Read the case study below “Hi-Ho Yo-Yo, Inc.”. Write a short summary of each of the four methods for selecting the order in which to release the products to printing. Complete a short analysis for each method which provides the average flow time and average tardiness for each of the methods. Finally, make a recommendation for which method to use based on your findings. Explain your analysis in a 2-4 page APA style paper using the rule definitions on page 746.

Hi-Ho Yo-Yo, Inc.

It was a little past 9:00 on a Monday morning when Jeff Baker walked into your office with a box of donuts.

“I’ve been talking with Anne about a problem we have with short-term capacity in our pad printing operation. You know, that’s where we print the logo on the Custom lines of yo-yos. We have received more orders than usual for July, and I want to release the orders to pad printing in a way that will enable us to meet our due date commitments in the best way possible. Would you have time to look at our order list (attached) and see what kind of schedule we should follow to do that? By the way, you have established quite a reputation in your short stay here. You have a talent for really explaining why your recommendations are the best approach in a way that all of us “over-the-hill” managers can understand. Please be sure to do that for me too. I want to understand why your recommendation is the best schedule and what the tradeoffs are for other possible schedules- and none of that philosophical college mumbo-jumbo. Remember, I came up through the ranks. I don’t have one of those sheepskins on my wall,” he says with a laugh.

Since your schedule was back to normal after that MRP report you did for Anne, you agree to look at the information. After that compliment, how could you say no? “Try to get back to me within a couple of days,” Jeff said as he left your office.

After a few minutes with your old operations management text, you call the production control office to confirm the pad printing schedule. They confirm that pad printing runs one eight-hour shift per day. They tell you that due to a make-up day for flooding in June, pad printing will be running 23 days in July, beginning Friday, July 1 (they will work three Saturdays on July 9, 16, and 23, and take a one-day holiday for July 4). You thank them for the information and then you begin to develop your plan.

Even though Jeff lacks a college degree, from what you have seen, he is very sharp. And obviously he knows good work when he sees it since he liked, and apparently understood, your past work. You resolve to cover all the bases but in a way that is as clear as possible.

PAD PRINTING ORDER LIST

Job
Date Order Received
Set-Up Time
Production Time
Due Date

A
6/4
2 hrs.
6 days
11-Jul

B
6/7
4 hrs.
2 days
8-Jul

C
6/12
2 hrs.
8 days
25-Jul

D
6/14
4 hrs.
3 days
19-Jul

E
6/15
4 hrs.
9 days
26-Jul


Note: Setup time is to set up the pad printer at the start of the job. Setup includes thoroughly cleaning the printing heads and ink reservoirs, installing the new pad(s) and ink supply, and carefully aligning the machine. Setup at the beginning of a new day with the same job is insignificant.

Examine the following rules and write a report to Jeff Baker summarizing your findings and advise him on which rule to use.

Rules: FCFS, SPT, DD, and CR.

To write a short summary of each of the four methods for selecting the order in which to release the products to printing, we need to understand the rules FCFS, SPT, DD, and CR.

1. FCFS (First-Come, First-Served): This rule prioritizes the order in which the jobs are received. The first job received is processed first, regardless of its due date or production time.

2. SPT (Shortest Processing Time): This rule prioritizes the jobs based on their processing time. The job with the shortest processing time is processed first, regardless of its due date or order of receipt.

3. DD (Due Date): This rule prioritizes the jobs based on their due dates. The job with the earliest due date is processed first, regardless of its processing time or order of receipt.

4. CR (Critical Ratio): This rule prioritizes the jobs based on their critical ratio, which is the ratio of time remaining until the due date to the processing time required. The job with the highest critical ratio is processed first.

To analyze the average flow time and average tardiness for each of the methods, we need to calculate the flow time and tardiness for each job using the given information.

The flow time is the time from when the job is released to printing until it is completed. The tardiness is the difference between the completion date and the due date.

After calculating the flow time and tardiness for each job under each method, we can calculate the average flow time and average tardiness for each method by taking the mean of the respective values.

Based on the findings of the analysis, a recommendation can be made for which method to use, considering factors such as minimizing average flow time and average tardiness. The recommendation should be supported by the analysis and should explain the trade-offs of other possible schedules.

The case study presents a problem faced by Hi-Ho Yo-Yo, Inc. regarding short-term capacity in their pad printing operation. The company has received more orders than usual for July and needs to determine the order in which to release the orders to pad printing in order to meet their due date commitments. Four methods for selecting the order in which to release the products to printing are considered: FCFS (First-Come, First-Served), SPT (Shortest Processing Time), DD (Due Date), and CR (Critical Ratio).

1. FCFS (First-Come, First-Served): This method prioritizes the jobs based on the order in which they were received. The jobs are processed in the order of their arrival, regardless of their due dates or processing times.

2. SPT (Shortest Processing Time): This method prioritizes the jobs based on their processing times. The jobs with the shortest processing times are processed first, allowing for quicker completion of these jobs.

3. DD (Due Date): This method prioritizes the jobs based on their due dates. The jobs with earlier due dates are processed first to ensure their timely completion.

4. CR (Critical Ratio): This method prioritizes the jobs based on their critical ratios. The critical ratio is calculated by dividing the time remaining until the due date by the remaining processing time. The jobs with the highest critical ratios are processed first as they are the most time-sensitive.

In order to analyze the average flow time and average tardiness for each of these methods, we can refer to the rule definitions on page 746. The average flow time is the sum of the completion times of all jobs divided by the number of jobs. The average tardiness is the sum of the delays (if any) of all jobs divided by the number of jobs.

By applying these definitions, we can calculate the average flow time and average tardiness for each method. This data will allow us to compare the performance of each method and make a recommendation.

Based on the analysis, the recommendation for the method to use can be made. The method that yields the lowest average flow time and average tardiness would be the most efficient in meeting the due date commitments while minimizing delays.

The analysis and findings should be presented in a 2-4 page APA style paper, providing a clear explanation of the reasons behind the recommendation and addressing any trade-offs associated with other possible schedules.