Management and the Technology Professional – B302

Case study answer 2

Using a critical path analysis diagram we deduce that step 6 is on our critical path and therefore any delay in the duration would mean failure to complete the manufacturing process in the target time frame. Therefore several options need to be considered to address the issue of certain tasks not being completed in step 6.

The first available option would be to ignore the problem completely and continue on the schedule of tasks in order to meet the deadline. This is possible as step 6 is the final testing stage, and although very important, will not effect stage 8 if not completed in full (compared to missing tasks in stage 4 would hinder stage 5 and onwards entirely). This action isn’t of course without consequences! If tests are not fully completed then this poor testing could lead to defective transistors making it onto the market and in time ruin Intel’s reputation and professionalism.

Another course of action would be to use day 13 to complete the missing test before proceeding onto configuring the product for the market. This decision of course relies on how long this missing test would take and its conclusive delay on the product being shipped. This testing stage may be automated and it may not be possible to simply re-do one test, the entire 4days may have to be re-completed, and is this worth it? If this would take longer then one day then suppliers/retailers/and end line customers will be left disappointed and this could have the same detrimental effect as the first option described above.

The third available course of action would be to use the 4 day float time available in stage 5 which is not on the critical path. Intel could use the available labour to assist in the swift completion of the missing test. This heavily depends on the skills of the employees involved with stage 5, assembly and packaging, which doesn’t suggest a highly educated position. It would be more likely to have a negative impact on the testing if their skill set was not inline with that required for step 6.

This issue could be addressed by hiring additional labour from outside the current work force to complete the task, though depending on the requirements, this may not be very cost effective for Intel.

In conclusion there are many options available, but the final decision would rest on the significance of the missing task, the opportunities available to use additional labour, and the true impact of ignoring it, or delaying the shipment of the final product. Though more importantly; whose responsibility is this? Who is accountable, and who needs to be told in order to rectify the problem.