what is production job lots

Production job lots (often called “job lots” in production) are batches of products that are manufactured together in a single run, usually to fill a specific order or a defined quantity, rather than being made continuously like mass production.

What is a production job lot?

A production job lot is a group of identical or very similar items produced as one batch on the same machines, using the same setup, for a particular customer or purpose.

Instead of making one unit at a time (pure job production) or an endless flow (mass production), the factory runs a limited batch, then stops or reconfigures for the next job.

Key ideas:

• One setup, many identical units made together.

• Defined quantity: e.g., 500 or 5 000 units, not an open‑ended stream.

• Often tied to a specific customer order or custom specification.

• Used when demand is moderate or products are customized enough that mass production is not efficient.

Simple example

Imagine a print shop that receives an order for 2 000 identical promotional posters for one event.
They load the design, set up the printer once, and run all 2 000 in one batch; that batch is a production job lot.

Other examples:

• A furniture factory making 100 custom-designed chairs for a hotel.
• An electronics plant producing 1 000 special-edition devices with unique branding.
• A metal workshop fabricating 50 custom machine parts to a client’s drawing.

Why do companies use job lots?

Production job lots are used to balance flexibility and efficiency:

• Reduce setup time per unit by doing many pieces in one run.
• Lower cost per unit compared with making the same item in tiny quantities.
• Still allow customization compared with rigid, high-volume mass production.

In short, “production job lots” means producing a specific quantity of items together as one batch, usually for a defined order, to save time and cost while still offering flexibility.