5.2.1

Production Processes

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Business Operations

Business operations produce a business’ goods or services. To maximise profit, businesses need to operate so that they produce goods and services to meet a customers’ needs and wants. This means producing at the lowest possible cost for the quality that customers want. The 3 types of production you need to know are:

Job production

Job production

Items are made individually.

Flow production

Flow production

An assembly line produces standardised products.

Batch production

Batch production

Batch production is when items are made in groups.

Business Operations - Job Production

In job production, items are made individually. The second item is not started until the first item is finished.

Needs highly skilled labour

Needs highly skilled labour

Job production needs plenty of highly skilled workers (labour).
This means that it is often an expensive method of production because highly skilled workers tend to be paid more.

High quality or customised items

High quality or customised items

Job production is most appropriate for businesses that create high quality items and businesses that make customised products that meet a customer’s exact specification (design).

Niches

Niches

Job production is also good for smaller markets or niches (small sections of a market).
This is because job production is very individual and isn’t meant to cater to a huge amount of customers.
- Designer dresses, wedding cakes and handmade furniture are all examples of products built using job production.

1

Business Activity & Influences on Business

1.1

Business Objectives

1.1.1Business Aims 1.1.2Business Objectives 1.1.3Business Objectives Change Over Time 1.1.4End of Topic Test - Business Aims 1.1.5Diagnostic Misconceptions - Profit

1.2

Types of Organisations

1.2.1Sole Traders & Partnerships 1.2.2Limited Companies 1.2.3Limited Liability 1.2.4Unlimited vs Limited Liability 1.2.5Not For Profit & Franchises 1.2.6Multinational Companies 1.2.7End of Topic Test - Business Ownership 1.2.8Application Questions - Business Ownership 1.2.9Diagnostic Misconceptions - Company vs Business 1.2.10Diagnostic Misconceptions - Owners vs Shareholders

1.3

Classification of Businesses

1.4

Decisions on Location

1.5

Business & the International Economy

1.5.1Globalisation 1.5.2Exchange Rates

1.6

Government Objectives & Policy

1.6.1Government Objectives 1.6.2The Government & Business Activity 1.6.3Interest Rates 1.6.4Interest Rates - Calculations 1.6.5Diagnostic Misconceptions - Recessions

1.7

External Factors

1.7.1External Factors

1.8

What Makes a Business Successful?

1.8.1Measuring Success 1.8.2Reasons for Failure

2

People in Business

2.1

Internal & External Communication

2.1.1Communication

2.2

Recruitment & Selection Process

2.2.1Types of Employment 2.2.2Recruitment Stages 2.2.3Effective Recruitment 2.2.4Legal Controls Over Employment 2.2.5Diagnostic Misconceptions - Internal Recruitment

2.3

Training

2.4

Motivation & Rewards

2.4.1Motivation in the Workplace 2.4.2Financial & Non-Financial Methods 2.4.3End of Topic Test - The Workforce 2.4.4Application Questions - The Workforce 2.4.5Diagnostic Misconceptions - Money

2.5

Organisation Structures

2.5.1Organisational Structures 2.5.2Centralised vs. Decentralised Structures 2.5.3Tall & Flat Organisations 2.5.4Functional Areas Within a Business 2.5.5End of Topic Test - Org Structure

3

Business Finance

3.1

Sources of Finance

3.1.1Internal & External Sources of Finance 3.1.2Factors Affecting Sources of Finance

3.2

Cash Flow Forecasting

3.2.1Cash Flow 3.2.2Consequences of Cash Flow Problems 3.2.3Cash Flow - Calculations 3.2.4Solutions to Cash Flow Problems 3.2.5Diagnostic Misconceptions - Cash Flow

3.3

Cost & Break-Even Analysis

3.3.1Costs, Revenue & Profit 3.3.2Profit, Average Unit Cost & Interest 3.3.3Costs - Calculations 3.3.4Revenue - Calculations 3.3.5Break-Even Analysis 3.3.6Profit & Losses - Calculations 3.3.7End of Topic Test - Finance 3.3.8Grade 9 - Finance 3.3.9Diagnostic Misconceptions - Fixed Costs 3.3.10Diagnostic Misconceptions - Break-even

3.4

Financial Documents

3.4.1Financial Statements 3.4.2Income Statement 3.4.3Understanding Business Performance

3.5

Account Analysis

3.5.1Business Calculations 3.5.2Gross Profit - Calculations 3.5.3Net Profit - Calculations 3.5.4Business Calculations 2 3.5.5Business Calculations 3 3.5.6Liquidity

4

Marketing

4.1

Market Research

4.1.1Market Research 4.1.2Forms of Market Research

4.2

The Market

4.2.1Customer Needs 4.2.2Satisfying Customer Needs 4.2.3Market 4.2.4The Competitive Environment 4.2.5Market Segmentation 4.2.6Market Mapping - Price vs Quality 4.2.7End of Topic Test - Marketing 4.2.8Application Questions - Marketing 4.2.9Diagnostic Misconceptions - Competition

4.3

The Marketing Mix

5

Business Operations

5.1

Economies & Diseconomies of Scale

5.1.1Economies of Scale 5.1.2Diagnostic Misconceptions - Economies of Scale

5.2

Production

5.2.1Production Processes 5.2.2Flow and Batch Production 5.2.3Production Efficiency 5.2.4Technology & Production 5.2.5Diagnostic Misconceptions - JIT vs JIC

