CS2984: Introduction to Problem Solving
Homework Assignment 14

Due at 11:00pm on Monday December 3
70 Points

Note change in due date

See the General Guidelines for homework assignments.

This assignment must be done with a partner.

  1. Situation Analysis

    It is 12:45 AM in the morning, March 24, 1989; you have just been alerted that the Exxon Valdez tanker has run aground on the Bligh Reef and is spilling oil at an enormous rate. By the time you arrive at the spill, 6 million gallons of oil have been lost and the oil slick extends well over a square mile.

    A meeting with the emergency response team is called. At the meeting it is suggested that a second tanker be dispatched to remove the remaining oil from the Exxon Valdez. However, the number of damaged compartments from which oil is leaking is not known at this time and there is concern that if the tanker slips off the reef, it could capsize if the oil is only removed from the compartments on the damaged side.

    The use of chemical dispersants (i.e., soap-like substances) which would break up the oil into drops and cause it to sink is suggested. However, it is not known if there is sufficient chemical available for a spill of this magnitude. The marine biologist at the meeting objected to the use of dispersants, stating that once these chemicals are in the water, they would be taken up by the fish and thus be extremely detrimental to the fish industry.

    The use of floatable booms to surround and contain the oil also brought about a heated discussion. Because of the spill size, there is not enough boom material even to begin to surround the slick. The Alaskan governor's office says the available material should be used to surround the shore of a small village on a nearby island. The Coast Guard argues that the slick is not moving in that direction and should be used to contain or channel the slick movement in the fjord. The Department of Wildlife says the first priority is the four fisheries that must be protected by the boom or the fishing industry will be depressed for years, perhaps generations to come. A related issue is that millions of fish were scheduled to be released from the fisheries into the oil contaminated fjord two weeks from now. Other suggestions as to where to place the boom material were also put forth at the meeting.

    Carry out a K.T. Situation Analysis on the Exxon Valdez Spill as discussed above. Then, list out the the various subproblems in the order that they should be addressed.

  2. Problem Analysis

    Chocolate butter paste is the primary ingredient used by a number of major bakeries for a wide variety of pastries. The paste is a very viscous liquid that is manufactured by Cocomaker Industries in a major populous city in the midwest. Cocomaker supplies customers as close as Dolton, and as far away as Chicago, which is a long drive. The paste flows from the production line into five-gallon drums, which are placed immediately into refrigerated trucks for shipment to the respective customers. Until February, all the trucks were the same size and the drums were stacked in rows three drums wide, four drums high, and eight drums wide. However, now two rather small customers each requiring 20 drums per day were added in the Chicago area, which, along with an increased order by the Chicago customer Hoyne, necessitated the purchase of a larger truck. The new truck could fit five drums across, four drums high, and eight drums deep. The truck would stop at the two smaller additions, Bell Bakery and Clissold Bakery, just before and just after stopping at Hoyne Industrial Bakers in Chicago proper.

    With the increased market in the Chicago area, Cocomaker is running at close to maximum capacity. Because the ingredients of the paste are mixed by static mixers, the pumps are currently operating at their maximum capacity and the plant is operating 20 hours per day. In November, Cocomaker was successful in luring two nearby customers, Damon Bakery and Oakley Bakery, away from one of its competitors. By increasing plant operation to 24 hours per day, all orders could be filled.

    As the Christmas season approaches, the usual seasonal demand for the chocolate butter paste poses a problem of meeting demands not encountered in previous years. It was decided that if the processing temperature were increased by 20 degrees, the paste would be sufficiently less viscous, and the production demands could be met with the current pump limitations. However, the increased capacity began to generate problems as Christmas approached. The pumps began failing on a regular basis; a strike at the supplier of the shipping containers caused Cocomaker to buy from a new container supplier, which claimed to carry only sturdier containers at a 10% increase in price; the safety officer had an emergency appendectomy; and most troubling, Hoyne Industrial Bakeries have been calling about an unacceptable bacteria count in shipments for the last five days. As a result, buyers of their product may have been getting ill. An immediate check of the bacteria levels show that they are at the same acceptable levels they have always been when leaving Cocomaker. You call Mr. Hoyne and tell him that the plant levels show that the paste is within bacteria specifications. Two days later you receive a call from Hoyne saying that they hired an independent firm and they reported the bacteria levels are well above an acceptable level. You call Damon, Bell, Clissold, and Oakley bakeries and ask them to check their bacteria count; they report back that everything is within specifications most often reported. A spot check of other customers shows no problems. You receive a call from Hoyne saying they are starting legal and governmental actions to close you down.

    Carry out a K.T. Problem Analysis to learn the cause of the problem.

  3. Potential Problem Analysis

    There was a minor oil spill on a small sandy resort beach. The CEO of the company causing the beach shoreline to be soiled with oil said: "Spare no expense, use the most costly method, steam cleaning, to remove the oil from the sand."

    Carry out a K.T. Potential Problem Analysis on the direction given by the CEO.