Definition: The amount of output produced per unit of time. Increasing Productivity Increasing productivity is something that almost all machine developers hope for, but only the most well-designed systems can actually achieve it. They allow work to be done faster or more tasks are done at the same time. If you have ever researched the construction of the Notre Dame de Paris, then you will have learned that groundbreaking was in the year 1163 and completion was in the year 1345. That's almost 200 years! Nowadays, a building like that can be built in a few years, not a few centuries. Now, you may be asking yourself "why would it take so long, what was the difference back then?" To answer your question, the real difference was the machinery they used to build it. In the 12th century, buildings were built by hand and the people had only the assistance of basic machines such as ramps, various types of levers and some other primitive tools. They didn't have any trucks, no cranes and no bulldozers.
An image of the Notre Dame de Paris.
Mass Production
In the past, consumer goods were made only by hand. Things like soccer balls, bricks and plates used to be all hand-made, but now the majority of these things are made in a factory. The system used in factories to make these goods is called mass production. This is when each employee performs a small task as the items move on a conveyor belt; the employee then repeats this task to each and every item that passes by. This is a much more productive method because the amount of items per unit of time is much higher, therefore more of the item is made in a shorter amount of time and this brings the company more money. Goods that are made in this way are much cheaper than hand-made goods, such as high-quality furniture and instruments, because each item is made much faster and cheaper and are all identical in quality and size. Click below for a video on a different type of productivity and how you can be productive!
Increasing Productivity
Increasing productivity is something that almost all machine developers hope for, but only the most well-designed systems can actually achieve it. They allow work to be done faster or more tasks are done at the same time. If you have ever researched the construction of the Notre Dame de Paris, then you will have learned that groundbreaking was in the year 1163 and completion was in the year 1345. That's almost 200 years! Nowadays, a building like that can be built in a few years, not a few centuries. Now, you may be asking yourself "why would it take so long, what was the difference back then?" To answer your question, the real difference was the machinery they used to build it. In the 12th century, buildings were built by hand and the people had only the assistance of basic machines such as ramps, various types of levers and some other primitive tools. They didn't have any trucks, no cranes and no bulldozers.
Mass Production
In the past, consumer goods were made only by hand. Things like soccer balls, bricks and plates used to be all hand-made, but now the majority of these things are made in a factory. The system used in factories to make these goods is called mass production. This is when each employee performs a small task as the items move on a conveyor belt; the employee then repeats this task to each and every item that passes by. This is a much more productive method because the amount of items per unit of time is much higher, therefore more of the item is made in a shorter amount of time and this brings the company more money. Goods that are made in this way are much cheaper than hand-made goods, such as high-quality furniture and instruments, because each item is made much faster and cheaper and are all identical in quality and size.
Click below for a video on a different type of productivity and how you can be productive!