
For your final project, you will prepare a report for the plant manager who posed the original challenge. Your goal is to deliver clear, data-driven insights and actionable recommendations. Use the provided dataset and apply your course skills to analyze the data. Identify key patterns or issues using any software you prefer. Present your findings using visuals, tables, and brief, focused writing. Tailor your message to the plant manager and recommend a course of action that supports informed decision-making.
Your plant manager was told by the VP of Operations that the OEE for your plant is at 76.8%. The VP would like a plan for how you location is going to improve OEE to be above 85% like the other 5 plants in the region. Your plant manager has assigned you to confirm the OEE reported by the VP and propose changes that will increase OEE above. Additionally, in the last two months your plant has been operating on Saturdays to keep up with orders. Production team members are exhausted and want to get back to a 5-day work week. Your plant manager would like you to asses this problem and propose a solution.
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The factory is outfitted with 3 different injection mold machines. Each machine is constantly supplied with resin beads from a hopper. Plastic parts are ejected from the injection machines onto a conveyor belt that carries the parts to the packaging machines. Each injector has a packaging machine in the line configuration and each packer can process 2.1 lbs of parts per minute.
An injector molding machine typically has a life span of 10-20 years. Injector I-200 was purchased 2 years ago for $365k. Injector I-206 was purchased 5 years ago and Injector I-205 was purchased over 15 years ago. You recently contacted the manufacturer of I-200 and they can sell the same model of injector for the same price and you can expect to get the same performance.
Each injector is scheduled to run 22hrs a day, 5 days a week. 2 hours a day are set aside for scheduled downtime to account for maintenance, breaks and shift turnover. Downtime on average cost $12k/hr and scrap on average cost $8/lb of parts.
The weekly production needs on average are as follows:
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For your written report, you will be communicating your data findings. As a general reminder, your report should be formatted to include:
Prepare a report that contains the following elements.
You will turn in a report, Excel or Power Bi files, and submit the code that you used to get your answers as a separate file along with your report.
Length is not as important as substance. If you have completely answered the questions proposed, you will not be graded or docked for length.
Since you will create your projects in programs that are outside of Canvas, you will need to follow state guidelines for remote work. You can do this in one of two ways:
1. TopTracker: Sign into TopTracker and add your time for this and the other visualization project assignments in the TopTracker Project called Data Visualization.
2. Lab: Come to the lab and inform the instructor that you are working on this assignment at the beginning of the time you spend on it. When you finish, inform the instructor so they can note it in the gradebook.
**Make a note on this assignment of which option you chose when you submit it on Canvas.