Production Processes
Overview
A wedding dress is cut and sewn by one person over several weeks, for one customer, and will never be made again. A car is assembled by hundreds of people who each perform one operation, a thousand times a day, on a vehicle identical to the last one. Both are sewing and bolting things together. Neither could be made the other way round without ruining it: a mass-produced wedding dress is not what the customer wanted, and a handmade car would cost more than a house.
In this lesson you will learn the four methods of production the specification names, job, batch, flow and cell, and, more importantly, when each is the right one. Then you will look at efficiency: what it actually means, how it is measured, and the two techniques the specification asks about by name, just in time stock control and continuous improvement. This is a Business operations topic, which means it sits on Paper 1 only, and it is the part of the course where the extended questions are most often about why this method and not that one.
Objectives
- Methods of production:
- job
- batch
- flow
- cell.
- Efficiency in production:
- increasing efficiency.
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Lesson Note
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Lesson Evaluation
Congratulations on completing the lesson on Production Processes. Now that youve explored the key concepts and ideas, its time to put your knowledge to the test. This section offers a variety of practice questions designed to reinforce your understanding and help you gauge your grasp of the material.
You will encounter a mix of question types, including multiple-choice questions, short answer questions, and essay questions. Each question is thoughtfully crafted to assess different aspects of your knowledge and critical thinking skills.
Use this evaluation section as an opportunity to reinforce your understanding of the topic and to identify any areas where you may need additional study. Don't be discouraged by any challenges you encounter; instead, view them as opportunities for growth and improvement.
- Which one of the following is an example of flow production? A. A bakery making 200 white loaves then 100 brown B. A bottling plant filling 12,000 identical bottles an hour C. A shipyard building one vessel to order D. A tailor making a suit to a customer's measurements Answer: B
- A factory produces 5,400 units a week with 18 production workers. What is its output per worker? A. 30 B. 180 C. 300 D. 540 Answer: C
- Which one of the following is a risk of using just in time stock control? A. Less money is tied up in stock B. Less storage space is needed C. One late delivery can stop production completely D. Stock is less likely to spoil Answer: C
- Which one of the following best describes cell production? A. Making one item at a time to a customer's own design B. Producing identical items continuously along a line C. Teams each taking responsibility for a complete stage or unit of production D. Making a run of one product then changing over to another Answer: C
- Which one of the following best describes continuous improvement? A. Buying new machinery every year B. Making many small permanent improvements, largely suggested by the people doing the work C. Producing without holding any stock D. Replacing workers with machines Answer: B
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Recommended Books
Further learning from open sources
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Textbook section
The Production Process: How Do We Make It?
What types of production processes do manufacturers and service firms use?
"Introduction to Business: The Production Process: How Do We Make It?" by OpenStax, OpenStax, Rice University, licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Source: https://openstax.org/books/introduction-business/pages/10-2-the-production-process-how-do-we-make-it. Access for free at https://openstax.org/books/introduction-business/pages/1-introduction
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Textbook section
Looking for a Better Way: Improving Production and Operations
How can quality-management and lean-manufacturing techniques help firms improve production and operations management?
"Introduction to Business: Looking for a Better Way: Improving Production and Operations" by OpenStax, OpenStax, Rice University, licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Source: https://openstax.org/books/introduction-business/pages/10-6-looking-for-a-better-way-improving-production-and-operations. Access for free at https://openstax.org/books/introduction-business/pages/1-introduction
Published by other organisations under open licences, credited as they ask. Links open their websites.
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