Gadget Toys Case Write-Up Essay

Gadget Toy Company is faced with a choice between two options to reduce project time for their new toy 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 critical paths for the current process, which is 20 weeks long and includes the following critical activities: obtain funding approval (A), finalize engineering (B), build dies/tools (D), raw material delivery (K), initial production run (L), ship product (M), train workers (F), and de-bug process (G). See figure below. Gadget’s first option is to reduce the amount of product advertising. Although this might reduce cost, advertising (J) is not a critical activity and won’t reduce the total project time. Beyond that, cutting six 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 Gadg et wants the children’s toy line to be popular beyond the Christmas season. Gadget’s second option is to ask 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 within the 19-week deadline. Process Paths Before Decision: AHJM = 1 + 1 + 12 + 1 = 15 weeks AHIKLM = 1 + 1 + 2 + 2 + 3 + 1 = 10 weeks ABDKLM = 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 weeks Process Paths Before Decision: AHJM = 1 + 1 + 12 + 1 = 15 weeks AHIKLM = 1 + 1 + 2 + 2 + 3 + 1 = 10 weeks ABDKLM = 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 weeks Gadget Flow Chart Total Time to Delivery 18 WEEKS Total Time to Delivery 18 WEEKS Raw Material Delivery (K) 2 WEEKS Raw Material Delivery (K) 2 WEEKS Train Workers (F) 1 WEEK Train Workers (F) 1 WEEK De-Bug Process (G) 1 WEEK De-Bug Process (G) 1 WEEK Initial Production Run (L) 3 WEEKS Initial Production Run (L) 3 WEEKS Ship Product (M) 1 WEEK Ship Product (M) 1 WEEK Finalize Packaging and Artwork (I) 2 WEEKS Finalize Packaging and Artwork (I) 2 WEEKS Advertise (J) 12 WEEKS Advertise (J) 12 WEEKS Install Equipment (E) 1 WEEK Install Equipment (E) 1 WEEK Build Dies/Tools 10 WEEKS (D) BOTTLENECK Build Dies/Tools 10 WEEKS (D) BOTTLENECK Establish Advertising Plan 1 WEEK (H) Establish Advertising Plan 1 WEEK (H) Finalize Engineering (B) 1 WEEK Finalize Engineering (B) 1 WEEK Deliver New Equipment (C) 8 WEEKs Deliver New Equipment (C) 8 WEEKs Obtain Funding Approval (A) 1 WEEK Obtain Funding Approval (A) 1 WEEK After Decision