This would add time and cost money – particularly from the amount of lost potential output. If a firm would want to change the goods output, it would require significant levels of alterations and complicate the process. In order to produce in such large quantities, the goods have to be the same.
Mass production is a very standardized process. Finally, the finished can is then moved onto a pallet or crate where it will be dispensed to its final location. This then moves onto another section which labs the can. The can would then be moved along onto another machine which would enclose the can. These are then put onto an assembly line which flows them along onto a hopper which would dispense the food. Second of all, the cans need to be supplied. For example, the canned foods go through a number of stages.įirst, the food needs to be manufactured. This means that as the product is made, it is moved on to the next station in good time. Mass production has to have a smooth production process. Each takes a time to master and by assigning one person for each job, they are able to produce a car at a far faster rate than one individual doing a car at a time. One may fix the window, another to fix the wheels, and another the steering. Motor vehicles are often produced by mass production and require hundreds of workers who each have a specific task. Yet some industries still require human labor – such as motor vehicle manufacturing. For example, canned soup requires one machine to make the soup, another to fill the can up, and another to close it. Mass production commonly uses machinery in its production process – each with a specific function. However, what are the characteristics of mass production? And how does it differ from other forms of production? Let us look at its characteristics below: Division of Labor Mass production has become a staple for businesses across the world today and is used in industries ranging from manufacturing to canned foods to gaming. In turn, this makes the product more affordable and therefore available to the masses. This was because mass production requires standardization in order to benefit from increases in efficiency. Henry Ford demonstrated this succinctly by stating that consumers could ‘have any color as long as it was black’. With the assembly line running at speeds never seen before, it had to standardize production. Whilst efficiency and output increased, there was one catch – adaptability. This was only achievable due to the vast efficiencies that mass production achieved. Ford identified this as an issue and rewarded his employees with wages that far exceeded the industry average. The issue with mass production was that it became a very repetitive and mundane, as employees were asked to do the same thing over and over again. Whilst mass production can be inflexible, it is the most efficient form of production.Henry Ford is commonly associated with mass production following his adoption of the assembly line.Mass production is where goods and manufactured in large quantities in a standard format.Instead of focusing on manufacturing the whole car – employees were more effectively deployed in specific asks.
By working together as a collective, rather than individuals, Ford was able to rapidly expand its productive output. As each individual only had one set and specific task, they became extremely proficient at it. One would fix on the doors, another would fix on the wheels, and another to fix on the windows. Through the use of the division of labor, Henry Ford set up an assembly line to produce the Ford Model T.Įach employee had a specific task. It was originally designed by Henry Ford in the late 1910s and 1920s, when he used it to manufacture his vehicles for the Ford Motor Company. Mass production involves making the same product over and over again according to the same specification. This type of production maintains a consistent quality of output, but comes at the cost of a lack of flexibility. It involves making products in large quantities so that businesses can provid them to the masses. Mass production is the continuous production of standardized products, usually along an assembly line. WRITTEN BY PAUL BOYCE | Updated 27 January 2022 What is Mass Production