Production Types: One-Off & Batch

• Production types vary based on product customization and the quantity needed.

One-Off Production

• This involves creating individual products or prototypes, often for larger-scale production later.
• It combines craft production techniques with machines.
• There is close interaction between the manufacturer and consumer to meet user needs and is highly customizable.
• Prototypes, specialist models, hand-crafted items, and specialist engineering/architecture fall under this category.
• It offers flexibility for designers and consumers.
• It allows testing of prototypes prior to continuous flow production.
• It can be expensive because tools and machinery costs are factored in the final price.
• It is time-consuming if craft manufacturing is involved.
• Products might not be designed for disassembly, lacking interchangeable parts.

Batch Production (Limited Production Run)

• This is manufacturing products in batches, which can be mechanized or automated.
• It is more cost-effective than one-off production.
• Products are customizable.
• It easily adapts to market demands or seasonal items.
• It provides more consumer choice, helping smaller or startup companies that cannot afford continuous flow production.
• It can lower initial capital because only a single production line is needed.
• Downtime exists between production runs for retooling.
• Product storage raises the cost per item.
• It is a production method where products are made in groups (batches), rather than continuously.
• Machinery is reused to make subsequent batches of goods.
• It is typically used for group orders rather than mass production.
• It is one of the three primary forms of manufacturing, along with job and flow.
• It offers flexibility by allowing customization to meet specific customer needs while maintaining higher productivity compared to a job-based system.
• Jigs and templates are used to reduce changeover time between batches; cycle time is the time between consecutive batches.
• Machinery can be reused for different batches with minor modifications (color, size, or shape).
• Customizations can occur at the group level to produce batches based on market demand.
• Smaller batches benefit from reduced time and efficient quality control.
• Its reusability and enhanced quality control make it more cost-efficient compared to continuous manufacturing.
• It lowers costs because a single production line can manufacture diverse products with slight modifications.
• Specialist machinery and skills can boost output and productivity. However, switching time between jobs and inventory can lead to inventory costs.
• Baking, meal preparation, making clothes etc are examples of where it is used.

Mass Production

• It's the production of large quantities of standardized products on production lines.
• This process needs large quantities of products and allows for high production rates per worker.
• Mass Customization uses CIM systems to tailor products to individual customer needs.
• Mass Customization uses the CIM system to manufacture products according to individual customer needs.
• Mass customization benefits from economy of scale for both single orders and large quantities.
• The relationship between the manufacturer and customer strengthens because individual requirements dominate.
• It achieves economies of scale with small orders and is highly customizable to customer needs/preferences.
• In mass production, assembly lines and automation are utilized to produce a high volume of similar products.
• It involves multiple assembly lines, where workers perform routine, specialized procedures.
• Differentiation, formalization, and specialization are used to keep manufacturing costs low by producing uniform products.
• Sophisticated technologies simplify manufacturing. The large-scale demand for mass-produced products, manufactured inexpensively with minimal workforce, is satisfied using precision machining equipment.
• High precision is possible if production is monitored and validated using established parameters.
• Mechanization reduces or eliminates redundant job roles, leading to low production costs.
• Automation allows for faster assembly of mass-produced items, boosting efficiency, competitiveness, and profitability through rapid distribution.
• Mass production is capital-intensive, requiring automated assembly lines, and large investments for setup/maintenance.
• Mass production systems require continuous upgrading and improvements to keep up with market innovations.
• There can be low employee morale and high employee turnover due to the repetitive nature of mass production.