Production systems

In the food business, in common with other industries, the production process can be viewed as a system with the following elements:

• The inputs include everything that goes into the system, most obviously the ingredients.
• The processes include weighing, mixing, shaping and forming of mixtures, cooking, cooling and packaging, with checks throughout the process. Some of these processes and the production line may be controlled by computers. This is called Computer-Aided Manufacturing (CAM) and it helps to maintain consistency.
• The output is the end-product complete with packaging, for example a packet of biscuits.
• The feedback loop can happen at a variety of stages of production line, when the control checks flag up the need for alteration and improvement in the inputs or processes.