Scenario: Imagine you are a leader at a small deli. The owner of the deli, your supervisor, has decided to expand the business by
beginning a catering service. In order for this venture to be successful, your supervisor asks you to overview your current process
and make sure it is efficient enough to meet the customer demand. The catering business is expected to increase sales volume
(number of sandwiches sold) by 25%.
Consider how you would make sure the process is able to meet the demand of the catering business.
Current Process: A customer places an order with the first associate at the cash register. Once the order is placed, it is sent to the
back to the kitchen for completion. Placing and delivering the order takes two (2) minutes. The second associate receives the order
and selects the type of bread for the order, taking a total of fifteen (15) seconds. The third associate takes ninety (90) seconds to
add the meat to the sandwich. The fourth associate adds all of the vegetables and toppings. This process adds two (2) minutes. The
fifth and final associate places the sandwich in a toaster oven, wraps the sandwich, and delivers the order to the customer. Toasting
the sandwich takes two (2) minutes and forty-five (45) seconds. Wrapping the sandwich adds one (1) minute and delivering the
order to the customer takes thirty (30) seconds.
Process Map:
Custom places order
1 Associate, 2 Minutes - Order is delivered to kitchen
1 Associate, 15 Seconds - Bread is selected for sandwich
1 Associate, 1 Min. 30 sec. - Meat added to sandwich
1 Associate, 2 Minutes - Other toppings added
1/3 Associate, 165 Seconds - Sandwich is toasted
1/3 Associate, 1 Minute - Sandwich is wrapped
1/3 Associate, 30 Seconds, Order delivered to customer
Associate Work Schedules: Associates work a total of ten (10) hours per day. For purposes of this exercise, you do not need factor in
breaks to this time. The deli employs five associates that make the sandwiches.
Customer Demand: Customers order on average 60 sandwiches per day. Expanding the deli into a catering business will increase
the number of sandwiches ordered on average per day by 25%.