Question

Question: As shown in the chapter, the effect of learning in a given system eventually flattens out over time. At that point in the life of a system, learning still exists, though its effect continues to diminish. Beyond that point, is it impossible to reduce the time to produce a unit significantly? What would it take to do that?

Short answer

Answer

The rate of output increases as there is an improvement in the process.

Step-by-step solution

Introduction

A flat learning curve indicates slow learning, which might be due to the difficulty of the material, the fact that there isn't much left to learn, or both. A high learning curve may result from having to start with uncommon fundamentals, which implies that you quickly pick up knowledge but are limited in what you can do with it

Analyzing the situation

The concept of flat or progressive learning curves is better known. On a flat curve, knowledge is acquired constantly and gradually spaced out over time. The amount of time required to master a subject fully allows for the true imprinting of the procedures or skill components on the brain. Since they do not offer the benefits of quick, practical knowledge, they are frequently quite challenging to learn.

However, a persistent inability to reach objectives or benchmarks set by learning curves may indicate a problem, such as a learning disability or a simple misinterpretation of an individual's basics.The learning curve is extremely steep when production is low, but it flattens out as cumulative output rises, eventually becoming a straight line when the learning effect wears off.

Over time, the production time per unit will eventually become almost flat if nothing else in the system changes besides learning. A modification in the system would be necessary to minimize it significantly.The product might be redesigned to make it simpler to manufacture. Another option is to restructure the procedure to incorporate more advanced or automated machinery, which significantly boosts the system's output rate.