This computer simulation shows two work flows with the same tasks, the same people, skills and tools. The only difference is batch size.
Why does smaller batch size reduce lead time and increase Throughput? What is the optimum batch size for your workflows?
Contact me, and find out.
Results
I cannot promise to find a pot of gold hidden in every company, but I can show you what I have done so far. Here are some of my results to date:
- I successfully ran a project that built a web based application for creating automatically layouted brochures. The project yielded a return on investment of 97%.
- I identified previously undetected losses due to deprecation of value in partly finished work of €250,000 - 500,000 per year in a software development company. The problem was solved by instituting a Drum-Buffer-Rope based requirements scheduling system.
- I used buffer monitoring techniques to identify process blockage only three weeks into a major project. Traditional techniques, based on time and progress reporting, took more than ten months to provide the same information. When management acted on the advice provided by me, the blockage was resolved, and the project could be successfully completed.
- A company had wrestled with a testing bottleneck for more than four years. I used TOC techniques to discover than the real culprit lay in a previous step that caused an uneven workflow. Acting on my advice, the cycle time of the preceding step was reduced from three days to one day, and the apparent testing bottleneck disappeared.
- I successfully identified the root cause of a quality problem costing €900,000 per year. I also worked out a solution that got the approval of the CEO and upper level management.
Please be aware that though I can usually find some hidden treasure, you and your employees will have to dig it up. It is your company we are talking about.