Strategies to improve both the efficiency and effectiveness of operations related to technological developments Flashcards
The use of automated production lines, robotics, computer-aided design, computer-aided manufacturing techniques and artificial intelligence and online services.
Effectiveness:
The degree to which a business has achieved/ met their goals. The level or results from the managers and the employees.
Efficiency:
How well a business used its resources while achieving these goals. The time and resources used to complete the task.
Technology:
The equipment and knowledge available to assist businesses to function and create products. Developments in technology can facilitate new methods of production as they can make production faster and they can lower costs.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Technology: (1 each)
Advantage:
> improvements in productivity and quality outweigh costs.
Disadvantages:
> Costs can be higher
Automation:
The replacement of human activity/ effort with machinery, technology, mechanics and robotics.
Automated Production Line:
A process where raw materials enter and finished products leave. This is with little or no human intervention and is through a series of workstations linked by a transfer system.
> Each station performs a specific operation and the product is processed step by step in a predefined sequence.
Advantages of Automated Production Line:
> Improved productivity through lower labour costs, reduced production time and lower cost per unit.
Production is faster, 24/7, more stable and more accurate due to less human effort. Waste is lower and time is used efficiently.
Automation offers greater levels of workplace safety as dangerous tasks are being done by machinery.
Precision and accuracy. Work completed has less errors, mass production is possible, and output is more consistent.
Disadvantages of Automated Production Line:
> Huge initial costs in the purchase and development of automated systems.
Ongoing maintenance of equipment can be costly and time consuming, and needs a highly skilled maintenance crew.
Social/ ethical costs of automation exist because people are made redundant.
Security issues as equipment can be vulnerable to computer hackers and viruses.
What is Robotics
The combination of science, engineering and technology that produces machines, called robots. Robots are used in engineering and specialised areas of research, as well as on automated production lines, where a programmable machine capable of doing several different tasks is required.
Robots can provide a great level of efficiency, however, can be very costly to set up.
Computer Aided Design (CAD):
A program that improves creation and modification in the design of products, by varying inputs to see possible outputs.
> Allows for three-dimensional diagrams from given data, allowing for more accurate predictions of what the final product might look like from all angles.
> Can be linked directly to a manufacturing process using CAM.
> Allows architect, engineers and designers to draw and adjust three-dimensional designs that are based on client requirements.
Advantages of CAD
> Advantages – this is how CAD leads to efficiency and effectiveness.
Is more flexible as you can see possible outputs.
Allows for creativity and customer input.
Disadvantages of CAD
> Costly to introduce initially.
Technical training needed to upskill staff.
Redundancies may increase.
Computer aided manufacturing (CAM)
Involves control of machinery, tools and equipment, where machines are fed programmed instructions from a central computer. It uses software to control manufacturing.
> The main aim is to allow for more precision in output and less margin of error.
> Large sections of production can be controlled with great efficiency so time is saved.
Advantages of CAM
> Significant cost savings as there is greater precision and less margin for error.
Reduces the need for manual resetting of machinery which saves time.
Quality of output is increased.
Disadvantages of CAM
> Costly to introduce initially, and then to maintain.
Technical training needed to upskill staff.
Redundancies may increase.
