Effective Capacity Solutions for Resource Denmark's Sorting Plant
Author
Thaneshwaran, Ajivan
Term
10. term
Publication year
2024
Pages
65
Abstract
Projektet undersøger, hvorfor den udgående afdeling hos Ressource Denmark mangler kapacitet, og hvordan problemet kan løses. Sammen med virksomheden blev problemet afgrænset, og der blev først lavet en kapacitetsanalyse af både den indgående og den udgående afdeling. Analysen bygger på empiriske data og reelle cyklustider (den tid en opgave tager fra start til slut). Den viser, at den indgående afdeling kan indsætte det forventede tonnage i anlægget, mens den udgående afdeling ikke kan håndtere det forventede antal baller, der kommer ud. På den baggrund blev fokus rettet mod at skabe tilstrækkelig kapacitet i den udgående afdeling. En problemanalyse pegede på, hvilke processer i afdelingen der skulle ændres, vurderet ud fra deres potentielle risikoområder. Proces 20 er den eneste proces med kapacitet nok til at håndtere alle baller, men den rummer også flest potentielle risikoområder. For at forstå kundernes behov i proces 20 blev tre potentielle kunder interviewet om, hvilke data de har brug for ved modtagelse af en balle. Med udgangspunkt i disse datakrav blev fire alternative metoder identificeret via interne og eksterne kilder. Sammen med virksomheden blev der fastlagt kriterier for at sammenligne metoderne, og deres betydning blev vægtet med AHP-metoden (en struktureret metode til at sætte vægte): Pris (7%), Antal risikoområder (38%), Ekstra træning (3%), Mulighed for at omfordele kapacitet (34%), Sorteringsforsinkelse (12%) og Medarbejdertilfredshed (6%). Alternativerne blev derefter rangeret med TOPSIS (en metode, der rangerer løsninger efter, hvor tæt de er på det ideelle). UWUK-alternativet blev vurderet som bedst, tæt fulgt af udstyrsopgraderinger. For disse to muligheder blev der gennemført kapacitets- og finansielle analyser, som viste, at UWUK-alternativet er den mest fordelagtige løsning for den udgående afdeling. Med bemanding af to medarbejdere i proces 30 og 40 og én medarbejder i proces 50 vil afdelingen kunne håndtere alle baller fra sorteringsanlægget. Med en investering på cirka 3 mio. DKK forventes break-even, når cirka 8.000 baller er håndteret og solgt. En efterfølgende simulation bekræftede kapacitetsanalysen og viste, at afdelingen med den valgte løsning og tilhørende cyklustider kan håndtere det forventede antal baller.
This project investigates why the outbound department at Ressource Denmark lacks capacity and how to fix it. In collaboration with the company, the issue was defined, and an initial capacity analysis of both the inbound and outbound departments was carried out. The analysis is based on empirical data and actual cycle times (the time to complete a task from start to finish). It shows that the inbound department can feed the expected tonnage into the plant, while the outbound department cannot handle the expected number of bales coming out. Based on this, the focus shifted to providing sufficient capacity in the outbound department. A problem analysis identified which processes in the department should be changed, assessed by their potential risk areas. Process 20 is the only step that has enough capacity to handle all bales, but it also contains the most potential risk areas. To understand customer needs in process 20, three potential customers were interviewed about the data they require when receiving a bale. Using these data requirements, four alternative methods were identified from internal and external sources. Together with the company, comparison criteria were defined, and their importance was weighted using the AHP method (a structured way to assign weights): Price (7%), Number of risk areas (38%), Extra training (3%), Possibility to reallocate capacity (34%), Sorting delay (12%), and Employee satisfaction (6%). The alternatives were then ranked with TOPSIS (a method that orders options by how close they are to an ideal solution). The UWUK alternative emerged as the best option, followed by equipment upgrades. For these two options, capacity and financial analyses were conducted, showing that UWUK is the most advantageous choice for the outbound department. By assigning two employees to processes 30 and 40 and one employee to process 50, the department will be able to handle all bales from the sorting plant. With an investment of about 3 million DKK, the company is expected to reach break-even after handling and selling approximately 8,000 bales. A subsequent simulation validated the capacity analysis, showing that with the selected alternative and its cycle times, the department can handle the expected number of bales.
[This summary has been rewritten with the help of AI based on the project's original abstract]
Documents