Cash Register Station Workflow Analysis - My Proposal

Here my answer to overcome the bottleneck at the cash register station.

Cash Register Station Workflow Analysis

This is the continuity from my previous post.

After releasing my last post, I spend sometime to review again the work flow design at the ash register station.

I try to list down the process step and assign an imaginative process cycle time on each step for analysis purpose.

Below image shows the process step breakdown and the time required to close a transaction.

Here are the problems that I observe

1. The work flow design tight up cashier 1 in process step 2, 5 and 6. Resulting inflexibility of cashier 1.

2. Customers in the queue will not be entertained until cashiers 1 completely walk through the process cycle of 2, 5 and 6.

Possible solution could be consider
1. Additional head count to be adding in to take over the job function in process step 5.

I will publish my solution in more detail in my upcoming post

Another Unhappy Weekend Shopping

I hate to do my weekly shopping over the week end just because of the congestion at the cashier.

I visited Tesco Melaka last weekend for my pre-Chinese New Year shopping. I feel quite disappointed when I m stuck in the queue for payment. Ethically, the supermarket operator shall treat their pay master like gold and shall not keep them waiting.

In fact, not only Tesco treat their customers in such manner, long queue in front of cash register machine is a norm to most supermarkets nationwide. There are so many supermarket operators in this country, just can’t understand why no one take a lead to do something different from their traditional way of doing thing.

Well, here some image that I capture while I m in the queue waiting my turn to settle the payment. Looks, how messy the cash register machine can be.

Is there any possibility to further improve the cashier efficiency without large scale investment ?

Why JIT Is So Critical To Business

Your business may end up in cash flow crisis if the material supply chain is not well manage.

My New Year Plan (2010)

I am quite late this year to publish my next year plan. General reason I give to myself is: “I’m quite busy for the past few week, because of the Cu wire, because of the 17.5 micron wire, because of etc. In fact, the true factor that pulling me down, is my internal laziness.

Well, I have to force myself to put aside all my work; I must finalize the important milestone plan for the coming year.

OK, here my to do list for the coming new year;

Kids Island – continue business development. No change in current business strategy. I still hope I can close a one million sale for the coming year. Just a dream, but have to try, else, I will not know my boundary.

Work – I plan to stay till end of the year. I will decide my next move when the times come. Anyway, I still will consider if I manage to spot a good opportunity.

Personal – No special objective to achieve for time being. I was quite busy for the past two year, I plan to have a break, enjoy the result that I had achieved from the past two years.

Well, I would say, 2010 should be a light year to me. My main focus still in the Kids Islands.

Unity Of Command

I was told to attach a so call “Control Paper” together with the specification sheet for every prototype sample build. The main function of the Control Paper close loop any special information flow between sample requestor and sample builder. I see the value of Control Paper if we use it in the correct way.

I only use Control Paper in certain occasion where I really need it. However, I notice many project managers in my team like to attach the paper on every sample request. In fact, most of the information they note down in the Control Paper are the information that copy and paste from the official assembly specification, process control specification and etc. I don’t understand why they like to do so, it is a waste ( over processing ) according to the 7 Waste in lean production context.

Actually, I don’t like the way they work, from my point of view, too many duplicated information on the assembly specification eventually wider the opportunity for the sample builder to make mistake.

I always believe, “Unity Of Command” ( 14 principle of management ) is one of the effective foolproof solution for prototyping process. Important information shall only print on the official assembly and process control specification. Respective project manager shall only note down special instruction that they expect in the control paper so that the sample builder aware act on it, but not to duplicate information that already available in the same stack of document that to be refer by the sample builder.

Advice to my dear colleague, Control Paper will comprehensive information may make your work “Look” very professional, bear in mind, you must be 100% sure you did not make any error during copy and paste and 100% sure the information are match from one to the other. Otherwise, you are actually risk yourself as well as the sample builder. Any silly mistake cause by the mismatch of information could be too expensive for you to pay.

我的二零零九年大计

This is my 2009 plan that I publish on 10 Dec 2008. It is the time for me to review my achievement versus the plan. Lets see what I achieve for myself. Updated item in Red color text

二零零八，这看起来吉祥的数目字经过了无数多灾多难的日子，即将成为过去。也好，坏的不去，新的不来。期望将来的二零零九年会是一个美好的一年。

The year 2008, although it comes with a nice number, but it is not as good as what we expect. So many bad incidents happen within a year. Anyway, things that happen in the
past has become a reality, we can’t do anything. It is going to be in the history anyway. Let’s put our hope in the coming New Year.


每年的十一月，都是我检讨过去一年的得与失以及为将来一年作打算的季度。今年也不例外。其实这样的习惯已经维持了好几年了，我比较喜欢有规划的人生。庆幸我有这样的习惯。

As usual, I like to review my achievement throughout the year as well as listing down my to do list for the coming new year. I had been continue the practice for many years, I make sure I do the same in the coming years. Fortunately I keep the habit to plan ahead, so that I can enjoy my life in a more systematic way.


我已在早前的post总结了我在我二零零八年的得与失了，所以我不想再重复同样的课题了。

Since I posted my gain and loss in the year 2008, I do not want to repeat the same story again.


好，就谈谈我明年（二零零九年）想做的事情吧。

Well, let me just focus on my to do list for year 2009


继续开发Kidsilands的sale。我每天都在法白日梦，如果能够为Kidsislands close 一个一百万的sale回来，那该多好啊。

Continue develop the Kidsislands market. I used to have day dream, how wonderful if I able close a million sale for the online business.

I know, scoring a million dollar sale for Kids Islands still an unachievable target at this moment, anyways, the business grow for Kids Islands is on the right track. I am happy with the outcome.

Conclusion - Target achieved

在现有的工作上，我必须要交出更亮丽的成绩。既然跑不了，那就应该在原地创造出一些价值。或许，在不久的将来又会出现一个意想不到的惊喜。

I want to do better than yesterday. Since I committed to stay for another 1.5 years, I should put in more effort to create more value for what ever I do. May be, I manage to secure any surprise. Who know?


Overall, I believe I deliver the value that I commit. I may do better, no doubt, but some personal attitude problem do pulling me to do better. Anyway, I am happy with the score from my year review and the positive comment from my business devision. I believe, I can score another surpise in the coming year.

Conclusion - Target Achieved

Six Sigma training – 一直以来我都很想搞些 Six Sigma 的活动，去年没什么看头，希望今年会有些改变。

Six Sigma training – is an important activities I would like to involve, I didn’t do much in the past 1 year, however, I will continue do something, and hopefully I manage to see some result in the coming year.

Finally, I offer a chance to give a talk regarding Lean at MMU. Not so happy with the outcome, but it is a good start and I achieve what I want.

Conclusion - 70% Target Achieved

为二零一零年换车的计划开始筹钱

I have to start keeping enough money for my new car in year 2010

I manage to buy a new car for myself in June this year

Conclusion - Target Achieved

一定要在股市里赚点钱回来。

I fail to gain a single cent in the stock market. I must earn something in coming year


I stuck quite amount of money in the stock market at end of 2008, I work very hard to recover most of the losses, yet, there are still small amount I need to work on for the coming year.

Conclusion - 70% Target Achieved

好了，二零零九年该做的是就那么多。

Well, these are the important task I must fulfill in the coming new year.

In general, 2009 is not too bad to me, I should appreciate the hard time that I past through since 1998, that build me strong to be a survival in the challenging year.