The fractions accompanying each operation indicate the actual rate in bushels per hour over the capacity. This is an excellent index for continuous-flow processes. If the material being processed can be segregated into units, a single bird in a poultry- processing plant, for example, the time expended on each unit during each operation is usually used. Time is used only if it contributed to the analysis.
The summary of steps may be omitted, but it shows the balance between the various types of events and usually is an aid to analyzing a process, especially if it is complicated.
The following should be considered relative to an operation process chart.
1.What Events Can Be Combined? Combining steps usually reduces labor and may reduce other costs. For example, the machine used on operation two might be substituted of the machine of operation one. This would eliminate inspections four and five and operation two. There would be a saving in labor and amortization of the machine of operation one.