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Process Types: Project, Job Shop, Batch, Mass and Continuous

💼 Business By CampusDown Wiki Editorial Team Last updated
Quick answer: Processes range by volume and variety from project and job shop to batch, mass (line) and continuous; higher volume and standardisation push toward the continuous end.
Contents
  1. 1. Five types
  2. 2. Product-process matrix
  3. 3. Services and trends
  4. 4. References

Five types

  • Project: one-off, large customised outputs such as ships, bridges or films.
  • Job shop: low-volume, high-variety orders with general-purpose equipment and functional layout.
  • Batch: groups of identical items before changeover, e.g. bakeries, apparel, pharmaceuticals.
  • Mass (line): standard products on assembly lines, e.g. cars and appliances.
  • Continuous: uninterrupted flow of homogeneous output such as refining, paper and steel, with heavy automation.

Product-process matrix

Hayes and Wheelwright (1979) matched product life-cycle stages to process types; positions on the diagonal balance efficiency and flexibility, while off-diagonal positions risk high cost or rigidity.

Services are classed as professional services, service shops and mass services. Cells, flexible manufacturing systems and mass customisation seek variety with efficiency, alongside supply chain and quality management design.

References

  1. Hayes, R. H., & Wheelwright, S. C. (1979). Link manufacturing process and product life cycles. Harvard Business Review, 57(1), 133-140.
  2. Slack, N., Brandon-Jones, A., & Burgess, N. (2022). Operations Management (10th ed.). Pearson.
  3. Heizer, J., Render, B., & Munson, C. (2020). Operations Management: Sustainability and Supply Chain Management (13th ed.). Pearson.
  4. Pine, B. J. (1993). Mass Customization. Harvard Business School Press.

Reports and materials that use this theory (Korean)

There are no materials dedicated to this theory yet, but you can search related reports in the CampusDown library (Korean).

Find more reports · Search '생산공정 유형' on CampusDown →
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This article was last updated on October 15, 2026. It is based on widely recognized original works and textbooks; when citing it in a paper, please check the original sources listed in the references.