1. Summer Training Industrial Engineering Department
Problem Solving Tools
Summer Training
Industrial Engineering Department

2. Exploratory Tools Pareto Analysis Fish Diagrams Gantt Chart PERT Chart
Job / Worksite Analysis Guide

3. Pareto Analysis
Items identified and ordered on common scale in decreasing frequency, creating a cumulative distribution
80/20 Rule: 20% of the items account for 80% of the problems
Allows the company to concentrate resources on the jobs with the most problems

4. Pareto Analysis
Example Diagram Figure 1

5. Fish-bone Diagrams Cause-and-effect diagrams
Identified problem or undesirable result is the “head”
Contributing factors are the “bones”
Typical categories include: Human, machine, methods, materials, environment, and administrative
Estimates associated probabilities

6. Fish-bone Diagrams
Example Diagram Figure 2

7. Gantt Chart Used for planning of complex projects
Shows expected start and completion times, also duration of events
Similarly, major events can be broken into smaller sub-tasks
Shade the bars to show actual completion time

8. Gantt Chart
Example Diagram Figure 3

9. PERT Chart
Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT) is a planning and control tool
Also known as Network Diagram or Critical Path
Graphically portrays the optimum way to obtain a desired objective with respects to time
Optimistic, average, and pessimistic time estimates utilized

10. PERT Chart
Example Diagram Figure 4

11. Job/Worksite Analysis Guide
Perform a walkthrough observing the area, worker, task, environment, administrative constraints, etc…
Develop an overall perspective of the situation
Particularly useful in workstation redesign

12. Job/Worksite Analysis Guide
Example Guide Figure 5

13. Recording and Analysis Tools
Operation Process Chart
Flow Process Chart
Flow Diagram
Worker and Machine Process Charts
Gang Process Charts

14. Operation Process Chart
Chronological sequence of all operations, inspections, time allowances, materials
Depicts entrance and exit of all components and sub-assemblies and products
Provides information on the number of employees required time for jobs and inspections

15. Operation Process Chart
Example Diagram Figure 6

16. Flow Process Chart
More detailed, fit for closer observation of smaller components or assemblies
Shows all moves (distances) and storage delays (times) for product movement in plant
Aids in the reduction of hidden costs,
Can be beneficial for plant layout suggestions

17. Flow Process Chart
Example Diagram Figure 7

18. Flow Diagram Pictorial representation of the layout of the plant
Good supplement to the Flow Process Chart

19. Flow Diagram
Example Diagram Figure 8

20. Worker and Machine Process Charts
Used to study, analyze, and improve one workstation
Shows the time relationship between working cycle of the person and the operating cycle of the machine
Reveals idle time for both machines and workers
Establishes “TAKT” time

21. Worker and Machine Process Charts
Example Diagram Figure 9

22. Gang Process Chart
Example Diagram Figure 10

23. Quantitative Tools Synchronous Servicing Random Servicing
Line Balancing

24. Synchronous Servicing
Assigning more than one machine to an operator

25. Random Servicing
Helps to determine the number of machines to assign to an operator when it is not known exactly when each machine needs to be serviced or for how long

26. Line Balancing
Helps to determine the ideal number of workers to be assigned to a production line
Computer software is available to eliminate the calculations

29. Questions & Comments