Week 1: Introduction

Question 1

What is the definition of manufacturing?

Answer 1

The process of converting raw materials into products using resources such as machinery and labour subject to regulations and policies

Question 2

What is the alternative definition of manufacturing?

Answer 2

Manufacturing is a value adding activity (i.e. manufacturing and providing services)

Question 3

What are the 3 manufacturing industries?

Answer 3

1. Primary - industries that exploit natural resources
2. Secondary - convert the output from primary industries into consumer and capital goods
3. Tertiary - provide services rather than tangible goods

Question 4

What are capital and consumer goods?

Answer 4

Consumer goods - purchased directly by consumers

Capital goods - purchased by other companies to produce consumer goods or provide services

Question 5

What are the 4 manufacturing processes and operations (activities that must be carried out to convert the raw material to the final product)?

Answer 5

1. Processing and assembly
2. Material handling
3. Inspection
4. Operations management

Question 6

What are the 4 operations management activities?

Answer 6

1. Strategy - understanding the aims of the company to allow for planning and monitoring
2. Design - determining the functionality, physical form, shape, and the processes that are used to realise the products
3. Planning and control - deciding what manufacturing resources should be doing at each moment in time
4. Improvement - continuous improvement

Question 7

What are the three types of production facilities?

Answer 7

Job Shop - low quantity
Batch production/cellular manufacturing - medium quantity
Mass production - large quantity

Question 8

What are the features of job shops (3)?

Answer 8

• Highly flexible production
• Multipurpose tools and machines
• Customised products

Question 9

What are the features of batch production (2)?

Answer 9

• Production in stages

- Variety of products from single line

Question 10

What are the features of mass production (2)?

Answer 10

• Inflexible

- Dedicated to standard product

Question 11

What are the characteristics that are used to evaluate processes (4)?

Answer 11

1. Cost - set up costs and running costs
2. Rate - the speed at which the process can operate
3. Quality - subjective and coupled with marketing or quantitative manufacturing metrics
4. Flexibility - range of products / single product machines