Unit 1: Operations management & product design
Production and Operations Management notes · PTU syllabus (BBAGE 301-18)
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Unit summary
Operations management designs and controls the processes that turn inputs into goods and services. This unit covers the concept and functions of operations management, the product design and development process, and process selection among project, job, batch, mass and process production.
After this unit you can
- Explain operations management and its functions
- Describe the product design and development process
- Compare project, job, batch, mass and process production systems
- Choose a suitable process for a given product
PTU syllabus topics
- Concept and functions of operations management
- product design and development process
- process selection — project
- job
- batch
- mass and process production systems
Project
One unique output
Building a bridge
Job
Very low, made to order
Custom furniture
Batch
Moderate, in lots
Bakery, medicines
Mass
High, standardised
Cars, mobile phones
Process (continuous)
Very high, non-stop flow
Oil refinery, cement
Topic 1
Concept and functions of operations management
Operations management is the design, operation and improvement of the systems that create and deliver a firm's products and services.
- 1Inputs
Materials, labour, machines, capital, information
- 2Transformation
Manufacturing or service process
- 3Outputs
Goods and services
- 4Feedback and control
Quality, cost and delivery checks
Functions: product design, process selection, facility location and layout, capacity planning, production planning and control, inventory management, quality management and maintenance. Objectives: right quality, right quantity, right time and right cost.
Topic 2
Product design and development
Good product design balances customer needs, function, cost, manufacturability and reliability.
- 1
Idea generation
- 2
Feasibility study
- 3
Preliminary design
- 4
Final design
Detailed specifications
- 5
Prototype and testing
- 6
Production and market launch
Concepts: standardisation (fewer variants, lower cost), modular design (interchangeable modules), design for manufacture and concurrent engineering (design and production teams work together).
Topic 3
Process selection
Project
One unique product, large and complex
Bridge, ship, building
Job (job shop)
Very low volume, high variety, made to order
Tailoring, custom furniture
Batch
Moderate volume in lots
Bakery, medicines, garments
Mass (line/repetitive)
High volume, standard products
Cars, mobile phones
Process (continuous)
Very high volume, non-stop flow
Oil refinery, cement, chemicals
Exam tip
Process choice depends on volume and variety: as volume rises and variety falls, move from project and job towards mass and continuous production (the product-process matrix).
Key terms
- Operations management
- Managing the transformation of inputs into outputs
- Transformation process
- Converting inputs into goods and services
- Standardisation
- Reducing product variety to lower costs
- Job production
- Low-volume, made-to-order production
- Continuous production
- Non-stop production of very high volumes
Quick revision
- Inputs → transformation → outputs, with feedback.
- Design: idea → feasibility → preliminary → final → prototype → launch.
- Project, job, batch, mass, process — rising volume, falling variety.
Important exam questions
Practice questions written to the PTU exam pattern for this unit's syllabus: short answers (Section A style) and long answers (Sections B and C style).
Short-answer questions
- Q1.Define operations management.
- Q2.List four functions of operations management.
- Q3.What is concurrent engineering?
- Q4.Differentiate between job and batch production.
- Q5.Give an example of continuous production.
Long-answer questions
- Q1.Explain the concept, objectives and functions of operations management.
- Q2.Explain the product design and development process.
- Q3.Compare the five types of production systems with examples.
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