Job, batch and flow production Edexcel International GCSE Business revision
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In plain words
A wedding dress is made once, for one bride. A bakery makes fifty white loaves, then fifty brown. A canning plant fills thousands of identical cans an hour without stopping. These are the three methods of production.
Which one a business uses depends on how many it has to make and how alike they must be.
4 things to know
- Job production: a single product is made to the customer's exact requirements. Quality is high and the work is varied, but it is slow, needs skilled labour and costs a lot for each item.
- Batch production: a group of identical products is made together, then production switches to a different batch. It gives some variety at a lower cost than job production, but machines have to be stopped and reset between batches.
- Flow production: large numbers of identical products are made continuously on a production line. The cost of each unit is low and output is high, but it is expensive to set up, inflexible, and a breakdown stops the whole line.
- The choice depends on the size of the market, whether customers want unique or standard products, and the money available.
Tips and tricks
- Decide by the product: one-off and personal is job, several versions in limited numbers is batch, huge numbers all the same is flow.
- Flow production gives low cost per unit only if demand is high enough to keep the line running.
It lands in your notebook with its questions as flashcards.
Job, batch and flow production: 5 questions and answers
These are the quiz’s questions. Do the quiz first, then come back here for the ones that got you.
A tailor makes a suit to fit one customer. This is
It is a single item made to order.
A bakery makes 200 rolls, then cleans the machines and makes 150 cakes. This is
Groups of identical items are made one after another.
Which is an advantage of flow production?
Costs are spread over a very large output.
Which is a disadvantage of job production?
Skilled labour and time make each item expensive.
Which is a disadvantage of flow production?
Every stage depends on the one before it.
Quiz
5 questions
Tap an answer and you’ll see straight away whether it’s right, and why.
Worksheet
3 questions, 8 marks. Write your answers on paper, then check them.
Job, batch and flow production
Edexcel International GCSE Business 4BS1 · 8 marks · papermunch.org
Name ______________________________ Date ______________
Define batch production.[2]
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A method in which a group of identical products is made together before production switches to a batch of a different product.
Explain two advantages of flow production for a soft drinks manufacturer.[3]
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Very large quantities are produced continuously, so the cost of each bottle is low. Machines do most of the work, so output is fast and the quality is consistent.
Explain why a business making handmade furniture to order uses job production.[3]
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Each piece is made to an individual customer's requirements, so no two are the same. Skilled workers make one item at a time, which gives high quality that customers will pay a high price for.
Answers: Job, batch and flow production
- 1. A method in which a group of identical products is made together before production switches to a batch of a different product.
- 2. Very large quantities are produced continuously, so the cost of each bottle is low. Machines do most of the work, so output is fast and the quality is consistent.
- 3. Each piece is made to an individual customer's requirements, so no two are the same. Skilled workers make one item at a time, which gives high quality that customers will pay a high price for.