Product Overview

Jarsh Safety received an order of 500 units of its Model S helmet. However, the order must be delivered within 15 days. Jarsh Safety was founded by three engineering college peers, who conceptualized air-conditioned, industrial safety helmets. This innovative revolutionary product offered industrial workers not only safety but aesthetics and comfort. The founders hoped that the product could change the perception of safety helmets from mandatory wear to desired wear. The case details the production process, staffing, raw material required and procurement lead time.

Learning Objectives

To help students conduct a capacity analysis of individual workstations, and subsequently, determine system capacity. To apply the concept of order fulfillment time (i.e. raw material procurement time plus manufacturing lead time) to a practical setting. To evaluate the tradeoff between holding raw material inventory and its implications on order fulfillment time. To provide an opportunity to explore premium pricing for improved order fulfillment time. To understand the interplay between single-piece manufacturing and manufacturing in batches. To examine the tradeoff among grouping of activities, manpower utilization and system capacity. To explore the correlation between increasing capacity by reorganizing workstations and response time. To explore alternatives (investment in holding inventory, regrouping tasks and reorganizing workstations) to reduce response time.