2.Can Inspections Be Eliminated? Inspections frequently indicate lack of refinement of an operation or series of operations which could be eliminated by improving operation design or techniques. However, if the raw product is variable it may be inadvisable to attempt to eliminate inspections. Furthermore, it may be economically advisable to use inspections in connection with simple economical operations rather than more expensive procedures that do not require inspections.
In our example, inspection one is made to determine the quality of seed received from the producer in order to determine the price to be paid the other inspections are necessary to adjust the operation of sorters.
3.Can Delays be Eliminated or converted into Storages? Delays and storages are similar except a delay is undesirable whereas a storage is desirable. A delay makes it impossible to use men or machines in the most efficient way. A storage may facilitate the use of men and materials.
For example, storage number two retains all the reject from operations one and two. When seed is not being delivered from the producer at the maximum rated, labor can be released from the major operations to grind, sack, and store the reject. The delay is necessary because the treating equipment down not have sufficient capacity. The separating and sacking capacity is 100 bu per hr, the rate being controlled by operation number two. The slower treating operation actually reduces the potential capacity by half.