to buy a house Since it is the work of fallible human beings that is being discussed here, something may go wrong. So that the whole works will not be delayed for lack of a single part, a Progress Section is set up to ensure that the instructions reach the people in time, that any mistakes are rectified, losses during manufacture are made good, and that disasters are anticipated and avoided whenever possible. The orderly flow of production is thus seen to depend on four functions : Programming, in which the amount of output per period is agreed by all concerned; Scheduling, in which the relative timetables of the various producing sections are established; Ordering, in which executive instructions are given to make and assemble specific quantities of parts; and Progressing, to make sure that everything is pceeding in accordance with the overall plan. ihis account of production management has so far covered the answers to the questions all production managers must answer How many to make? what sort? and when? The actual details of the processes required to make and assemble the products, and the detailed specification of every part in terms of finish, machine limits etc., are laid down by departments which are not so immediately concerned with keeping to the production calendar. The design department evolves a new design, or modification of an existing product, after consultation with the commercial department, which has established the need and the market for the particular item. The complexity of the product decides the number of stages of development through which it must go before the final stage is reached, but the ultimate product of the design department must in every case be a complete specification of the product and its performance, including a list of every part needed to make it. In the engineering world, this is usually provided by drawings of details and subassemblies, parts lists, and performance specifications. ."if With this data, the production departments take over, and decide in detail how each part is to be made. This includes laying down what machine does which operation, what tools, machine speeds, and feeds, and grades of labour should be used, and at what stages the parts should be assembled together. This is generally called Process Planning, and when orders are issued to the works as described above they will take the form of instructions to the operators to follow the processes laid down. To ensure that these instructions are followed it is usual to have a force of inspectors following the product at each stage, and ensuring that it complies with its specification. The preceding paragraphs have set out the problems involved in the management of production of a batchpro duction engineering works, but similar functions can be recognized in almost every kind of manufacturing or processing industry. For example, in chemical manufacture the first thing that must be established about a plant is its throughput capacity of processed product. homemoney to purchasehow