Scale of Production

Scale of Production

1. One-off Production

   • 'Tailor-made' bespoke or customised solutions
   • It is a single, high-cost product that is manufactured to a clients specification
   • Often very high cost because a premium has to be paid for any unique features, more exclusive/ expensive and time consuming hand-crafted production and finishing.
   • Prototype and architectural models, shop signage, vinyl stickers for commercial vehicles
   • Advantages
     • Made to exact personal specifications
     • High-quality materials used
     • Highly skilled craftsperson ensures high quality product
   • Disadvantages
     • Expensive final product in comparison to larger scales of production
     • Generally labour intensive and can be a relatively time-consuming process

2. Batch Production

   • Involves the manufacture of identical products in specified, pre-determined 'batches', varying for 10 to 1000's
   • A key feature of Batch production is flexibility of tooling, machinery and workforce to enable fast turnaround, so production can be quickly adapted to manufacture a different product, depending on demand
   • Often makes use of flexible manufacturing systems (FMS) to enable companies to be competitive and efficient
   • The use of computer integrated manufacturing (CIM) systems involving automated machinery enables production 'downtime' to be kept to a minimum
   • Batch production results in a lower unit cost than one-off production
   • Economies of scale in materials buying enables cost savings and identical batches of consistently high-quality products are manufactured a competitive costs
   • Advantages
     • Flexibility in adapting production to another product
     • Fast response to market trends
     • Identical batches of products produced
     • Efficient manufacturing systems can be employed
     • Very good economies of scale in bulk buying of materials
     • Lower unit costs
   • Disadvantages
     • Poor production planning can result in large quantities of products having to be stored, incurring storage costs
     • Frequent changes in production can cause costly re-tooling, reflected in retail price
   • Commercially printed materials; magazines and newspapers
   • Batch Production in short-term print runs (e.g. full colour brochure)
     • Preparation: Pre-press
       • Colour separation of images into Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black (CMYK)
       • Production of 4 printer negatives for making printing plates
       • Plate-making machines produces four colour printing plates (CMYK)
       • Quality control of printing plates and colour proofs
     • Processing/ Production
       • Full-colour printing process, e.g. offset lithographic printing
       • Application of in-line surface finish, e.g. lamination, spot varnishing, etc
       • Quality control using printers' marks, i.e. colour bars and registration
     • Assembly
       • Trimming pages to correct size on guillotine using crop marks
       • Double pages folded down the spine
       • Pages collated and bound using saddle-wire stitching
       • Final quality-control check of finished product
     • Finishing
       • Collation of multiple brochures, packing into corrugated board boxes and sealing
       • Multiple boxes palletised and shrink-wrapped ready for distribution

3. Mass Production

   • Mass production (or high volume production) of most consumer products makes use of efficient automated manufacturing processes abd a largely low skilled workforce
   • The workforce is specialised and divided up in specific tasks with labour to match
   • Products designed to follow market trends, therefore the product must appeal to a wide national and international target market
   • Quality control helps the manufacture of identical products
   • Production costs are kept as low as possible so the product will provide value for money
   • Advantages
     • Highly automated and efficient manufacturing processes
     • Specialisation of workforce to specific tasks
     • Rigorous quality control ensures identical goods
     • Excellent economies of scale in bulk buying of materials
     • Increased production means that set-up costs are quickly recovered
     • Low unit costs
     • Reduced labour costs
   • Disadvantages
     • Low-skilled workforce - low wages, repetitive nature of tasks leading to job disatisfaction
     • Ethical concerns of manufacturing in developing countries i.e. sweat shops
     • High initial set-up costs due to very expensive machinery and tooling needs
     • Inflexible - cannot respond quickly to market trends
   • Electronic products; mobile phones, games consoles commercial packaging

4. Continuous Production

   • Continuous production is used to manufacture standardised mass-produced products that meet everyday mass-market demand
   • This type of production is highly automated and uses machines that can run continuously for long periods of time with breaks only for routine maintenance
   • Advantages
     • Extremely low unit costs
     • Runs continuously 24 hours, 7 days a week
     • Reduced labour costs
     • Increased production means that set-up costs are quickly recovered
     • Excellent economies of scale in bulk buying of materials
     • Rigorous quality control ensures identical goods
     • Specialisation of workforce to specific tasks
     • Highly automated and efficient manufacturing processes
   • Disadvantages
     • Very little flexibility at all as production set-up 24/7
     • Inflexible - cannot respond quickly to market trends
     • High initial set-up costs due to very expensive machinery and tooling needs
     • Ethical concerns of manufacturing in developing countries i.e. sweat shops
     • Low-skilled workforce - low wages, repetitive nature of tasks leading to job disatisfaction
   • Packaging; cans and bottles for the drinks industry