The technicians at Mitron Computers are integral to the company's success. Mitron builds custom personal computers for several office supply chains. The company's ability to build a quality product to specifications in an efficient manner allows Mitron to hold an advantage over competitors. However, recently the company has experienced some delays in shipments, and the plant manager is growing concerned.
Mitron works directly with the retail locations of the office supply chains to meet the needs of customers ordering computers with specific capabilities. A customer at a retail store orders a computer with certain components and the order is sent to Mitron to be fulfilled within a specified time frame. The technicians work in teams to build the computers to the desired specifications. It is a complex process and the technician's ability to build the computers efficiently has helped build Mitron's reputation as a quality producer of personal computers.
Depending on the specifications, building each computer can involve between 10 and 18 different steps. Most technicians have the knowledge and skills to complete one or two of the steps, but some technicians can complete multiple steps. The technicians that can complete multiple steps provide the company greater flexibility in scheduling and ensuring the computers
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The teams are comprised of technicians that have complementary skills, but the company has had some delays when a team member with the skills to complete a certain step is absent or already working on another computer. This problem occurs often as few technicians have the skills to complete the higher-level steps in the building process. Most technicians do not want to take time away from their work to attend the training as they will likely lose some of their team-based