Batch size

Concept

The number of units made or moved together before the next step starts. Large batches cut changeovers but raise stock and lead time; small batches do the opposite.

Title graphic: Batch size (Concept)

Descrição

Batch size, in German Losgröße, is how many units are made or moved together before the next step can start. Each batch waits while the others in it are processed, so a larger batch means longer waiting for every unit and more work in progress.

Plants choose large batches mainly because changeovers are costly. The classic economic order quantity formula balances changeover cost against holding cost, but lean thinking asks a different question: how can changeover time be cut so that smaller batches become affordable? Smaller batches shorten lead time, show quality problems sooner and make the plant more flexible. The extreme is one-piece flow, where each unit moves on as soon as it is done.

Tipo	Concept
Também conhecido como	Lot size, Losgröße, Production batch, Transfer batch

Articles about Batch size (1)

Batch Size in Manufacturing: How Smaller Batches Cut Lead Time
2026-11-11 · Mirko Peters
Batch size in manufacturing decides how long parts wait. See why smaller batches cut lead time, what they cost and when short changeovers make them pay off.

Relationship map of Batch size: linked topics

Related to

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Glossário

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Especialistas e empresas para este tópico

Mirko Peters · Microsoft MVP

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Articles on this topic: 1

Maintained by Mirko Peters (Microsoft MVP) · Last updated: 2026-11-11