INSTRUCTOR: Good afternoon once again. So we're going to be looking at the three production systems that businesses can choose. Sometimes, businesses will do a combination of all three of these, or they'll mix one or two together. But these are, in general, the three most popular production systems that exist. So what are these three systems? Here we go.

The first one is called the mass production system. It's also sometimes referred to as a continuous system, or it's a large scale. So if you think there's a mass of people, it means large, many people. So it's a continuous and big scale of producing things. The second type of production system is what we call the batch system. So things are made in batches. So let's look at example. Let's say you're baking a tray of all bran muffins, and then your next batch will be cappuccino muffins. So it's interrupted. It's a stop-start process.

The third one is called jobbing. It's about making a specific job. You're given an order to do a job. So it's stop, start again, and there's no real continuous system as there is in the mass production. So let's recap. We've got mass production system, batch production system, and jobbing. Now what we're going to do is we're going to look at the characteristics of each one of these, as well as the advantages and disadvantages.

So let's look at the characteristics of mass production. There's a constant demand for the product. And so, therefore, it needs to be produced in large quantities. So the products are made in large quantities, and they are identical or standardized. A mass production system often uses assembly lines or conveyor belts to transport the unfinished goods from one station to the next.

Specialized and single purpose machinery is used. So this means that machines use can only perform the task that it was designed for. There's a division of labor, which means that the production process is divided into different tasks, and each worker does one specific job. Workers are lower or semi-skilled and carry out repetitive tasks.

So if we look at some of the advantages of mass production, because large volumes are being produced, it's normally at a much faster production rate and a cheaper production cost. So items cost less per unit. There's more quality control and standardizing takes place a lot.

There's a high division of labor, so skilled operators specialize in using certain machines only. So optimal use of people and machines is key here. Less raw materials are needed to be kept on hand because, with the continuous production process, it is easy to predict when more raw materials will be needed.

Some disadvantages are that there's a large amount of start-up capital is needed to buy the very expensive machinery. If a machine breaks down, it's expensive to replace or fix. You only have a small variety of goods, although you're making a lot of them. It's a very inflexible process. So if one machine breaks down, this can bring the entire process to a standstill. And sometimes we talk about a bottleneck. Everything just stops, and it's at the top of a bottleneck. It's a repetitive process, which does cause boredom for workers.

So if we look at some examples of products that may be produced using the mass production, I always think of toothpastes because they come in the same size, it's the same flavor, and masses of them are produced, as well as HB pencils. These are also often used, and many need to be produced the whole time. Any types of cans or food-- it's a huge continuous process. And you can just imagine all the cans moving along a conveyor belt too.

Let's move on to the batch production. So a batch production system produces goods in batches of limited quantities. All the items in a batch are identical, but there are differences between each batch so, for example, furniture, magazines, books, cars, clothing, toys, biscuits. So what are the characteristics of batch production?

Batch production is used when there's a relatively small but constant demand for a product. Batches can be made according to customer requirements. Each batch travels along a specific route, which will depend on the type of product being made. Machines and tools are normally for general purpose or multipurpose use unlike the mass production, which was single purpose use.

Multipurpose machines can carry out a variety of tasks, and the same machine can be used on different settings. One batch of products must be completed before the next can be started. If we think of an example of a multipurpose machine, I can think of a sewing machine. It can do a zigzag stitch. It can do a straight stitch. It can be a short stitch. It can do a double stitch. So it can be used for stitching but in a lot of different ways

So let's think of some of the advantages. Similar products can be produced but in large quantities. The production process is flexible and can be adapted to the requirements of the buyer. Fewer delays that are due to machinery breakdowns because they're normally quick and easy to fix. The machinery is not as expensive as in mass production. Quantities can be changed quite easily. So if there's an order for 500 shirts, you could change it to 400 if you need it to. Batch production can make use of less skilled labor.

So let's look at the disadvantages. There is a higher cost per unit than with the mass production. With batch production, there's a need to keep a larger quantity of raw materials and semi-finished goods. The longer production process means that one batch must be completed before the next one must be started. Now remember, because we are keeping all these semi-finished goods on site, our stockpile costs increase. That means our storage costs increase.

So some examples of batch production would be shirts in different colors. It could be shirts in different sizes. Think of when you are in different houses at school, they each have a different name and a different color. So that would be an example of batch production. And for those who like lipstick, lipsticks are produced in batches because the colors are always different.

So now we are onto our third production system, and this is the one called jobbing. I don't know if you are like me, but I love watching the Cake Boss because he has these individual orders that come through. So they are very specific requirements that clients have. There are also those TV shows when the ladies go in to choose a wedding dress. Those are very specific and tailor made towards them.

So what are the characteristics of jobbing? So the job is done as a once off. It's not likely to be repeated again. It's specific towards a customer's specifications and requirements. There's a very high level of skill that's required in order to produce that product that they're looking for. So your workers need to be highly skilled or specialized.

The product is of excellent quality and costs a lot per unit because of it. General purpose or multipurpose machinery is needed in the production process. So, therefore. let's think of a food processor. It can do a number of different activities whilst making a cake.

So what are the advantages of jobbing? So as we said, firstly, workers are highly skilled. The product is of an excellent quality. The production is easy to control. And there is no waiting for one product to finish before the next one is started. You can do two jobs at the same time. Disadvantages. Because it's highly specialized skills that are needed, it's going to cost a lot more per unit.

So let's look at another example of jobbing. And that would be, let's say, for example, you commission a piece of artwork to be done, or you want your matric farewell dress to be made just for you. Or you have very large feet, and you need someone to specially make shoes for you. Those are all examples of jobbing.

And that is the end of the production systems-- mass, batch, and jobbing. I hope that you have learned something today. And while you are at home or you're in the shops, please look at different products and try and identify which production system you think would be best suited for that specific product. Have a good evening.