Production Flashcards
what is job production?
- producing items that meet specific requirements of customer
- one-off or small numbers of items produced
what are 2 pros and 2 cons of job production?
+ higher quality
+ meet customer requirements
- labour intensive so high labour costs
- individual cost of 1 unit may be high
what is batch production?
- similar items are produced together
- each batch goes through 1 stage of production before moving on to the next
what are 2 pros and 2 cons of batch production?
+ still allows some customer choice
+ cost savings can be achieved by buying in bulk
- repetitive process
- requires business to maintain higher stocks of raw materials and work in progress
what is flow production?
- production line
- product moves continuously through production process
- when 1 task is finished, the next must immediately start
- mass produces standardised items
what are 2 pros and 2 cons of flow production?
+ capital intensive meaning it can work constantly
+ less need for skilled labour
- production shut down if flow stops
- less customer choice
what are the 3 main things that impact choice of production?
- the skills and cost of labour
- the product being produced
- size of market
what is lean production?
- an approach to management that focuses on cutting out waste whilst ensuring quality, and as a result increase productivity and reduce costs
what is jit?
- aims to ensure that inputs into the production process only arrive when they are needed
how does jit work?
- customer orders determine what is produced
- requires complex productiomn scheduling
- requires close cooperation with high quality suppliers
what are 2 pros and 2 cons of jit?
+ save on rent and insurance costs
+ less chance of stock becoming obsolete
- no spare stock to meet unexpected orders
- highly reliant on suppliers
what is kaizen?
- constantly introducing small incremental changes in a business in order to improve quality and efficiency
what does kaizen encourage employees to do?
- take ownership for their own work
- look for ways to improve their own performance
what are 3 pros of kaizen?
- improved quality
- improved productivity
- improved labour relations
what is cell production?
- production processes are split into cells
- each cell is responsible for a complete unit of work
what are 2 pros and 1 con of cell production?
+ improved communication
+ workers become multi-skilled
- may need to invest in new materials
what is time based management?
- a general approach that recognises the importance of time and seeks to reduce the level of wasted time in production processes
what are 2 pros of effective time management?
+ quicker response times to meet changing market and customer needs
+ reduced waste so greater efficiency
