M4E #5: Learn how Process Manufacturing is different from Discrete Manufacturing
Probably the typical image we have of a manufacturing process is a production line where products are periodically built. This is what is known as Discrete Manufacturing. However, there are also many other cases where goods are made by combining raw materials following a recipe or formulation. This is called Process Manufacturing.
Today’s video from Batchmaster, a company that creates ERP solutions, gives us a hint of all the differences between both types of manufacturing.
Time for Insights
In Process Manufacturing goods can be produced in two manners or a combination of both of them: in batches or continuous flow. In batch mode, a fixed set of goods is produced in each manufacturing sequence, waiting for it to end until the next set is produced. In continuous flow production raw materials are continuously processed, hence the name and why Process Manufacturing is sometimes also called Continuous Manufacturing. You can read a more detailed explanation in this article if you wish.
Traceability is more challenging in Continuous Manufacturing precisely due to the lack of batches. A problem or contamination introduced in the manufacturing flow may be quite difficult to trace exactly.
Do you think that the differences between both methods impacts data structures and algorithms that use them? How would you approach a data model for each case?