Process vs Operation in Manufacturing

Ever wondered about the difference between a manufacturing process and an operation? This article explains the subtle differences clearly. We'll use gel pen manufacturing as a practical example. The manufacturing process has been outlined in the below image:

What is a Manufacturing Process?

A manufacturing process is the complete journey of turning raw materials into a finished product. It's the big picture. Think of it as a series of interconnected steps. Each step contributes to the final product. In gel pen manufacturing, the process starts with plastic granules and ink. It ends with a ready-to-use pen.

What is a Manufacturing Operation?

A manufacturing operation is a specific stage within a process. It's a focused action with a clear purpose. It uses specific tools and settings to transform inputs into outputs. In gel pen making, "cap moulding" is an operation. It takes plastic granules and turns them into pen caps.

Difference between process and operation

	Manufacturing Process	Manufacturing Operation
Definition	A sequence of interconnected operations transforming raw materials into a finished product.	A distinct stage in a manufacturing process that transforms inputs into outputs using specific resources and parameters.
Scope	Broad; the entire production journey.	Narrow; a specific step within the process.
Focus	The overall flow and transformation into the final product.	Transforming specific inputs into specific outputs.
Objective	Producing the complete product (e.g., a gel pen).	Achieving a specific transformation (e.g., molding a pen cap, assembling the refill).
Inputs	Raw materials (plastic, ink, tips).	Specific materials/components (e.g., plastic granules).
Outputs	Finished product (gel pen).	Transformed components (e.g., pen cap).
Example (Gel Pen)	Gel Pen Manufacturing Process	Cap Molding Operation, Refill Assembly Operation
Related to Diagram	All connected boxes.	Each individual box.
Level of Detail	High-level overview.	Detailed step within the process.

Example illustrating the difference between process and operation

Our diagram shows the gel pen manufacturing process. Each box represents a key operation. These include:

Cap Molding: Creating the pen cap.
Body Molding: Creating the pen body.
Refill extrussion: Creating the refill barrel.
Refill Assembly: Assembling the refill using output of refill extrusion as an input.

These operations are interconnected. The output material of one operation becomes the input for the next. This flow creates the complete manufacturing process.

What about Mechanisms and Activities?

Within each operation are smaller actions called mechanisms. For example, within "cap moulding," you have injecting plastic, cooling the mould, and ejecting the cap. These are the steps within the operation.

Activities are supporting tasks. Loading plastic into the moulding machine is an activity. It's necessary but not the core transformation itself.