Importance of Innovation Strategies in Organizations

Modern Management Concepts

Becoming a Better You: A Guide to Self-Learning While Working Full-Time

General Business Articles

Concept of National Innovation Systems

International Business

Case Study: Henry Ford’s Contributions to Organizational Behavior and Leadership

Management Case Studies

De Bono’s Six Thinking Hats: A Creative and Critical Thinking Model

Human Resource Management

Job Production

Job production is characterized by the manufacture of one or few numbers of a single product designed and manufactured strictly to customer’s specifications, within, the given period and wit/tin the price fixed prior to tile contract. Some typical examples of industries engaged in jobbing production are: general repair shops; special purpose machine tool manufacturers; workshops to manufacture jigs and fixtures for other units; building contractors; tailoring shops manufacturing made-to-measure suite of clothes; manufacturers of ships, cranes, furnaces, turbo-generators, pressure vessels; and others manufacturing articles made to customers orders.

Characteristics of Job Production
  • Disproportionate manufacturing cycle time: A considerable amount of pre-planning and organization is necessary in such a venture.
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Abey Francis

Project Production

Project production is characterized by complex sets of activities that must be performed in a particular order within the given period and within the estimated expenditure. Where output of a project is a product, such products are generally characterized by immobility during transformation. Operations of such products are carried out in “fixed position assembly type of layout” which can be observed in production of ships, locomotive and aircraft, construction of roads, buildings, etc.

Characteristics of Project Production
  1. Definite beginning and definite end: Each project has a definite beginning and a definite end.
  2. “Fixed position” layout: Where the output of a project is a product, such products are generally characterized by immobility during transformation.
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Abey Francis

Continuous Manufacturing Systems

In continuous manufacturing systems the items are produced for the stocks and not for specific orders. Before planning manufacturing to stock, a sales forecast is made to estimate likely demand of the product and a master schedule is prepared to adjust the sales forecast according to past orders and level of inventory. Here the inputs are standardized and a standard set of processes and sequence of processes can be adopted. Due to this routing and scheduling for the whole process can be standardized.

After setting of master production schedule, a detailed planning is carried on. Basic manufacturing information and bills of material are recorded.… Read the rest

Abey Francis

Intermittent Manufacturing Systems

In Intermittent manufacturing systems, the goods are manufactured specially to fulfill orders made by customers rather than for stock. Here the flow of material is intermittent. Intermittent production systems are those where the production facilities are flexible enough to handle a wide variety of products and sizes. These can be used to manufacture those products where the basic nature of inputs changes with the change in the design of the product and the production process requires continuous adjustments. Considerable storage between operation is required, so that individual operations can be carried out independently for further utilization of men and machines. Examples of intermittent systems are: machine shops, hospitals, general office etc.… Read the rest

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Manufacturing systems and the factors influencing it’s choice

Production is a conversion function by which goods and services are produced. A typical production system comprises of three main components: Inputs, Transformation process and Output.

  • Inputs are men, materials, machines, instructions, drawings, and paper work and instructions.
  • The Transformation Process involves operations, mechanical or chemical, to Change/convert inputs into outputs. It also includes activities that assist conversion,
  • Output is goods and services (e.g. products, parts, paper work, served customers etc.)

The combination of operations and activities stated above employed to create goods and services are known as manufacturing system. A manufacturing system therefore may be looked upon as an independent group of sub-systems, each sub-system performing a distinct function.… Read the rest

Abey Francis

Introduction to Crtical Path Analysis

Critical Path Analysis

The OR techniques used for planning, scheduling and controlling the large and complex projects are often referred   to as Critical Path Analysis or Network Analysis. A network is a graphical diagram consisting of a certain configuration of arrows and nodes for showing the logical sequence of various tasks( or activities) to be performed to achieve project objectives. Network analysis is the quite useful for designing, planning, coordinating, controlling and decision- making so that the project could be economically completed in the minimum possible time with the limited available resources two most popular form of this technique now used in many scheduling situations are the Critical Path Method (CPM) and Program Evaluation and Review Technique.… Read the rest

Abey Francis