Morning Routine

A morning routine is something everyone can relate to and must endure. The variables involved are as numerous as there are people in the world. Everyone has his or her own routine but not everyone has detailed this process in a flowchart design. The following will discuss my morning routine, the variables affecting the process, and how to improve the process and decrease the amount of time preparing for and traveling to work. Time spent on each task provides a general overview of each operation with commute time chosen as the metric for the various routes listed.

Process Factors Run-Time and Set-up Time Chase, Jacobs, and Aquilano, (2006), define run-time as, “…the time required to produce a batch of parts” (p. 163. ) In this essay, I equate run-time to those areas that require action (tasks or operations. ) Furthermore, Chase, Jacobs, and Aquilano, (2006), define setup-time as, “…the time required to prepare a machine to make a particular item” (p. 163-164. ) I liken setup-time to the time required to prepare for each task or operation. Last, Chase, Jacobs, and Aquilano, (2006), define operation-time as,”…the sum of the setup-time and run-time for a batch of parts”.

In this scenario, operation-time will cover the entire flow chart from “wake-up” to “arrive at work. ” Variances are few therefore; any changes affect the amount of time spent at each task or decision point. The first item is to wake up and decide whether or not to go to work. If the decision is to stay in bed or stay home, the flowchart is complete and no further actions are necessary. As most mornings are “get out of bed,” the first task is to walk the dog. Because I do not have a fenced in yard or invisible fence, time must be allocated for this effort.

If a fence was put in place, this task would not require action and I would have no need to allocate run-time therefore, reducing the time spent in the morning routine. After walking the dog I change into work attire and eat breakfast. To save run-time in the morning, I allot setup-time the night before for such things as; choosing work attire, placing breakfast items in the kitchen, and preparing lunch for the following day. In this fashion, I am significantly decreasing the amount of run-time required to perform each task in the morning.

The task of eating breakfast is static therefore; time spent eating includes time spent listening to traffic reports to prepare for the next task in the chart, which is commute to work. I have the choice of four routes to travel to work and each route has positives and negatives. Setup-time for the commute is negligible and calculating run-time combines time traveled, miles covered, obstacles, e. g. stop signs, stop lights, and vehicle control points.

Conclusion

A morning routine has numerous variations and an overabundance of obstacles that can divert the most stringent process design.

By decreasing setup-time, run-time for each task is affected positively allowing a shorter operation-time. A major decision point in Appendix A revolves around the choice of route to travel based on the mornings traffic report. I will measure the four routes listed and account for obstacles such as number of stop signs and traffic lights, school zones, miles from point A (home) to point B (work), and time required traversing each path. The metric of choice is time and how best to reduce the time commuting to work each day.