a type of manufacturing process structure where small batches of a variety of custom products are made

A plant or shop floor given over to the manufacture of individual works orders, usually on a once-off basis. All work undertaken in the job shop is thus unique, or, at least, is individually undertaken. Many products in the job shop will have been specially designed and will thus have unique product routes. The length of time of manufacture in a job shop is typically days or weeks rather than hours. Repetitive or batch manufacture is not associated with work undertaken in the job shop.

Job shops typically have minimal raw materials and finished goods inventory. Materials are purchased and manufactured specifically for a customer order. Job shops are also make to order.

1) An organization in which similar equipment is organized by function. Each job follows a distinct routing through the shop. 2) A type of manufacturing process used to produce items to each customer's specifications. Production operations are designed to handle a wide range of product designs and are performed at fixed plant locations using general-purpose equipment. Syn: jobbing. See: intermittent production, project manufacturing.