Chapter 7, Problem 1DQ

Summary Introduction

Interpretation: types of process.

Concept introduction: The four primary types of processes for producing goods and services are' '5" Projects, Job Shop Process, Flow Shop Process, and Continuous Flow Process.

Projects are process for producing unique products for a specific time and budget allotted. 

• The job Shop process is organized around general-purpose equipment which is used to produced customized parts for different customers.
• Flow shop processes are organized around a fixed sequence of activities and process steps to produce a limited variety of similar products.

Finally, the Continuous Flow process is about producing highly standardized products with very large batches and volumes. 

Explanation of Solution

A) iPads

 iPads are produced in large volumes and sold across the world. There are only a few variants of the product. The manufacturer presumably buys all the parts from the supplier and assembles it in its facility. Therefore, a fixed sequence of activities and process steps is followed. All these attributes suggest that the type of the process Is: Flow shop process.

B) Wedding

Wedding has fixed dates for start and completion and every wedding is a unique outcome due to the specific needs of the families involved. The entire event can be subdivided into smaller tasks or milestones which need to be coordinated and completed to realize the outcome within time and budget. All these attributes match with Project

C. Paper

The product is highly standardized. There are very few variants existing. The batch sized for producing a variant is huge and so is the volume of production. The process Is extremely standardized and generally not very adaptive to customization. Therefore, the type of continuous process

D. Tax preparation

The service requires a similar set of resources (Including human skills and competence). These resources are equivalent to the general-purpose equipment. However, the service is customized based on the individualized requirement of the clients. The appropriate process type is the job shop process.