the production process - methods of production Flashcards
what is job production?
involves firms producing items that meet the specific requirements of the customer
one off, unique items e.g. wedding dress
advantages of job production?
- meets customer needs
- higher quality
- motivational
- flexible
- adds value (can charge a premium price)
disadvantages of job production?
- difficult to benefit from economies of scale
- higher costs
- need skilled labour (have to pay them more)
- time consuming
what is batch production?
occurs when many similar items are produced together. Each batch goes through one stage then moves onto the next one
produced in batches, same product different features (e.g. size, colour)
advantages of batch production?
- reduces unit costs
- addresses customer needs
- faster than job production
- can benefit from economies of scale
- some flexibility
- specialist machinery and skills can increase output and productivity
disadvantages of batch production?
- time lost between switching batches (machinery needs to be reset)
- need to keep stocks of raw materials
- cash also investment in work-in-progress
- potentially demotivating for staff
- have to store the products, costs money
what is flow production?
involves a continuous movement of items through the production process. This means that when one task is finished the next task must start immediately. Therefore, the time taken on each task must be the same.
advantages of flow production?
- continuous
- economies of scale should lower the cost per unit of production
- standardised products
- division of labour and specialisation done in order to allocate labour into specific tasks, intended to increase productivity
disadvantages of flow production?
- difficult to alter production process (inflexible)
- boring and de-motivational for employees involved → decrease productivity
- high set up costs (machinery)
- machinery could break down
- stock holding
what is cell production?
workers are organised into multi-skilled teams. Each team is responsible for a particular part of the production process including quality assurance and health&safety
advantages of cell production?
- improve communication
- workers can become multi-skilled and more adaptable to future needs of the business
- greater motivation ☞ greater variety of work, team working and responsibility
- quality improvements as each cell has ownership for quality
- leads to improved efficiency
disadvantages of cell production?
- company coverage has to encourage trust and participation, or workers can feel they are being constantly pushed for more output with no respite
- company may have to invest in new raw materials handling and ordering systems suitable for cell production
- may not allow firm to use its machinery as intensively as in traditional flow production
characteristics of cell division
- very specific tasks
- members are skilled at a number of roles
- form of team working and helps worker commitment, as each are responsible for a complete unit of work
- cell owners have responsibility for covering holiday and sickness absences and for identifying recruitment and training needs
- deals with other cells as if they were customers, and takes responsibilities for quality in their area
what factors influence the choosing of the production process?
- finance
- business size
- type of product
- competition
- stakeholders/objectives
- cost of machinery/technology
- workforce
- customers
- practicality of change
what is division of labour?
the allocation of labour into specific tasks, intended to increase productivity
