The basic fact is that in most cases, discrete units of a solid product cannot be handled in the same way as continuous quantities of liquid, gas or powder.
Time consumed in changeover is also considered waste, and it reduces the amount of resource capacity that is available to perform value-adding work.
[2] Reducing batch sizes can also increase handling time, risk and complexity in planning and controlling production.
If there is no change in part or product model, then this objective needs to be balanced against the additional handling time, and the work-centres that perform the process will typically have to be arranged in close proximity to one another in a flow-line.
The production planning and control is linked to a pull signal that is triggered from a customer order or consumption of finished goods stock.