Operations management

Table of Contents

1. Topic pack - Operations management - introduction
2. Operations Management (OM) - Introduction
3. 5.1 Production methods notes
   1. Production methods
   2. Job production
   3. Batch production
   4. Flow/mass production
   5. Halo Custom Guitars
   6. Summary of production methods
   7. Advantages and disadvantages of production methods
   8. Continuous production
   9. Cost structure of firms
   10. Cell production and teamwork
   11. Cell production - examples and illustrations
   12. Changing the production system
   13. Selecting the most appropriate method of production
   14. Combining methods of production
4. 5.1 Production methods - questions
5. 5.2 Costs and revenues - notes
6. 5.2 Costs and revenues - questions
7. 5.3 Break-even analysis - notes
8. 5.3 Break-even analysis - questions
9. 5.3 Break-even analysis - simulations and activities
10. 5.4 Quality assurance - notes
11. 5.4 Quality assurance - questions and activities
12. 5.5 Location - notes
13. Innovation - notes (HL only)
14. 5.6 Innovation - questions
15. 5.7 Production planning - notes
16. 5.7 Production planning - questions
17. 5.8 Project management - notes (HL only)
18. 5.8 Project management - questions (HL only)
19. Print View

Cell production - examples and illustrations

Modern car assembly - the modern assembly line

At first glance, a modern car assembly line looks similar to the old 'Henry Ford' production process. However, deeper examination will reveal significant differences. Although individual tasks are small and relatively simple, the production line is now made up of a series of consecutive work 'cells', which have:

• A team of workers
• A supervisory responsibility
• A quality responsibility
• A process/product quality improvement responsibility

The team, or cell, decides who does what within the team. It decides how jobs will be rotated to relieve boredom, or to ensure the relevant specialist is available for certain tasks. The cell works as a team, not a number of individuals.

Each cell will pass a 'product' onto the next cell in the line and is responsible for seeking improvements in processes and quality. Cells normally operate as quality circles, which we examine later in this topic. It is almost certain that just-in-time (JIT) manufacturing will be in place.

The purpose of using cells and JIT production is to combine the advantages of a tailor-made, individual car of high quality - produced by job production - with the benefit of mass production savings. When consumers go to a dealer and place an order, a personal code/reference number and production slot is allocated at the same time. In other words the vehicle is made-to-order, but not using job production. These changes mean that car prices, in real terms, have fallen and fallen, but quality has steadily improved.