Dependent and independent variables are variables in mathematical modeling, statistical modeling and experimental sciences. Dependent variables receive this name because, in an experiment, their values are studied under the supposition or hypothesis that they depend, by some law or rule, on the values of other variables. Independent variables, in turn, are not seen as depending on any other variable in the scope of the experiment in question. You can think of independent and dependent variables in terms of cause and effect. An independent variable is the variable you think is the cause, while a dependent variable is the effect. For example, in an experiment about the effect of nutrients on crop growth. The independent variable is the amount of nutrients added to the crop field. The dependent variable is the biomass of the crops at harvest time.
the yellow diamonds signals a decision point, which involves inspection and counterchecking. In the process map for the restaurant, there are three diamonds, in which the waiter, the chef, and customers conduct inspection or counterchecking. Next, the purple triangles represent idle times or delay. In relation, there are five purple triangles, which signal idle times or waiting time throughout the process. Finally, the arrows represent movements or transportation.
Moving to the process time, each step in the process consumes a considerable amount of time. For example, it takes about 10 minutes before the customers are taken to their seats. Upon entry, the customers are held temporarily to allow the receptionist to get their names, which takes about five minutes. Afterwards, the customers are again held temporarily while the table is being prepared, which takes again another five minutes. Looking at the other stages in the process map, chef’s cooking time and the customers’ eating time tends to be longest processes. It takes the chef about twenty minutes to cook and prepare the food. Similarly, it takes the customers about 20 minutes to consume the food.
Value Stream Mapping
A closer look at the process would reveal that certain activities and operations in the process map may be categorized as either value adding or non-value-adding. The value stream includes value-adding activities that help in the creation of the product or the delivery of the service (Jones 2002). Non-value adding activities in particular, refers to certain activities such as transferring materials between two non-adjacent workstations and waiting for service, which generally lengthen the processing time, increase the costs, and in most cases, increase customer frustration (Collier and Evans 2007). In the process map for the restaurant, stages in the process such as the customer wa
