Scales of Production
The four scales of production: prototype, batch, mass and continuous, what each means, and how the right scale is chosen to match how many of a product are needed.
Justify the choices, the way you are assessed
Free interactive practice on the decisions the assessment actually asks you to justify.
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How many are you making?
Making one special chair is a very different job from making a million identical ones. The number needed decides how a product is made, and that is called the scale of production. There are four scales, from a single prototype to non-stop continuous production. This module covers all four and when each one is the right choice.
Production vocabulary
Learn these four scales before you study the choices.
Few or many
The scales split by how many items are made.
Match the scale to demand
A top answer picks the scale from how many are needed. A prototype tests one design, a batch suits a medium order like a run of stools, mass production suits high steady demand like flat-pack shelves, and continuous production suits constant huge demand like board being made day and night. The more you make, the lower the cost of each one, but the harder it is to change.
Match the scale
- prototype
- batch production
- mass production
- continuous production
- a single one-off item
- a set number made in a group
- very large numbers on a line
- production that never stops
Match the example
- a designer testing one new chair
- a run of two hundred stools
- flat-pack shelves for every store
- board made day and night
- a prototype
- batch production
- mass production
- continuous production
A single item
Which scale of production makes a single one-off item?
- A prototype.
- Batch production.
- Mass production.
- Continuous production.
About mass production
Select the TWO features of mass production.
- It makes very large numbers.
- The cost of each item is low.
- It makes just one item.
- It is the easiest to change.
Order by volume
Put the four scales in order by how many are made, fewest first.
- Prototype
- Batch
- Mass
- Continuous
Complete the facts
A single one-off item is a _____. A set number made together is _____ production. Very large numbers made on a line is _____ production. Production that runs non-stop is _____ production. Higher volumes make the cost per item _____.
Count a batch run
A workshop makes 5 batches of 20 stools each. Multiply 5 by 20 to find the total number of stools made. What is the answer?
Spot the high-volume scales
Tap the TWO scales used to make very large numbers.
- mass production
- continuous production
- making a single prototype
- a small batch
Choose the scale
Read each situation and choose the best scale of production.
- A designer has made a first model of a new chair to test the idea. Which scale is this?
- A shop orders two hundred matching stools for a one-time event. Which scale suits this?
- A mill makes board non-stop, day and night, in huge amounts. Which scale is this?
Explain the scales
Explain the four scales of production and how the right scale is chosen for a product.
- Describe a prototype and a batch, with an example of each
- Describe mass and continuous production, with an example of each
- Explain how the number needed decides the scale and the cost per item