Set up your own plane factory
Ever wondered how companies do next-day deliveries? Let’s explore the different ways of assembling products on a conveyor belt. Which way works best?
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Step 1
Agree on the design of your airplane.
Step 2
Start by folding the airplanes, and record the time with a stopwatch. Do not stop the time until everyone has folded the same aiplane. Write the time down.
Step 3
Stand in a row again and put four sheets of paper next to the first person. Decide who does which fold, following four easy steps.
For example: number 1 folds the sheet lengthways in two, number 2 folds a point, number 3 folds the whole thing in two, and number 4 folds the wings. Have everyone carry out their step four times, so that you eventually have four airplanes.
Step 4
Again, record the time when the first person starts. Stop the time once all the airplanes are exactly the same.
Step 5
Compare the two times. Which way was the fastest?
What did you discover?
What you’ve just done is often what happens in factories. Rather than one person making a whole product, everyone makes a smaller part.
This works better because everyone has a clearly defined task that they can carry out easily, quickly and effectively.
