Business Operations Flashcards
Operations management
The department responsible for the transformation of inputs into outputs
Job production
Where one off tailor made products are made from start to finish
Flow production
Where production occurs continuously on an assembly line
Lean production
An approach to production developed by the Japanese to eliminate waste
Just in time
Production happens with minimum stock levels; tasks are completed Just In Time for the next task
Division of labour
Breaking a job down into small, repetitive tasks that can be done quickly by specialised workers
Benefits of job production
- Changes to customer requirements can easily be handled
- Each product is unqiue
- Often associated with higher quality
- Labour intensive production method
Benefits of flow production
- Production can be continuous
- Consistent quality goods can be produced
- High amounts of output can be produced
Drawbacks of flow production
- Set up costs are high
* Motivation levels amongst employees can be low
Benefits of lean production
- Employees are used more efficiently
- Costs are reduced
- The number of defective products is reduced
Disadvantages of lean production
- Lots of stock which wastes space
- Staff bored
- Inflexible
Quality management
Controlling activities to ensure products and services meet the specifications
Quality control
Checking/inspecting quality at the end of the production process to detect faults
Quality assurance
Self checking quality at each stage of the production process to prevent defects
Quality standard
Setting a minimum acceptable standard. Often a legal requirement.