5.3

Factors of Production

5.3.1Factors of Production

5.4

Quality

5.4.1Importance of Quality 5.4.2Identifying Quality 5.4.3Total Quality Management 5.4.4End of Topic Test - Operational Decisions

Jump to other topics

1

Business Activity & Influences on Business

1.1

Business Objectives

1.1.1Business Aims 1.1.2Business Objectives 1.1.3Business Objectives Change Over Time 1.1.4End of Topic Test - Business Aims 1.1.5Diagnostic Misconceptions - Profit

1.2

Types of Organisations

1.2.1Sole Traders & Partnerships 1.2.2Limited Companies 1.2.3Limited Liability 1.2.4Unlimited vs Limited Liability 1.2.5Not For Profit & Franchises 1.2.6Multinational Companies 1.2.7End of Topic Test - Business Ownership 1.2.8Application Questions - Business Ownership 1.2.9Diagnostic Misconceptions - Company vs Business 1.2.10Diagnostic Misconceptions - Owners vs Shareholders

1.3

Classification of Businesses

1.4

Decisions on Location

1.5

Business & the International Economy

1.5.1Globalisation 1.5.2Exchange Rates

1.6

Government Objectives & Policy

1.6.1Government Objectives 1.6.2The Government & Business Activity 1.6.3Interest Rates 1.6.4Interest Rates - Calculations 1.6.5Diagnostic Misconceptions - Recessions

1.7

External Factors

1.7.1External Factors

1.8

What Makes a Business Successful?

1.8.1Measuring Success 1.8.2Reasons for Failure

2

People in Business

2.1

Internal & External Communication

2.1.1Communication

2.2

Recruitment & Selection Process

2.2.1Types of Employment 2.2.2Recruitment Stages 2.2.3Effective Recruitment 2.2.4Legal Controls Over Employment 2.2.5Diagnostic Misconceptions - Internal Recruitment

2.3

Training

2.4

Motivation & Rewards

2.4.1Motivation in the Workplace 2.4.2Financial & Non-Financial Methods 2.4.3End of Topic Test - The Workforce 2.4.4Application Questions - The Workforce 2.4.5Diagnostic Misconceptions - Money

2.5

Organisation Structures

2.5.1Organisational Structures 2.5.2Centralised vs. Decentralised Structures 2.5.3Tall & Flat Organisations 2.5.4Functional Areas Within a Business 2.5.5End of Topic Test - Org Structure

3

Business Finance

3.1

Sources of Finance

3.1.1Internal & External Sources of Finance 3.1.2Factors Affecting Sources of Finance

3.2

Cash Flow Forecasting

3.2.1Cash Flow 3.2.2Consequences of Cash Flow Problems 3.2.3Cash Flow - Calculations 3.2.4Solutions to Cash Flow Problems 3.2.5Diagnostic Misconceptions - Cash Flow

3.3

Cost & Break-Even Analysis

3.3.1Costs, Revenue & Profit 3.3.2Profit, Average Unit Cost & Interest 3.3.3Costs - Calculations 3.3.4Revenue - Calculations 3.3.5Break-Even Analysis 3.3.6Profit & Losses - Calculations 3.3.7End of Topic Test - Finance 3.3.8Grade 9 - Finance 3.3.9Diagnostic Misconceptions - Fixed Costs 3.3.10Diagnostic Misconceptions - Break-even

3.4

Financial Documents

3.4.1Financial Statements 3.4.2Income Statement 3.4.3Understanding Business Performance

3.5

Account Analysis

3.5.1Business Calculations 3.5.2Gross Profit - Calculations 3.5.3Net Profit - Calculations 3.5.4Business Calculations 2 3.5.5Business Calculations 3 3.5.6Liquidity

4

Marketing

4.1

Market Research

4.1.1Market Research 4.1.2Forms of Market Research

4.2

The Market

4.2.1Customer Needs 4.2.2Satisfying Customer Needs 4.2.3Market 4.2.4The Competitive Environment 4.2.5Market Segmentation 4.2.6Market Mapping - Price vs Quality 4.2.7End of Topic Test - Marketing 4.2.8Application Questions - Marketing 4.2.9Diagnostic Misconceptions - Competition

4.3

The Marketing Mix

5

Business Operations

5.1

Economies & Diseconomies of Scale

5.1.1Economies of Scale 5.1.2Diagnostic Misconceptions - Economies of Scale

5.2

Production

5.2.1Production Processes 5.2.2Flow and Batch Production 5.2.3Production Efficiency 5.2.4Technology & Production 5.2.5Diagnostic Misconceptions - JIT vs JIC

5.3

Factors of Production

5.3.1Factors of Production

5.4

Quality

5.4.1Importance of Quality 5.4.2Identifying Quality 5.4.3Total Quality Management 5.4.4End of Topic Test - Operational Decisions

Practice questions on Production Processes

Can you answer these? Test yourself with free interactive practice on Seneca — used by over 10 million students.

1
"An assembly line produces standardised products". Which type of production does this describe?Multiple choice
2
Which type of production is being used when items are produced individually?Multiple choice
3
Features of job production:True / false
4
Why is job production an expensive method of production?Multiple choice
5
Which of the following items is least likely to be made using job production?Multiple choice

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Diagnostic Misconceptions - Economies of Scale

Flow and Batch Production