Wild Dog Company Process Improvement Plan - Paper Sample

Introduction

The coffee industry in America has been growing over the years. In 2019, Americans spent $49 billion on coffee, indicating a 3.3% growth rate from 2018 (Lock, 2019). According to Backman (2018), Americans spend between $1000-$1100 yearly on coffee (about $90 monthly). According to Statista (2020), it is expected that between 2020-2025, the coffee beverage industry will grow yearly by 8.7%. All these statistics show that coffee beverage companies can successfully expand, increase their revenue and profits, and open more branches. However, to create a strong brand image and ensure consumers are loyal to a company, it is crucial to conduct process improvement. This essay will discuss how Wild Dog Company can enhance its process improvement plan and thus increase its customer base and get more revenue.

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Process Identification

Wild Dog wants to establish a new branch and although the assembling and brewing processes can remain as they are, there is a likelihood of enhancing the preparing workflow and have a leaner and more efficient process system. However, before improving the system process, an assessment of the company’s ergonomics has to be conducted to establish the workflow and eliminate all the non-value processes (Caputo et al., 2019). Wild Dog Coffee established the coffee quality improvement project aiming to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of developing coffee. The project entailed the preparation of coffee and the delivery of orders to consumers. It is crucial to analyze the Wild Dog’s coffee preparation process and identify, assess, measure, evaluate, and implement the prerequisite improvement processes that will improve and streamline production efforts. Workflow ergonomics will play a crucial role in streamlining process identification and process improvement.

Ergonomics

Ergonomics is defined as the science that studies the interaction between man and machines within a work setting (Kuimet et al., 2016). It is understood as the sum of various techniques applied to adapt systems, environments, and products to the characteristics, limitations, and needs of people, maximizing results (Kuimet et al., 2016). It is a science that has achieved comfort and ease in the physical work of the employee, thus obtaining greater productivity, reducing in turn, the risk of accidents, by minimizing worker fatigue.

Ergonomic aspects include the working environment concerning humidity and temperature, the acoustic environment, smoke in the environment, work surfaces, the physical positions that the worker adopts, the way weights are lifted, labor conditions, fatigue, how to take work utensils, and the way of stooping, among others (Wanjala & Okemwa, 2019). The main objective of ergonomics is to adapt work activities according to the qualities that the individual possesses, this is because work instruments are created according to the needs of those who are going to use them. Consequently, work can be carried out simply and efficiently, increasing productivity. The main purposes of ergonomics are Reduction of occupational risks, efficiency at work with greater comfort and safety, conditioning the worker's job, the introduction of new technologies based on the ability of the worker, motivate the worker, and acquire materials and tools that facilitate work.

According to Blackwell (2014), good ergonomics at Coffee shops will prevent baristas from experiencing knee pain, shoulder, neck, elbow, wrist, and back pain. Wild Dog should therefore conduct an in-depth analysis of the ergonomics of the new location and identify areas that need to be improved and eliminate any injury risks, occupational accidents, employee fatigue, and create a pleasant work environment that increases productivity and motivation. An assessment of Wild Dog’s current process is needed in developing lean processes and optimizing the coffee production ergonomics process. Identification of areas and processes to be optimized will be achieved through an analysis of the non-value-added processes. The valued-added steps and the non-value added steps are as indicated in Appendix A.

Metrics

The process improvement process will be guided through process metrics. These metrics will be assessed and evaluated frequently to implement and execute a continuous improvement process. The performance of the different processes will be monitored by process metrics to ensure there is increased added value and areas of improvement are identified quickly.

The measurements for every metric and all iterations of all production process iterations will be taken. A control chart will then be used to gather the metric measurements and ensure that they are within the acceptable limits. Additionally, these metrics will be used in determining areas where improvements are required.

Work Place Injuries

Wild Dog should track the number of workplace injuries yearly. A comparison should then be conducted between the ergonomic design of the current stores and the new stores and establish ways of reducing these injuries. It is important that the ergonomics of the new store eliminate any occupational risk or accidents (both physically and psychologically), eliminate mental fatigue, and control the workplace environment (Harolds & Hurst, 2016). The design of the machines, equipment, and installations should be done bearing in mind safety, precision, and maximum performance. The baristas should work in an area of maximum comfort and execute their choreography with maximum fluidity, well-being, and happiness. Through tracking the number of injuries yearly in the new store and comparing it with the current store, Wild Dog will establish whether the new ergonomics are efficient in reducing accidents.

Order Delivery Time

Wild Dog should also monitor the order delivery time, from the time a client makes an order to the time the client receives the order. Wild Dog analyzed 50 orders and established that the minimum and maximum time taken to deliver an order was 1.55 and 3.43 minutes respectively. The average delivery time was 2.47 minutes. In the new store, Wild Dog should aim to improve further on order delivery time. The ergonomic design should facilitate easy and fast access to ingredients and equipment thus reducing delays and quickening the production process. Timestamps will be used to track order delivery time. Customers like speedy deliveries, consequently, reducing order delivery time will improve consumer satisfaction and loyalty thus generating more revenue for the business.

Order Mistakes

Wild Dog should also monitor the number of mistakes made daily in the new store. Order mistakes can be attributed to human errors or inefficiencies in the workplace design. By measuring this metric, Wild Dog will know whether additional training is needed (to eliminate human errors) and if the ergonomics of the new store are more/less efficient compared to those of the current stores. If more than 24 mistakes are made daily, an immediate assessment has to be conducted to establish the reason for the many mistakes. Wild Dog will then be able to improve production line efficiency.

The Preparation Process of Espresso Beverage

The first step entails the customer submitting an order. When a client submits an order, all details about the order (type and volume among others) are noted down by the waiter. According to Grind (2018), the ingredients to be used will be determined by the volume and type of coffee the customer wants.

The second step entails warming the cup and rinsing it using hot water. The third step entails checking the portafilter and ensuring that it is clean and dry and does not have any coffee ground residues (Grind, 2018). Such resides negatively affect the coffee taste and if the portafilter is wet, it will make the coffee moist thus ruining the taste of the coffee.

The fourth step entails filling the portafilter with coffee and checking whether the dose and grind size of the coffee is appropriate. The extraction time and the grind size should be measured using an electronic scale.

The fifth step entails the distribution of the coffee ground and ensuring that there are no air pockets. The sixth step entails cleaning and polishing the ground coffee. The seventh step involves brewing the coffee and ensuring that it does not burn. The last step is serving the beverage and handing it to the customer.

Conclusion

The preparation process procedure is essential in ensuring efficient and effective service delivery. The quality of service is highly essential for Wild Dog Coffee and through a proper process improvement process, Wild Dog can improve its service delivery. Wild Dog should conduct a progressive and regular process improvement that monitors and manages stock level, enhance customer satisfaction, and get a better understanding of the needs of the customers.

As can be observed, the average time to deliver an order is 2.468 minutes and it falls within the accepted range. Regarding the SD, the limit is 0.5903 minutes, however, Wild Dog’s is 0.27 minutes. The results show that Wild Dog’s performance is close to the established and standard ranges. However, it is important to ensure that the staff is sufficiently trained in managing time and dealing with customers lovingly. It can also be observed that Wild Dog’s production process is currently not centered. It is important to know performance metrics that will help in determining improvement areas. These improvement areas can be assessed using one of the Six Sigma tools, the cause-and-effect diagram. Several reasons could cause customers not to like coffee.