All manufacturing systems are made up of a series different processes. From the conceptual design stage, up to the final packaging of the item, each manufacturer goes through a series of steps so that a finished product can be created. These processes are usually unique to the specific type of manufacturer, but share the same procedural structure.
Understanding the procedural nature of manufacture is important when aiming to improve the efficiency of the system. As a system can only be improved if it is assessed by each step, so that any potential changes can be considered in advance.
For example, a manufacturing line may go through the same steps each time a report is generated, a new procedure is added, or a new product is manufactured. The good thing about these processes is that they can potentially be optimised so that the manufacturing system can function more effectively.