Process Flow Analysis:

Product-Process Matrix
 Product - Process Matrix

What information do unit loads give us?

•Process with four tasks (A, B, C, A +B+C+D (20 min) Worker 1

D) each taking 5 minutes to
complete A +B+C+D (20 min) Worker 2

•One worker does all four tasks A +B+C+D (20 min) Worker 3

•4 workers working in parallel (The A +B+C+D (20 min) Worker 4

resource pool has four resources)

• Unit Load (for each worker) = 20 min

• Capacity rate for each worker = 3 units/hour
• Capacity rate for the resource pool = 12 units/hour
 Product - Process Matrix

What information do unit loads give us?

Now, suppose the work is redistributed among the four workers

as follows:

Task A (5 min) Task B (5 min) Task C (5 min) Task D (5 min)

Worker 1 Worker 2 Worker 3 Worker 4

• Unit Load (for each worker) = 5 min

• Capacity rate for each worker = 12 units/hour
• Capacity rate for the resource pool = 12 units/hour
 Product - Process Matrix

What information do unit loads give us?

Unit Load tells you something about how work is organized:

Small Unit Load High Unit Load

for Each for Each
Resource Resource
Labor Skills Low High
Equipment High Low
Specialization
Process Type Flow Shop Job Shop
 Product - Process Matrix

FLOW SHOP JOB SHOP

• High volume • Low volume
• Standardized product • Custom orders
• Compete on cost • Compete on servicing
• Fixed path specific needs
• Close coordination and • Independent work stations
interdependence of tasks • Resource flexibility
• Resource specialization o low utilization
• high utilization
 Product - Process Matrix

Other Process Types

Project: This is a process set up just once for a one-time

product.
Batch Flow: Production process dominated by larger
volumes of products sharing nearly identical routings, but it
allows more flexibility compared to flow shop and
continuous flow.
Continuous Flow: In this case we lose all flexibility: the
output of one activity becomes the input to the next
without the possibility of any interruption at all.
 Product - Process Matrix

The Product-Process Matrix

One-of-a-kind Low volume Medium volume High volume

(Unique) (many products) (several products) (standard products)

Project Construction Unit Variable Costs

Generally Too High
Commercial
Job shop
printer
Batch flow Apparel
production
Flow shop Low-volume
(worker-paced) auto assembly

Flow shop High-volume

(machine-paced) Utilization of auto assembly
Fixed Capital
Continuous Generally Too Low Oil refinery
Process