Methods of production and technology
Introduced| English | Meaning |
|---|---|
| production method/prəˈdʌkʃn ˈmeθəd/ | production method |
| job production/dʒɒb prəˈdʌkʃn/ | Making a single product or completing a specific order to a customer's requirements. |
| bespoke/bɪˈspəʊk/ | bespoke |
| batch production/bætʃ prəˈdʌkʃn/ | Making a set of identical products together before changing to another set. |
| flow production/fləʊ prəˈdʌkʃn/ | Continuous production in which products pass through a sequence of standardised stages. |
| unit cost/ˈjuːnɪt kɒst/ | unit cost |
| automation/ˌɔːtəˈmeɪʃn/ | Using technology to carry out tasks with reduced need for direct human control. |
| robotics/rəʊˈbɒtɪks/ | robotics |
| investment/ɪnˈvestmənt/ | Spending on assets intended to provide future returns or increase productive capacity. |
| standardised/ˈstændədaɪzd/ | standardised |
One-offs, batches or rivers of product
- A wedding cake, a run of 500 textbooks, and a non-stop river of bottled drinks are all "made" — but in completely different ways.
- The right production method 生产方式 depends on the product and the market.
Making a single, unique product to order is:
Difficulty 1/5 · 100 coins + a small bonus on first completion today
Job production makes one bespoke item at a time.
Continuous mass production on an assembly line is:
Difficulty 1/5 · 100 coins + a small bonus on first completion today
Flow production runs continuously, giving a low unit cost.
Producing groups of identical items, stage by stage, is ______ production.
Difficulty 1/5 · 100 coins + a small bonus on first completion today
Batch production sits between job and flow.
The main methods
- Job production 单件生产: one unique item at a time (a bespoke 定制的 suit, a bridge). High quality, high cost.
- Batch production 批量生产: groups of identical items in stages (bread, clothing ranges).
- Flow production 流水线生产: continuous mass production on a line (cars, drinks). Low unit cost 单位成本.
The three methods of production
Methods of production
Firms choose how to produce depending on the product and the order size.
Compared with job production, flow production usually has:
Difficulty 1/5 · 100 coins + a small bonus on first completion today
Flow production is cheap per unit but inflexible.
Trade-offs
- Job: flexible, high-skill, but slow and expensive per unit.
- Flow: cheap per unit and fast, but inflexible and capital-heavy.
- Batch sits in between.
A car assembly line: flow production of identical units, one stage after another
Automation suits bespoke, one-off production better than high-volume standardised work.
Difficulty 1/5 · 100 coins + a small bonus on first completion today
False. Automation pays off in high-volume, standardised production. For bespoke one-offs, skilled labour is usually cheaper and more flexible.
Technology in operations
- Automation 自动化 and robotics 机器人技术 raise output and consistency, and cut labour cost.
- But they need heavy investment 投资 and can reduce flexibility and jobs.
More automation isn't always better. It suits high-volume, standardised 标准化的 production. For bespoke or low-volume work, skilled labour (job production) is often cheaper and more flexible.
You've got it
- job (one-off), batch (groups), flow (continuous mass) production
- trade-off: job is flexible but costly; flow is cheap per unit but inflexible
- automation raises output and consistency but needs heavy investment
Write from a flow of 2000 units
- A line makes 2000 identical units a day.
- A workshop makes 3 custom units a day.
- Name each production method.
One line produces 2000 identical units a day. A workshop finishes 3 custom units a day. Which is flow production, and which is job production?
Continuous identical output is flow. One-off custom work is job.
What method produces the 2000 identical units a day?
Difficulty 1/5 · 100 coins + a small bonus on first completion today
Identical continuous output is flow.