Operations Process

6 Chapter(s) 22 mins left in module

( 5 min ) Video(s)

VIEW TRANSCRIPT

Video 2 - Curated Content Video 1 - For every unit of raw material to turn into a finished product, it has to go through a process. A single type of process cannot give us all kinds of outputs. Hence, an organisation must choose the right operation process as per its requirement. The operations processes can be classified into 4 different kinds, based on product mix and process pattern. Job Shop Process- This process gives the flexibility of creating a variety of goods or services in significant quantity. Take an example of a hospital emergency room. Every patient is sent to the relevant specialist as per his/her condition. Now imagine if a heart attack patient is rushed to the emergency room that had a fixed line process. First he gets examined by a nurse, then he is sent to x-ray lab and then to a pathology for blood samples and then finally he meets a doctor. The patient would have probably taken a rebirth somewhere by then. Batch Process- In this process, goods of a kind get produced in small batches. Here, the level of customisation is lower than job shop but the quantity is larger. What’s the first word that comes to your mind when I say “batch”? Your College classmates, right? Well the best example of a batch process can be seen in your classrooms where a professor delivers his lecture in small batches. Assembly Line Process- As the name suggests, inputs move linearly and are assembled in a fixed order. Continuous Flow Processing – In this process the products are highly standardised and continuously move in a flow like electricity supply process. Assembly line is the most common type of process used in a manufacturing company. Here, the goods are relatively standardised and are produced in large quantities like automobiles..and babies.. What? You didn’t know babies are formed in an assembly line? Have a look.

CLOSE TRANSCRIPT

Disclaimer: Curated Content! This video is available for free here.

Description

Job Shop Process

In the job shop process, most of the products require a unique set of process steps. When an order arrives in the job shop, the raw material travels throughout the various areas in a particular sequence. Every product doesn't require every step or equipment. They often travel in a jumbled sequence and may return to the same machine for processing several times. Employees in a job shop are typically highly skilled craft employees who perform a particular job that require their expertise.

Example - Jewellery manufacturers make customised jewellery for their clients. Each bangle, ring, necklace is made in a unique process.

Batch Process

Processing of goods and services take place in small groups in a batch process. Each batch goes through one stage of the production before moving onto next stage.

An example of batch processing is the way credit card companies process billing. The customer does not receive a bill for each transaction credit card purchase but one monthly bill for all of that month’s purchases. The bill is created through batch processing, where all of the data are collected and held until the bill is processed as a batch at the end of the billing cycle.

Assembly Line Process

A production process that breaks the manufacture of a good into steps that are completed in a pre-defined sequence. Assembly lines have workers perform a specific task on the product as it continues along the production line rather than complete a series of tasks. This increases efficiency by maximizing the amount a worker could produce relative to the cost of labor.

Example - Various automobile components such as engine, battery, seats, etc. are manufactured individually in different plants (often by different companies) and are assembled together in an assembly line unit.

Flow Continuous Process

A continuous flow process is a method of manufacturing that aims to move a single unit in each step of a process, rather than treating units as batches for each step.

Example - Water processing and distribution process which is an ongoing process.

Key Takeaways

1. There are 4 different types of operations processes, which vary on the basis of volume of products processed at a time, ability to customize, cost, etc.

2. The Product-Process Matrix brings out what kind of process would be best suited given a certain set of conditions.

Commonly Asked Interview Questions

What are the different types of operations processes? Can you bring out the difference between the various types with some examples?

Up Next

In the next chapter, you will understand the different types of layouts in Operations.

Click to view course outline

DISCUSS