throughput rate, velocity, efficiency, productivity, and utilization.

Total Average Value of Inventory

The monetary sum of raw materials, work-in-process (WIP), and finished goods inventory held by an organization.

Inventory Turns

An inventory metric calculated as cost of goods sold divided by average inventory value ($\text{Inventory turns} = \frac{\text{Cost of goods sold}}{\text{Average inventory value}}$).

Days-of-Supply

A metric calculated as the inverse of inventory turns scaled to days.

Little's Law

A mathematical principle establishing a long-term operational relationship among inventory, throughput, and flow time: $\text{Inventory} = \text{Throughput rate} \times \text{Flow time}$.

Specialization of Labor

The breakdown of work into dedicated, repetitive tasks; while it enabled high-speed, low-cost production and enhanced standard of living, it can cause adverse effects on workers.

Job Enrichment

The redesign of job roles to make them more interesting to workers, executed through horizontal or vertical methods.

Horizontal Enrichment

A job enrichment method in which a worker performs a greater number or variety of tasks.

Vertical Enrichment

A job enrichment method in which a worker becomes involved in planning, organizing, and inspecting their work.

Work Measurement

A process of analyzing jobs to set time standards for scheduling work, allocating capacity, motivating and evaluating performance, and providing benchmarks.

Direct Work Measurement Methods

Observational work measurement techniques comprising time study and work sampling.

Indirect Work Measurement Methods

Analytical work measurement techniques comprising predetermined motion-time data systems and elemental data.

Process Flow Time Reduction Methods

Key approaches to shorten process flow times, including performing activities in parallel, changing the sequence of activities, and reducing interruptions.