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Understanding process manufacturing starts with a discussion about Discrete Manufacturing

To understand process manufacturing, we must first discuss discrete manufacturing.  Discrete manufacturing involves assembling distinct components into finished products like smartphones, cars, electronics, furniture, etc.  It is a type of manufacturing process in which components are assembled to create individual finished goods.  

For example, a smartphone is made up of a variety of individual components -- the LCD screen, the motherboard, the battery, etc.  Each of these needs to be assembled separately before the end product can be compiled in the final assembly phase.

Another key tenet in discrete manufacturing is the sequence of assembly.  Depending on the the of workflow (job shop, batch production, mass production, etc.), products are usually assembled in many phases and in different, mostly sequential, workstations.  This makes keeping track of the production routings of the product lineup a key requirement for discrete manufacturers.  I once worked with an individual who had responsibility for maintaining the BOM [Bill of Materials] for the M1A Abrams battle tank.  The BOM had over 55,000 individual components and subassemblies.

Definition of Process Manufacturing

The mainstream definition of process manufacturing is a production method in which finished products are created by mixing together raw materials and ingredients.  This involves boiling, blending, combining, or otherwise joining the ingredients together in a "process" which outputs a volume of end-product, instead of individual units.  For the most part, therefore process manufacturing occurs in bulk quantities using a batch production workflow.

At Proteico Consulting, we believe in a third manufacturing type called “Disassembly.”  Since before recorded history, man has been eating things that Mother Earth provides.  There really is no food that doesn’t trace it origins to the earth.  The earth provides plants and we eat them.  We grow them and feed them to our livestock and in turn eat the livestock.  We are the only organism on the planet that significantly converts our food stuffs to a more digestible and healthier form by using complex preparation techniques.  We make food preparation and consumption a significant part of our societal norms.

The formation of today’s advanced western civilization and society is enabled by our ability to successfully manage the chain of events that originates with the growing of plants and animals in one area (farms) and culminates with the consumption of food in large quantities in another area (cities).  It was inevitable that the process manufacturing mantra would become the predominant label for food production.  It is the easiest, most convenient way to describe how food gets to the family table.  But well before we chop, grind, and season boneless skinless breast meat then combine it with flour and hot soybean oil to make those delicious chicken nuggets; there are the activities required to grow, harvest, and separate the desirable parts from the undesirable parts.

The old adage “Separate the wheat from the chaff” is metaphor that means to remove the good from the bad.  In the Bible, it was used as a reference to show God’s plan to separate those who believe in him from those who did not.  Matthew 3:12 reads: He is ready to separate the chaff from the wheat with his winnowing fork.  Then he will clean up the threshing area, gathering the wheat into his barn but burning the chaff with never-ending fire.”  This act of separating the desirable parts from the undesirable parts is by and large hidden from the consuming public.  It is ugly, and gruesome.  Particularly with regards to animal protein production.  Its other names include slaughter, but no-one likes that name.  It does not convey a positive tone.  That’s why “Disassembly” is suggested.  To mask the act of gruesome, unclean, and at times bloody acts behind a term originating from another form of manufacturing.

But unfortunately, even “Disassembly” doesn’t fully convey the complexities of the modern food production industry.  Those complexities originate in the act of “Separating the wheat from the chaff.”  For example, when “disassembling” a beef there are differences in desirability between the various parts of the animal.  When the hide is removed from the carcass the hair is not desirable and has no marketable value.  The leather itself can have a significant marketable value as a hand crafted leather coat or purse.  The same is true of the meat from the carcass.  A well aged New York strip is much more desirable [and ultimately brings a higher dollar value] than the beef liver or the hamburger meat.

The cruel trick that Mother Nature plays on the food industry is the variability in the plants and animals.   No two animals or plants are alike and the differences between can have a severe impact on performance.  One slip of the knife can turn $15 a pound filet mignon into $4 a pound hamburger meat.  Point being, craftsmanship during the disassembly process can significantly impact the profitability of the manufacturer.

As society changes the industry struggles to attract and retain employees technology will have to step up.  The first generation machines tasked with disassembling the plants and animals are struggling to deliver the same yield that a group of employees can.  That's costly and will continue to be the focus for future technological advances.

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