Explain one disadvantage of batch production for ABC.

• A. Higher capital costs
• B. Downtime between stages and lower efficiency
• C. Inflexibility to product changes
• D. Instant production across all products

Answer: (B)

Batch production runs items in groups and must be reset between each batch. That changeover and setup take time, so equipment and workers sit idle during transitions. This downtime between stages means throughput isn’t continuous, which lowers overall efficiency compared with a system that runs almost non-stop. The need to pause for changes, checks, and reconfiguration is the typical drawback of batch systems, even though they offer flexibility to switch between products. The other options describe conditions that aren’t inherent disadvantages of batch production: capital costs aren’t necessarily higher, batch systems are often more flexible to product changes, and production isn’t instant across all products but occurs in discrete batches.