Process Design in Operations Management Flashcards
What are the five types of Manufacturing process types?
- Project
- Jobbing
- Batch
- Mass
- Continuous
What is the Project process type?
- Unique, complex, highly customised
- Well-defined start and finish
- Long time interval
- Coordination between different competences
- Resources organised especially for each project
e.g. EXPO in Dubai
What is the Jobbing process type?
- Very small quantities: ‘one-offs’, or only a few required
- Specially made, high variety, low repetition, ‘strangers’ = every one customised
- Skill requirements are usually very broad
- Skilled jobber, or team, complete whole product
e.g. suit fitting or custom woodwork
What is the Batch process type?
- Higher volumes and lower variety than for jobbing
- Standard products, repeating demand, but can make specials
- Specialised, narrower skills
- Set-ups (changeovers at each stage of production
e.g. bakery
What is the Mass (line) process type?
- Higher volumes than batch
- Standard, repeat products (‘runners’)
- Low and/or narrow skills
- No set-ups, or almost instantaneous ones
e.g. car manufacturer
What is the Continuous process type?
- Extremely high volumes and low variety: often single product
- Standard, repeat products (‘runners’
- Highly capital-intensive and automated
- Few changeovers required
- Difficult and expensive to start and stop the process
e.g. factory
What are the three service process types?
- Professional services
- Service shops
- Mass services
What are the four types of product process layouts?
- Fixed position layout
- Project & jobbing processes
- Professional services - Process layout
- Jobbing & batch processes
- Professional services & service shops - Cell layout
- Batch & Mass processes
- Service shops & Mass services - Product layout
- Mass & Continuous processes
- Mass services
What is a Fixed-position layout?
The transforming resources are moved to the transformed resource since they are often:
- too large to be moved
- too delicate to move
The product/ service is stationary, and the equipment, people, machinery etc. come to it.
e.g. an operating room or a plane being manufactured
What are the advantages of Fixed-position layout?
- Very high variety and mix flexibility
- Product/ customer not moved
- High variety of tasks for staff
What are the disadvantages of Fixed-position layout?
- Very high unit costs
- Scheduling space and activities can be difficult
- High variety of tasks
What is a Functional process layout?
Similar processes are located together and you meet demands from the transforming resources (processes)
Products or customers take different routes, according to needs, through groups of similar functional areas
e.g. A&E in hospital
What are the advantages of Functional process layout?
- High variety and mix flexibility
- Relatively robust in case of disruptions
- Easy to supervise
What are the disadvantages of Functional process layout?
- Low utilisation
- Often results in high levels of work in process/ queuing (in services)
- Complex flow
What is a product layout?
Transforming resources and arranged to fit product, information or customer, all products have the same flow through the operation, often called ‘line’
Products or customers flow along a prearranged route through a fixed series of activities
e.g. manufacturing/ factory line
