Scales Of Production

• What is one-off /bespoke production

  A unique product designed and manufactured individually

  Sometimes called "job production"
• Examples of one-off production products

  Chair for child with disability

  Personalised wedding cake
• Name some reasons as to why one-off production would be more expensive

  Individual client consultation and design work required

  More skilled workers

  Each process has to be set up individually

  More time consuming
• What is batch productioon

  Manufacture process carried simultaneously on a number of products 
• What are some examples of batch production products

  Pottery

  Jet engines
• What things would help with the accuracy of batch production

  Jigs

  Fixtures

  CNC machines
• What is meant by the term "division of labour"


  Dividing up tasks needed in order to mass produce in large quantities, using a sequence of stages 
• What are some examples of products that can be mass produced

  Cars

  TVs

  Bicycles

  Self assembly furniture
• What is a unit production system used for

  Used in the manufacture of textile products

  Principle of using an overhead transporter system
• What are some benefits of using unit production system (UPS)


  Often/can be computer controlled

  Reduces number of handling operations

  Improves the quality of products 
• What is one condition of using UPS (Unit Production System)

  Requires very careful organisation and synchronisation to ensure efficiency
• What is Quick Response Manufacturing(QRM)

  A strategy for drastically reducing time between a product being a concept and being completed 
• What is vertical in house production 

  When the supply chain of a company is owned by that company
• What does having a vertical in-house production mean

  It minimises the need for external suppliers and organise their factories to include facilities required to manufacture what is required
• What are the advantages of having vertical in-house production

  Less susceptibility to suppliers going out of business

  Less risk of unexpected price increase

  Protection of brand

  Improved security of intellectual property rights

  Easier to implement quality assurance strategies
• What are some of the disadvantages of having vertical in-house production

  Reduction in specialism(dilution of expertise)

  Increase in administration

  Reduction in flexibility
• How is the type of production used reflected in the price of a product

  One-off is bespoke(made for a particular user) and often requires high proportion of manual labour and skill

  Bulk production allows for the use of automated manufacturing techniques meaning materials can be bought in bulk making their unit prices cheaper