Title
Baby, Bathwater, and Usually Both: Combatting Fear of Efficiency with Mathematical Models
Files
Description
Mistral Khan-Becerra, AMT495: Applied Mathematics Project
Faculty Mentor(s): Professor Hongliang Xu, Mathematics
Endeavors in efficiency and production improvements are frequently met with trepidation and fear from the general workforce. It does not help that this culture is sometimes bolstered by internal resistance for change and poor management. In this project, a compromise will be explored on a micro-level that may be applicable to larger systems, with larger workforces. We first identify a simplified set of products, quantify the tasks involved to produce each, and, with the use of multiple simulations, we measure the level of complexity arising from different running orders. From here, we define a model which could aid management in determining how large a crew is needed to run different schedules of product. The machine we discuss, in particular, is a slitter, used to slit flat rolled copper and brass coils. The crew normally consists of four operators, we explore what production schedules would merit those four operators and which could be run with only three, freeing the fourth to work elsewhere, or train on new skills.
Publication Date
2021
Recommended Citation
Khan-Becerra, Mistral, "Baby, Bathwater, and Usually Both: Combatting Fear of Efficiency with Mathematical Models" (2021). Mathematics. 2.
https://digitalcommons.buffalostate.edu/srcc-sp21-math/2
