Flow production

Flow production

Flow production is defined as a production process that involves the division of a whole process into tasks that take a specified period. In the event of flow production, tasks flow continuously since the completion of a task leads to the beginning of another task.

Production methods explain how an organization organizes its production process. Generally, production methods are classified into four; flow, lean, batch, and cell production (AQA, Edexcel, OCR, IB, 2018).

Question 2: Disadvantages of Flow Production

The decision by BMW to switch from flow production might have been taken to the disadvantages associated with flow production. First, car production involves the operation of complex and heavy machines. The flow production method specifies that the process should be continuous, and thus the products are similar and standardized. Therefore, flow production does not allow for customized goods, yet most customers prefer customized to standard goods. Generally, the lack of flexibility in the flow production method might have appeared as a disadvantage to BMW. Secondly, the flow production methods do not allow for the involvement of employees in decision-making. Employees may frequently feel alienated, and their production levels may significantly go down. BMW was involved in massive production levels that required the employees to give maximum production, yet flow production might have prevented that goal. Generally, the impact of alienation of employees from decision-making might have appeared as a disadvantage to BMW hence the decision to shift to another production method.

Question 3: Characteristics of Cell Production

Cell production can be defined as a way of creating teamwork from flow production. Generally, cell production supports continuous production, although the tasks are divided into larger groups that are said to be self-contained. The idea behind cell production is to come up with teams that can incorporate decision-making within the production process. The characteristics of cell production are therefore founded on teamwork. First, job rotation is frequent in cell production since the teams are made up of people who are skilled in several roles. Also, the cells, which are referred to as cells, complete specified units of work. The decisions are made at the team level, and the employees do not feel alienated as in the flow production method. Ideally, employees are empowered to improve individual productivity. Besides, the productivity of the employees lies in the ability of a company to empower them.

Question 4: BMW Shifts to Cell Production

When BMW took over from Rover Group, the goal was to grow the company to a stable competitor. The production method was, however, failing the company owing to the various disadvantages associated with flow production. Employees often felt alienated as they were not involved in decision-making procedures. The decisions were made by the managers, and employees were required to adhere to the decisions. Production was significantly affected by the lack of teamwork owing to the nature of the production method. Therefore, BMW decided to shift to cell production, which offered more freedom to the employees in a bid to obtain maximum productivity. Also, customer needs were changing significantly, and a new production method was needed. Generally, the flexibility associated with cell productivity can be associated with the decision by BMW to shift to the cell production method. BMW has grown significantly since shifting to the new production method, with the production of cars growing several times in line with the growing demand.