In order to answer this question, we have to first define what high-volume and low-variety production is. Generally speaking, high volume production is where the same product is being produced over and over again, with little variety in the products themselves. Low variety production typically means that a few different types of products are being made, but they all come from one process strategy (e.g., assembly line). In order to determine which process strategy best suits your needs as a producer you need to take into account how many units you can produce at once, as well as if there will be any changes in your product or process strategy down the road.
What process strategy best suits high-volume, low variety production?
A typical assembly line will be the most efficient for this purpose as it can produce hundreds or thousands of units in a single day. If your volume is lower and you don’t need to make changes down the road, then batch processing may work better – with one downside being that there could be longer lead times between orders. On the other hand, if you have an extremely large number of products coming from a few different processes (i.e., machining), then job sequencing might work well as long as any downtime while waiting on parts doesn’t affect your customers’ deadlines too much.
For those who are looking at changing their product type or process strategy after
r some time, it’s a good idea to look at the benefits and drawbacks of each strategy. For example, if you need to make changes down the road with your product line or process (i.e., machining), but don’t want significant lead times between orders as is true for batch processing, then job sequencing might be better suited – assuming that downtime waiting on parts isn’t an issue for your customers.
The advantages of volume-oriented production are manyfold: A typical assembly line can produce hundreds or thousands of units in a single day; there is always enough inventory available; waste may not be too high because it’s easier to predict how much material will meet demand when volumes are consistent; costs stay low because wages won’t be too high in a volume setting.
The drawbacks of this strategy are also many: Quality may suffer if components aren’t made consistently; production is constrained by the availability of resources, such as machine time or raw materials; waste tends to be higher because products can’t always run until they’re finished and at least one unit will have been complete for every part processed; long lead times between orders mean that customers must wait longer before receiving their product.
Processes based on batching were once used extensively in manufacturing settings but there’s some debate about whether it still makes sense today with so much emphasis placed on continuous flow operations. Batch processing does have some distinct advantages over job sequencing – namely, predictable lead times which means no waiting around for the next order to come in.
However, batching also has drawbacks which may make it inappropriate for some industries – primarily, the fact that production is constrained by the availability of resources like machine time or raw materials and because products can’t always run until they’re finished, waste tends to be higher too. One unit will have been complete for every part processed; so when a customer orders 100 units but there are only 50 parts available at any given moment, then half of those ordered product won’t actually get made before more material becomes available. Long lead times between orders mean that customers must wait longer before receiving their product.
Job sequencing solves these problems by taking advantage of idle space and unused capacity within an existing operation rather than significantly expanding plant capacity.
Process strategy refers to the way an organization plans and executes production by combining manufacturing methods, techniques, tools, equipment and resources within a process system that can be modified in response to customer needs or changes in technology or markets. In high-volume low variety production work cells are often used because they simplify job sequencing for assembly line operations. The use of machinery with robotics is also common as it provides flexibility and reduces cycle time which means less waiting around for materials like raw material inputs necessary before the machine begins operating again (Wikipedia).
In summary: one would choose Job Sequencing when producing high volumes of products where there’s not too much variation among them (i.e., few models), but where lead times between orders must still…
Conclusion paragraph:
The production process strategy you choose is going to depend on how many units you want to produce at once, and whether or not there will be any variety within the products themselves. If your company needs a high-volume producer with low variation in product types then an assembly line might work best for you. However if you are looking for more of a factory setting where each worker specializes in one type of task, then maybe it’s time to consider another option like batching or mass production. At this point we’ve covered what goes into both high volume and low variety productions but which does your business need? Give us a call today to find out!
