Variations in Volume, Variety and Flexibility - Operations Function 

A classification which is of particular significance for the various issues considered in this course, relates to operations volume and system flexibility. Most manufacturing companies fall into one of the four categories:

1. Project 

2. Job shop 

3. Batch organisation 

4. Mass production (discrete products) or continuous (processes) 

Operating systems can be categorised according to: volume, product variety and flexibility. Flexibility means that the organisation could cope with changing demands of volume or variety or both (see figure).