Job, batch and flow are three ways of organising production. Job makes one item at a time to a customer’s order, batch makes a group of identical items before switching to the next group, and flow produces one standard product continuously. A case question usually describes a firm and asks you to name the method, explain why it fits or compare it with another.
This skill sits at the start of operations and productivity, and it feeds into the later lessons on productivity and bottlenecks.
How do you tell the three methods apart?
Ask two questions of the case. How many different products does the firm make, and how many of each? The answers point to the method.
| Method | Output | Products | Typical features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Job | One item, made to order | Each one different | Skilled workers, flexible tools, a higher price per item, a longer wait |
| Batch | A group of identical items | A range of similar products | Equipment reset between batches, some stock held, moderate cost per item |
| Flow | A continuous stream | One standard product | Specialised machinery, low cost per item, costly to set up, hard to change |
A fourth question helps when two methods look possible: is demand steady? Flow only works if the firm can sell what the line produces day after day.
Worked example
Keropok Pantai Sdn Bhd in Kuala Terengganu makes fish crackers in four flavours. Each batch is 300 packs and takes 90 minutes to make. Between batches the machine is cleaned for 30 minutes so the flavours do not mix.
The factory runs one 8-hour shift, which is 480 minutes.
Step 1, name the method. The firm makes a range of similar products in groups, with a reset between groups. This is batch production.
Step 2, work out the time for one of each flavour. Four batches take 4 × 90 = 360 minutes. There are 3 cleaning breaks between 4 batches, so 3 × 30 = 90 minutes. The total is 360 + 90 = 450 minutes, or 7 hours 30 minutes.
Step 3, check against the shift. 450 is less than 480, so one batch of each flavour fits in a shift with 30 minutes spare. This gives 4 × 300 = 1,200 packs.
Step 4, explain the fit. Batch production suits the firm because customers want four flavours, none in large enough quantities to justify a dedicated line each. The drawback is the 90 minutes of cleaning, when no packs are made.
The mistake to watch for
A common slip is to choose flow because “it makes a lot of packs”.
Mistaken answer: “Keropok Pantai makes 1,200 packs a day, so it uses flow production because the quantity is large.”
Quantity alone does not decide the method. The firm makes four different flavours and stops to clean, which is the mark of batch production.
The correction is to look at the variety and the stops. If a firm makes one standard product continuously with no changeover, it is flow.
If it makes several versions in separate groups, it is batch. If every item is different and made to order, it is job.
Check yourself
Try these on paper, then open each answer.
1. Name the method: a tailor in Kuching makes one kebaya to a customer’s measurements, using her choice of cloth.
Show answer
Job production. One item, made to order, different for each customer.
2. A cookie bakery makes three flavours. Each batch takes 80 minutes, and the ovens are cleaned for 20 minutes between batches. How long does one batch of each flavour take in total?
Show answer
Three batches take 3 × 80 = 240 minutes. There are 2 cleaning breaks between 3 batches, so 2 × 20 = 40 minutes. Total: 240 + 40 = 280 minutes, which is 4 hours 40 minutes.
3. A water-bottling plant fills one size of mineral water bottle all day, every day, with demand from supermarkets steady throughout the year. Which method fits, and give one benefit for the firm?
Show answer
Flow production. One standard product with steady demand. A benefit: the cost per bottle is low, because the specialised line runs continuously and the setup cost is spread over very large output.
Where this leads next
With the methods clear, move on to calculating productivity from supplied data to measure how well a firm uses its workers, then test the whole topic with the operations practice set. The ratios tool helps when you want to check a division quickly.
Some students know every definition yet lose marks because the justification stays generic. That is where a teacher in online one-to-one Business tuition can read your answers line by line and show where the case detail should go.