Working at Scale: Which Production Method is Right for Your Business?

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When we talk about manufacturing, there are a variety of methods of production exist in the world. Each method presents numerous advantages to the business depending upon the type of product and size of a market. Every business runs in in a different way, therefore it is imperative to find out distinctiveness between numerous methods of production to make sure that you are going for the most suitable and have the most favorable cost versus benefit analysis solution.


Another point to ponder over is that it is important to understand that where one production type perhaps does well today, but possibly it will not be that good in coming days. Champion manufacturers realize that the requirement of being flexible. With how their working processes are defined, as well as how effortlessly their Information Technology (IT) department can adjust to probable changes in the future.

ONE TIME or BULK PRODUCTION

Most of the times, new manufacturers start off their production process with one-off manufacturing. Because one-off production is generally based on labor-intensive technique as the product which is being under process would be untested and one of its own kind.

Labor intensive means products are made with the help of hands and machinery are of little to no use. Every unit is produced before the next one is started to be manufactured. Majority of the manufacturers will utilize the product as a test case just to make sure that the product is good enough to be produced for larger production, for example, tshirts manufacturers.

Moreover, there are firms where every unit is different and thus should be pursued to be produced in the same way. For instance, ‘Airblast AFC’ which is a blast and paint manufacturer, makes customized blast rooms based on the wish of separate client’s requests. It means that each room must be built in a different way. This process type is also perfect for customized items like wedding cake figurines and like designer clothes for celebrities.

Strategies like digital manufacturing give new methods to make betterment within the testing stage. Complex modeling abilities of these sorts of production can simulate metal properties, how well different chunks will fit in together. Also what type of processes are used by the workers to finish the whole production activity. Where this sort of manufacturing can be important for cost reducing purposes for the large production process, it can also become a valuable addition for dedicated one-off articles if waste can be minimized to zero and very less amount of materials are used.

PRODUCTION IN BATCHES

Batch production enables a manufacturer to produce more goods in the same amount of time. This production method is quite helpful for medium-sized enterprises as it requires a minimal amount of outlay or capital. This certainly reveals that if a batch is not up to the mark, then the producer can stop the whole production process without being worried about accepting heavy losses. This production type also opens an avenue for the manufacturer to make a bulk quantity of goods with various variants.

For instance, a production cycle can be initiated to produce a batch of 2000 for a clothing manufacturers USA, to make 2,000 blue t-shirts and 2,000 black t-shirts with slight reconfiguration in the machine. But the drawback attached with this production process is that after each batch process, the process is halted and reconfigured for the next batch.

PRODUCTION INFLOW

Flow production also called mass production counters the problem of downtime or halt time, which is a huge problem in batch production. But, this method of production is cost favored only when manufacturing a large amount of similar or identical articles.

This concept of production is used to produce numerous types of goods, from fluid type products to particulates, handled in bulk quantity (just like fuel, chemicals, mined minerals or food) to small solid goods to assemblies of such parts (like household products or automobile parts).

Quality of automation is a hallmark of flow production, needs only a few numbers of workers to supervise the production process. Manufacturing bulk quantities of a good suggestion that cost per unit of any article will be reduced exponentially. Since this process type is mostly automated, it is almost impossible to introduce changes once the machine is set up for production. Consequently, this product type is only advisable for rigorously trialed and tested products. There is also one of the biggest challenges of threats to producers in today’s world; how a producer set up quickly for high flow production while still making itself able to respond speedily to change? The only answer to this threat is to how well equipped the systems are to counter the threat mentioned above.

A most common instance of this sort of situation is that of “Ford Model T” which was made very cost effective just because of mass production. However, Ford had not been able to ever-changing variety in consumers’ demands, which reveals that they subsequently lost their market share to “General Motors” who were more receptive to the customers’ changes.

CONCLUSION
Each of the above-discussed production processes has its own benefits and drawbacks. Opting out the correct form of the production process can make any manufacturer a successful company or unsuccessful business entity. Flow production entices or lures certain businesses because of their savings. But, if the given market is not big enough to cater a variety of customers’ needs or conversely, a manufacturer is not responsive to market situations and demands, then the end result would be a compilation of huge stocks and danger of making obsolete products would be increasing day by day.

Similarly, one can think of being on the safe side and opt to make small batches of a product and consequently increase per unit retail selling price significantly just to make up his cost of production, then it would not be cost effective for a given market. In these scenarios, the best way to select the best manufacturing option is to investigate each production process thoroughly according to a particular product or business (e.g t-shirts manufacturers or clothing manufacturers the USA).

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