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Process SelectionProcess Selection

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Process and Process Selection

ProcessProcess:: Any set of activities performed by an organization that takes inputs and transforms them into outputs ideally of greater value to the organization than the original inputs.

Process selectionProcess selection refers to the strategic decision of selecting with which kind of production processes to have in the manufacturing plant.

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Process Selection

Three primary questions:

How much variety in products or services will the system need to handle?

What degree of equipment flexibility will be needed?

What is the expected volume of output?

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Types of Processes

Based on what they do Conversion process

Iron ore steel sheets, ingredients of toothpaste toothpaste

Fabrication process: changing raw materials into some specific form Sheet metal car fender, gold a crown for a tooth,

cloth clothes Assembly process

Assemble parts to components, put toothpaste tubes into a box, fasten a dental crown into someone’s mouth

Testing process For quality of products

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Process Types

A process flow structureprocess flow structure refers to how a factory organizes material flow using one or more of the process technologies.

Job shop

Batch shop

Assembly Line

Continuous Flow

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Job Shop

Job shop:Job shop: A process structure suited for low-volume production of a great variety of nonstandard products.

Each job may require a different set or sequence of processing steps

High flexibility of equipment (General-purpose equipment )

Skilled workers

Examples: commercial printing firms, copy center making a single copy of a student term paper, airplane manufacturers, machine tool shops, American Chopper

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Batch Shop

Batch shop:Batch shop: A process structure that produces a moderate variety of standard products at relatively low volumes. A somewhat standardized job shop

Employed when a business has a relatively stable line of products

The products are produced periodically in batches to reduce the impact of setup time on equipment

The equipment need NOT be as flexible as in a job shop

The skill level of workers need NOT to be as high as in a job shop

Examples:

Bakeries: make bread, cakes, cookies in batches;

Movie theatre: shows movies to groups (batches) of people;

Airlines: carry batches of people from airport to airport;

Other examples: production of beer, book, magazine, etc

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Assembly Line

Assembly line Assembly line (Repetitive processing):

A process structure designed to make discrete parts moving through a set of specially designed workstations at a controlled rate. High volume

Standardized products

Slight flexibility of equipment

Skill of workers is usually low

Examples: manual assembly of toys and appliances, automatic assembly of components on a printed circuit board, production line (automobiles, computers, etc.)

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Example: Production Line

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Continuous Flow

Continuous flow:Continuous flow: An often automated process structure that converts raw materials into finished product in one continuous process. Highly standardized products, no variety

Special-purpose equipment (no need for equipment flexibility)

Skill of workers is low

Examples: petroleum, steel, sugar, flour, and salt

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Example: Continuous Flow

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Product-Process Matrix

Choice of process flow structure is based on two main considerations: Variety—how much the product changes from

customer to customer;

Volume of demand.

Product-process matrix:Product-process matrix: Shows the relationship between process structures and product volume and variety characteristics.

As volume increases and the product line narrows, specialized equipment and standardized material flows become economically feasible. (see next slide)

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Product-Process Matrix

Volume

Variety

HighLow

High

Low

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