You are placed in charge of a large mailing to the alumni of your university, inviting them to contribute to a scholarship fund. The letters and envelopes have been individually addressed (mailing labels were not used). The letters are to be processed (matched with correct envelopes, time estimated to be 0.2 minutes each), folded (0.12 minutes each), and stuffed into the correct envelope (0.10 minutes each). The envelopes are to be sealed (0.05 minutes each), and a large commemorative stamp is to be placed in the upper right-hand corner of each envelope (0.10 minutes each).

a) Make a process chart for this activity, assuming that it is a one-person operation.

b) Estimate how long it will take to stuff, seal, and stamp 2000 envelopes. Assume that the person doing this work is paid $8 per hour. How much will it cost to process 2000 letters? ( Please provide the detail of your calculations including the units for each variable you calculate and the formula you use.)

c) Consider each of the following process changes. Which changes would reduce the time and cost of the current process?

Each letter has the same greeting “Dear Alumnus or Alumna” instead of the person’s name.

Mailing labels are used and have to be put on the envelopes (0.1 minutes each).

Pre-stamped envelopes are used.

Envelopes are stamped by a postage meter that can stamp 200 letters per minute.

Window envelopes are used.

A preaddressed envelope is included with each letter for contribution (adds 0.05 minutes to stuffing step).