Gadget Toys Case Write-Up Essay

Gadget Toy Company is faced with a choice between two options to reduce project clock for their raw make for line. Gadget must cut down project time in order to meet their Christmas deadline that is 19 weeks away. Analysis shows that there are two circumstantial paths for the current process, which is 20 weeks long and includes the following detailed activities obtain funding approval (A), finalize engineering (B), build dies/tools (D), raw material delivery (K), initial resultion run (L), ship product (M), train workers (F), and de-bug process (G). See figure below. Gadgets first option is to reduce the amount of product advertising. Although this might reduce cost, advertising (J) is not a critical activity and wont reduce the total project time. Beyond that, cutting sextette weeks of advertising the maximum amount will result in an estimated 30% decrease in sales. This is hardly worth the lower costs for a new product launch, and advertising is necessary if Gadget wants t he childrens toy line to be popular beyond the Christmas season. Gadgets second option is to take on the production manager to work weekends for faster tool building (D). Although this would cost the company $5000, Gadget Toy Co. should accept the offer. Tool building is a critical activity and the bottleneck in the process flow. The next longest path in the process flow is 16 weeks, resulting in a slack time of four weeks. By accepting the offer from the tool builder the critical paths can be reduced to 18 weeks and the product can be launched inwardly the 19-week deadline. work Paths Before DecisionAHJM = 1 + 1 + 12 + 1 = 15 weeksAHIKLM = 1 + 1 + 2 + 2 + 3 + 1 = 10 weeksABDKLM = 1 + 1 + 12 + 2 + 3 + 1 = 20 weeks (critical path)ABDFGLM = 1 + 1 + 12 + 1 + 1 + 3 + 1 = 20 weeks (critical path) ACEFGLM = 1 + 8 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 3 + 1 = 16 weeksProcess Paths Before DecisionAHJM = 1 + 1 + 12 + 1 = 15 weeksAHIKLM = 1 + 1 + 2 + 2 + 3 + 1 = 10 weeksABDKLM = 1 + 1 + 12 + 2 + 3 + 1 = 20 weeks (critical path)ABDFGLM = 1 + 1 + 12 + 1 + 1 + 3 + 1 = 20 weeks (critical path) ACEFGLM = 1 + 8 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 3 + 1 = 16 weeksGadget Flow ChartTotal Time to tar18 workweekSTotal Time to Delivery18 WEEKSRaw Material Delivery (K)2 WEEKSRaw Material Delivery (K)2 WEEKSTrain Workers (F)1 WEEKTrain Workers (F)1 WEEKDe-Bug Process (G)1 WEEKDe-Bug Process (G)1 WEEKInitial Production Run (L)3 WEEKSInitial Production Run (L)3 WEEKS delight Product (M)1 WEEKShip Product (M)1 WEEKFinalize Packaging and Artwork (I)2 WEEKSFinalize Packaging and Artwork (I)2 WEEKSAdvertise (J)12 WEEKSAdvertise (J)12 WEEKSInstall Equipment (E)1 WEEKInstall Equipment (E)1 WEEKBuild Dies/Tools10 WEEKS (D)BOTTLENECKBuild Dies/Tools10 WEEKS (D)BOTTLENECKEstablish Advertising designing1 WEEK (H)Establish Advertising Plan1 WEEK (H)Finalize Engineering (B)1 WEEKFinalize Engineering (B)1 WEEKDeliver New Equipment (C)8 WEEKsDeliver New Equipment (C)8 WEEKsObtain FundingApproval (A)1 WEEKObtain FundingApproval (A)1 WEEKAf ter Decision