Methods of production and technology
| English | Chinese | Pinyin |
|---|---|---|
| production method | 生产方式 | shēng chǎn fāng shì |
| job production | 单件生产 | dān jiàn shēng chǎn |
| bespoke | 定制的 | dìng zhì de |
| batch production | 批量生产 | pī liàng shēng chǎn |
| flow production | 流水线生产 | liú shuǐ xiàn shēng chǎn |
| unit cost | 单位成本 | dān wèi chéng běn |
| automation | 自动化 | zì dòng huà |
| robotics | 机器人技术 | jī qì rén jì shù |
| investment | 投资 | tóu zī |
| standardised | 标准化的 | biāo zhǔn huà de |
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:
Job production makes one bespoke item at a time.
Continuous mass production on an assembly line is:
Flow production runs continuously, giving a low unit cost.
Producing groups of identical items, stage by stage, is ______ production.
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:
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 high-volume, standardised production better than bespoke work.
For one-offs, skilled labour is often 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