Batch production is a means of production in which multiple numbers of each product are made at the same time, or in a batch. Think about making batches of cookies one tray at a time. Examples of products made with batch production are newspapers, bread, clothing, furniture, books and car parts. Even though this is a quick method of production, it does have some disadvantages.
Batch production jobs require that each person run the same piece of machinery over a long period of time. It has been speculated that this can be uninteresting for workers because the job is highly repetitive and may quickly become redundant. Due to the nature of this job, employees and companies alike could potentially run the risk of overall demotivation for everyone involved. This could lead to lack of attention being paid to the specific details of production and overall unhappiness within companies. From a business perspective, unmotivated workers could have an impact on efficiency.
Another disadvantage of batch production is the large amount of space required for the production equipment. Companies need lots of space to run batch productions of goods due to the large volume of equipment used to produce the batches of product. Because batch production systems are generally used in smaller places (newspaper buildings, small bakeries) the equipment necessary for production can sometimes fill up any available space in the area. Some batch production systems take up more room than others, depending on the size of the product being made.
The equipment used in batch production must be reset between batches to ensure correct production, which may prove to be time consuming. If there is a problem during the resetting of the machines, valuable time may be lost and production levels may fall behind schedule. For example, if a small bakery runs into mechanical trouble with its set of ovens while starting another batch of cookies, the bakery could lose money due to the inability to create the product. These timing schedules are so important in batch production, and they are sometimes threatened due to the fact that employees must reset each machine individually to produce the same exact number and quality of product each time.
Raw materials must be kept in larger abundance at each factory due to the quick rate of production that batch production makes possible. Individual companies must stockpile all the resources needed for their particular product in order to maintain proper production time and remain on schedule. Because there is a need for such a large amount of raw materials, it's possible to encounter a number of material shortages from outside suppliers, and this poses several potential problems for companies.
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