Go to a fast food restaurant (or think about the last time you were at a fast food restaurant). Look at the steps involved in providing a meal to a customer. You’ll be on the lookout for value-adding steps and non-value-adding steps. Answer the following questions. Basic Discussion Questions
1. Describe the steps involved in delivering the food to the customer that you can observe.
2. Describe the “behind the scenes” processes that are likely in the restaurant, such as cleaning, stocking, and cooking activities.
3. Using your answers to Questions 1 and 2, list all the possible activities, materials, and information that you think could be included in a value stream map for the restaurant. Include as many steps as you can think of (not necessarily just the ones you can see).
4. List the eight wastes indicated by the acronym DOWNTIME (Defects, Overproduction, Waiting, Not using people to their full potential, Transportation, Inventory, Movement, and Overprocessing). Next to each category of waste, list at least one possible non-value-added activity that may or may not be in the processes of that restaurant
5. Go back to the list of items for the potential value stream map. circle potential areas for imrpovement and explain wich wastes might be involved in those areas
