STAGES OF PRODUCTION OF A PRODUCT AND ITS CHARACTERISTICS - ECONOMY - 2025

The stages of production of a product are the different phases in the manufacturing process that a product has. Many may think that production means just making a product, but it really is much more complicated than that.

Manufacturing a product takes many steps, from inception until the final product goes out to the buying public. It begins long before products enter an assembly line and ends long after they leave.

Source: pixabay.com

For a company truly committed to being lean, every stage and activity involved in the manufacturing cycle must be scrutinized, looking for opportunities to increase lean production.

Stages for routine production

This section indicates the different stages to produce a product on a routine basis.

-Product design

Creating the product design is one of the first things to consider in production. The design must establish the usefulness of the product for the end customer and this must not only be inherent in the product itself, but also in the packaging.

Attractive packaging can capture customer attention, curiosity, and interest in the product. When designing the product and its packaging, it must be considered that it has to be innovative, creative and contemporary.

-Supply of raw materials

The supply of raw materials depends on the type of product that is manufactured. In production, raw materials can be purchased from local sources or imported from other countries.

Local raw materials come mainly from nature, such as mines, plantations, farms, fisheries, and more.

Imported raw materials can be mainly purchased from other trading companies, such as chemicals, machinery and parts, electronic parts, and many others.

-Order process

Production has to do with demand for finished products and supply from manufacturers. One of the key stages in the production cycle is placing orders for the manufacture of a certain number of products.

The efficiency of this production cycle can easily be compromised without a streamlined ordering process that takes into account potential hardship factors, such as current amount of stock, sales volume, or future trends.

-Production scheduling

After the order is placed, production must be scheduled in a way that maximizes the company's manufacturing facilities.

Products manufactured within the stipulated period of time allow a company to meet the demand generated during the ordering process.

-Manufacturing processes

The processing of raw materials also depends on the type of product that is manufactured. There are three manufacturing processes that can be used depending on the nature of the product to be produced.

Analytical process

This process involves the disintegration of raw materials into smaller parts.

An example of an analytical process is the processing of different preserved foods, such as corned beef, hot dogs, and various others.

Synthetic process

This process involves the assembly of ready-to-use parts or the use of mixed ingredients.

An example is automobile manufacturing, where most parts are assembled.

Conditioning process

In this process, raw materials can be modified in shape so that they can be used for another purpose.

An example of this is the processing of marble, which is reshaped, smoothed, and changed from its original appearance to be used as tiles.

-Production and quality control

It ensures that a single product has the same quality as the rest that is manufactured. Having trained control workers at each stage of the production processes will ensure that products undergo quality control and meet company standards.

-Commercialization

It involves the distribution of finished products to consumers. Success in marketing depends on the quality of the products, the asking price, advertising, and several other factors.

-Transport

The final stage involves the efficient transportation of finished products to different physical and geographic locations, such as warehouses, distributors or retailers.

With customer expectations higher than ever, even the slightest delay in transferring product from the plant to the end user can be disastrous.

Order cancellations and late payments are just two outcomes that can undermine all efforts in production cycle efficiency.

Stages of production to create a product

In the other section, the production stages for the creation of a product for the first time are explained in detail, from its concept to its final development.

In this way, it is emphasized that production is not only what corresponds to serial manufacturing, but that there are previous stages of product development that are also part of production.

By breaking it down into 12 stages, you can see that it might be easier than you think to be able to turn a great idea into a final product.

Stage 1: Product concept

This is where the basic idea of ​​the product begins to develop. Think about what you want about the product, how it would be used, and who would use it. Sketches and initial concept notes are created.

Stage 2: Investigation

There are two important things to research at this stage: First, it is vital to research current markets and demands.

If the product helps solve a problem, are there many people looking for a solution to that problem? Can you visualize any voids that need to be filled?

Second, you need to know what is on the market that is similar to the product idea. If there is, it doesn't necessarily mean that the idea is not a success, but how will the product be improved over what is already available?

Stage 3: Product Design Development

At this stage you can begin to develop the product design. There are a number of things to consider here:

- Have a firm idea of ​​the function of the product.

- Is the product for one-time use or is it long-lasting?

- How reliable is the product?

- What will the manufacturing costs be, and will this leave a margin for profit without a price that can deter buyers?

- Think about the complexity of manufacturing, taking into account the number of pieces in each unit.

- What are the necessary materials for production? This point may require further investigation.

Stage 4: Research and development of the final design

These are the final adjustments to the sketches, including the dimensions and the selection of the materials, so that when you advance to stage 5 you have a detailed drawing to work with.

Designs must be developed to a high standard and include all vital details. If your product consists of multiple parts, try to keep them to a minimum to keep manufacturing costs low and speed up assembly.

Stage 5: Computer Aided Design (CAD)

With the 3D modeling software, a computerized model of the final product design will be obtained.

This model can help highlight any potential issues that were not apparent in the design of the product itself. This opportunity should be taken to go back to stage 4 and resolve any issues now.

Stage 6: Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM)

This is where a physical prototype of the product can be seen, using a computer-aided engineering system. A physical representation of the design is ideal for testing and development.

Stage 7: Prototype testing

Make sure the tests are thorough and critical. You shouldn't be afraid to be honest with yourself about any design flaws or issues, as you can only help the final product to be the best it can be.

Will the product work properly? If necessary, go back to step 3 and redevelop the design to solve the problems.

Stage 8: Manufacturing

If the prototype tests passed without revealing any issues that need to be worked on, it's time to build the product.

Some additional decisions may need to be made here, such as material selection, multiple components, and lot numbers.

Manufacturing costs depend on the complexity of the product. Think about what will keep costs down while maintaining the desired quality.

These factors must be considered to ensure that a healthy benefit will be obtained in the final product.

Stage 9: Assembly

Product assembly is vital - for example, if you use a glue that will decay quickly, not many products will sell. It is recommended that the product has the minimum number of joints.

Take costs into account, but remember that using ineffective materials can negatively affect potential sales.

Stage 10: Feedback and Testing

Now that the product has been manufactured and assembled, it can continue to be rigorously tested.

There are many ways to do this, from gathering focus groups to asking family and friends, making sure to take note of comments and allow free and honest criticism. This will help with any further product development.

Stage 11: Product development

Consider going back to product development if you need to make major improvements or address unforeseen problems.

Most manufacturing companies would have solved the obvious problems before reaching this stage, so at this point they would only be modifying the product or otherwise jumping to stage 12.

Stage 12: Final product

Now that the product has been successfully taken from concept to a polished end product, it's time to turn the spotlight on the marketing campaign and the practicality of getting it into the hands of customers.

The more you sell, the larger your manufacturing batches and the lower your manufacturing cost, which means a higher profit.

References

1. Raleigh Kung (2018). Three Stages of Production in Economics. Bizfluent. Taken from: bizfluent.com
2. Keith Reeves (2016). 12 Steps From Product Concept to Manufacturing. Business 2 Community. Taken from: business2community.com.
3. Knoji (2018). Basic Steps in Manufacturing Processes. Taken from: business-strategy-competition.knoji.com.
4. Rabid Office Monkey (2013). 12 Steps To Take You From Product Design To Manufacturing. Taken from: rabidofficemonkey.com.
5. Eric Hagopian (2016). 5 Stages To Improving Your Manufacturing Cycle Efficiency. Machine Metrics. Taken from: machinemetrics.com.