Process Types (Manufacturing and Service)

• Service Process Types - service shops

  1. Medium levels of volumes of customers

  2. Medium, or mixed, levels of customer contact

  3. Medium, or mixed, levels of customization

  4. Medium, or mixed, levels of staff discretion
• Manufacturing Process Types - Continuous Process

  1. Extremely high volumes and low variety: often single product

  2. Standard, repeat products (‘runners’)

  3. Highly capital-intensive and automated

  4. Few changeovers required

  5. Difficult and expensive to start and stop the process

  6. Continuous processes
• Manufacturing Process Types - Jobbing Process

  1. Volume: Low

  2. Very small quantities: ‘one-offs’, or only a few required

  3. High variety, low repetition

  4. Specially made. ‘Strangers’/people make every one customized

  5. Skill requirements are usually very broad

  6. Skilled jobber, or team, complete whole product
• Manufacturing Process Types - Batch Process


  1. Volume: High

  2. Higher volumes and lower variety than for jobbing

  3. Standard products, repeating demand. But can make specials

  4. Specialized, narrower skills

  5. Set-ups (changeovers) at each stage of production
• Service Process Types - mass services

  1. High levels of volumes of customers

  2. Low to medium levels of customer contact

  3. Low, or mixed, levels of customization

  4. Low, or mixed, levels of staff discretion
• Manufacturing Process Types - Project processes

  1. Volume of Product: Low

  2. One-off, complex, large scale, high work content ‘products’

  3. Variety: High

  4. Specially made, every one customized

  5. Defined start and finish: time, quality and cost objectives

  6. Many different skills have to be coordinated
• Manufacturing Process Types - Mass Process

  1. Higher volumes than batch

  2. Standard, repeat products (‘runners’)

  3. No set-ups, or almost instantaneous ones

  4. Low and/or narrow skills
• Service Process Types - Professional service


  1. High levels of customer (client) contact

  2. Clients spend a considerable time in the service process

  3. Contact staff are given high levels of discretion in servicing customers

  4. High levels of customization with service processes being highly adaptable

  5. People-based rather than equipment-based