Unit 4.1 Production processes

Question 1

What are the three production processes?

Answer 1

Job, batch and flow production

Question 2

What is job production?

Answer 2

The process of production where products are made individually

Question 3

What is batch production?

Answer 3

The process of production where one type of product is made and then production is switched to make a different product

Question 4

What is flow production?

Answer 4

The production of one product that takes place continuously using a production or assembly line

Question 5

What is flow production sometimes called?

Answer 5

Mass production

Question 6

What are the advantages of job production?

Answer 6

1) Products are usually high quality

2) Products can be made to meet the needs of individual customers

3) Workers often get more satisfaction from working on something until it is finished

Question 7

What are the disadvantages of job production?

Answer 7

1) Costs of production will be high

2) Labour costs may be high because job production often requires skilled labour

Question 8

What are the advantages of batch production?

Answer 8

1) Customer needs met by making batches of different goods

2) Batches made to meet specific orders from customers reducing costs as goods not stored

3) possible to use specialist machines and automate production so costs saved

Question 9

What are the disadvantages of batch production?

Answer 9

1)It takes time to switch production of a batch of one product to a different batch. Machinery may need to be re-set. This adds to the costs of production and reduces output

2) There will usually be less choice of products for customers compared with job production

3) The tasks may be repetitive and boring for workers

Question 10

What are the advantages of flow production?

Answer 10

1) can make large amounts

2) low costs of production for each unit made as the firm benefits from economies of large-scale production

3) Machinery can be used, helping keep costs low

4) Improvements in technology mean not all of the products need to be same; some variations in design can be programmed into computer-controlled machines

Question 11

What are the disadvantages of flow production?

Answer 11

1) Goods mass-produced, may not be good quality, not always true

2) very expensive to set up production line

3) Large stocks of materials may be kept to keep production line supplied, expensive

4) If production stops at any point on assembly line, may be complete shutdown of production

5) assembly line jobs can be repetitive and boring

Question 11

What are the three ways to use technology in the production process?

Answer 11

Automation, computers, robotics

Question 12

What is automation?

Answer 12

A production process involving machinery that is not controlled by a person but usually controlled by a computer

Question 13

What is robotics?

Answer 13

The use of robots in the process of production

Question 13

What are the advantages of technology in the production process?

Answer 13

1) Costs reduced as number of workers required reduced

2) Machines more accurate than human workers, improving quality and reducing waste – helping to cut costs

3) Production can be more flexible because the computers can be programmed to produce a variety of products

4) machinery never absent from work

5) Machines can work 24 hours per day, 7 days per week

6) Machines can do dangerous and boring jobs that human workers may be reluctant or unable to do

Question 14

What are the disadvantages of technology in the production process?
(6)

Answer 14

1) Workers may be redundant when new technology is introduced, result in redundancy payments, adding to short-term costs

2) New, skilled workers may need to be recruited, high demand and the business may have to pay them big salaries

3) Workers may need training to work with new technology, adds to the business costs

4) Machines can break down and this will disrupt production

5) Expensive

6) Customers sometimes do not like technology as with automated telephone systems

Question 15

What is meant by the term division of labour?

Answer 15

This is where the whole production process is broken down into individual stages. Workers are then assigned just one stage each to complete

Question 16

What are the advantages of the division of labour?

Answer 16

1) Speeds up the entire process, reducing costs

2) It means that workers do not need to be highly skilled so reduces wage and training costs

Question 17

What are the disadvantages of the division of labour?

Answer 17

employee boredom, dissatisfaction and demotivation