Which statement about batch production is true?

• A. It processes in stages and can handle multiple products with seamless setup.
• B. It requires no downtime between batch runs.
• C. It always achieves continuous, uninterrupted flow.
• D. It allows processing in stages but may incur downtime between batch runs.

Answer: (D)

Batch production runs work by moving a group of items through a series of stages, with each stage completing a portion of the process before the batch moves on. Because batches are often different products or require changes in setup, the equipment and lines must be adjusted, cleaned, or retooled between batches. That is why downtime between batch runs is common. The approach gives flexibility to produce different products without rebuilding the entire line, but it will not be a perfectly continuous, uninterrupted flow.

So the statement that best fits is that batch production processes in stages and may incur downtime between batch runs. It’s not true that there’s no downtime, nor that it always runs continuously, and the idea of seamless setup ignores the reality of changeovers between batches.