The document analyzes the complexities of laundry workflows, comparing various stages such as washing, drying, and folding. It presents metrics on total cycle costs, cycle times, operator engagement, and optimization strategies with different washing and drying setups. Key takeaways emphasize understanding metrics, the importance of simplicity, and the value of recognizing when to stop optimizing.

1. Laundry Day
The surprising complexity of simple workflows

2. A Simple Pipeline

3. Sort
Input: 4 loads
Capacity: 4 loads
Output: 4 loads
Operator Time: 15 min
Cycle time: 15 min
Cost: $0.00
Wash
Input: 1 load
Capacity: 1 load
Output: 1 load
Operator Time: 0 min
Cycle time: 45 min
Cost: $1.00
Dry
Input: 1 load
Capacity: 1 load
Output: 1 load
Operator time: 0 min
Cycle time: 45 minutes
Cost: $1.00
Fold
Input: 2 load
Capacity: 2 loads
Output: 2 loads
Operator time: 30 min
Cycle time: 30 minutes
Cost: $0
Capacity Planned Stages

4. One Load of laundry
Total cycle cost: $2.00
Total cycle time: 135 min
Operator engagement: 45 min
Important Metrics

5. A Simple Pipeline

6. Family Means Scaling Throughput
#1
#2
#3
#4

7. One Load of laundry
Total cycle cost: $2.00
Total cycle time: 135 min
Operator engagement : 45 min
Metrics don’t scale the same way
Four Loads of laundry
Total cycle cost: $8.00
Total cycle time: 270 min
Operator engagement: 135 min
Difference
Total cycle cost: 4x
Total cycle time: 2x
Operator engagement: 3x

8. Fully Optimizing Left
#1 & 2
#3 & 4
WAIT BETWEEN DRY
AND FOLD MEANS WRINKLES

9. Fully Optimizing Right
#1 & 2
#3 & 4

10. Comparison
Optimize Left
Total cycle cost: $8.00
Total cycle time: 165 min
Operator engagement: 75 min
Capex: 3w, 3d
Unoptimized
Total cycle cost: $8.00
Total cycle time: 270 min
Operator engagement: 135 min
Capex: n/a
Optimize Right
Total cycle cost: $8.00
Total cycle time: 180 min
Operator engagement: 75 min
Capex: 1w, 1d

11. New Hotness Dryer
Input: 2 loads
Capacity: 2 loads
Output: 2 loads
Operator time: 0 min
Cycle time: 30 minutes
Cost: $1.25
A Challenger Appears
Old & Busted Dryer
Input: 1 load
Capacity: 1 load
Output: 1 load
Operator time: 0 min
Cycle time: 45 minutes
Cost: $1.00

12. New: One Load of laundry
Total cycle cost: $2.25
Total cycle time: 120 min
Operator engagement: 45 min
Lower Cycle Time, Higher Costs
Old: One Load of laundry
Total cycle cost: $2.00
Total cycle time: 135 min
Operator engagement: 45 min

13. Four Loads: Optimizing The Wrong Thing
#1
#2
#3
#4

14. Optimizing outside the bottleneck
Unoptimized: New Dryer
Total cycle cost: $9.00
Total cycle time: 255 min
Operator engagement: 135 min
Unoptimized: Old Dryer
Total cycle cost: $8.00
Total cycle time: 270 min
Operator engagement: 135 min

15. #1 & 2
Let’s move some wait states!
#3 & 4

16. Patience for great benefit
Wait Cycles
Total cycle cost: $6.50
Total cycle time: 240
Operator engagement: 75 min
Unoptimized
Total cycle cost: $9.00
Total cycle time: 255 min
Operator engagement: 135 min

17. This isn’t even my final form
#1 & 2
#3 & 4

18. Over-Optimizing
Single-Washer Optimized
Total cycle cost: $6.50
Total cycle time: 240
Operator engagement: 75 min
Capex: n/a
Unoptimized
Total cycle cost: $8.00
Total cycle time: 270 min
Operator engagement: 135 min
Capex: n/a
Two Washer Optimized
Total cycle cost: $6.50
Total cycle time: 165 min
Operator engagement: 75 min
Capex: 1w

19. #1 & 2
#3 & 4
One is Better than Two

20. Behold True Power
Single Washer Optimized
Total cycle cost: $4.50
Total cycle time: 135
Operator engagement: 75 min
Capex: 1 double-capacity washer
Two Washer Optimized
Total cycle cost: $6.50
Total cycle time: 165 min
Operator engagement: 75 min
Capex: 1 washer

21. What We’ve Learned
• Even very simple pipelines hide surprising complexity
• Understand what metric you’re optimizing & why
• Know when to quit
• Value simplicity
• Factor in all relevant costs

22. About Me
Name: Charles Johnson
Twitter: @chipadeedoodah
Email: chip@chipadeedoodah.com
Artist: Wren Tolo
Font: 3Dumb by Tension Type