Production Flashcards
What is productivity
Productivity is the output per input (person or machine) per hour
What is production
Production is the total amount of output that is produced in a
time period
Different methods of production
- Job 2. Batch 3. Flow 4. Cell
What is Job production
• Job production is where one single product is made at a time
• Products are made for a specific client or customer
• Products made are high quality, which means higher prices can be charged
When should you chose Job production
• Correct production process to choose when one product needs to be produced at a time:
• Building a ship
• Hand knitting a jumper
• Building a bridge over a river • Writing a book
Advantages of job production
• Bespoke, unique, one off, to customers measurements or specifications e.g. a kitchen
• Very motivated workers who can see one item made from start to finish
• Motivated workers are normally more productive and have lower rates of absenteeism
Disadvantages of job production
• Skilled labour and craftsmen are expensive
• Wide range of tools may be required
• Hard to speed up if demand increases
What is batch production
• This is the production method used when a business wants to make more than one item at a time
• Goods are made in batches, and can be switched over to make something different on the same production line
• Bread factory also makes crumpets and tortillas
• Furniture makers may produce a run of one design of chair before switching to make something else
Advantages of batch production
• Production can be changed to meet customer needs or fluctuations in demand
• Standard production of items means it can be mechanised less labour involved than job production
Disadvantages of batch production
• Small batches carry higher average unit costs (EOS)
• Workers may be less motivated with repetitive work
• Idle time between batches needs to be managed as this is wastage
What is flow production
• Flow production uses production lines with continuous movements of items through the process
• Many mass produced products are made this way such as; cola, cars and toothpaste
• The factory would be laid out in assembly lines
When should you choose flow production
Flow production
• Correct production process to choose when standardised products need to be mass produced in huge volumes in a continuous process:
• Toothpaste
• Cola
• Crisps
• Chocolate bars
Advantages of flow production
• A business can make larger quantities which means they can bulk buy raw materials and save money (economies of scale)
• Automated and computerised production means improved quality and more complex designs can be made in shorter times
Disadvantages of flow production
• High costs to buy the factory and machinery
• Low motivation of staff due to repetitive tasks
• Break downs and lost production can be costly
• Very inflexible, hard to change the factory machinery to make different products, the production process will be set up to make just one item e.g. bottled cola
What is cell production
• Cell production is dividing up production into separate self contained areas that are each responsible for a section of work
• In the DR Martens video you can see that cutting the leather is one section, then sewing is another etc.
• Each cell will have a team leader and a team of multi-skilled workers
