Unit 4: Production

In this lesson you are going to:

 Discuss the process of industrial production

 Consider the global impact of international supply chains.

Vocabulary
Industrial production

1. Match up the half-sentences below which define some basic terms.

Then, translate them into Spanish.

1. Inventory or stock is a a. and other facilities used in the

company reserves. production process.
2. A component is any of the b. arising from large-scale
pieces or parts production.
3. Capacity is the (maximum) c. from other companies rather
rate of output than manufacturing them.
4. Plant is a collective word for all d. involved in producing and
the buildings, machines, delivering goods or a service.
equipment.
5. Location means the e. of a factory or other facility.
geographical situation
6. A supply chain is a network of f. of raw materials, parts, work
organizations in process, and finished
products.
7. Outsourcing means buying g. such as manufacturing a
products or processed product or delivering it to a
materials customer.
8. Economies of scale are the h. that can be achieved from a
cost savings production process.
9. Lead time is the time needed i. that make up a product or
to perform an activity machine.

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 Reading

The Dell Theory of Conflict Prevention

In The World is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty – first Century, the
American author TAHOMAS Friedman argues that outsourcing and global
supply chains have very positive international consequences.

Read the extract. How convinced are you by Friedman’s argument?

“Formando líderes para la construcción de un nuevo país en paz”

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Answer the questions

a. Why does Thomas Friedman think countries involved in a major global

supply chain are unlikely to start a war?
 Because the people embedded in large global supply chains no
longer want to fight the old wars. They want to make just-in-time
deliveries of goods and services, and enjoy the increased standard of
living that comes with it.
b. Why does Michael Dell think the computer industry deserves more praise
than it gets?

c. What would be the consequences if a country in a major global supply chain
did start a war?

d. What consequences has the evolution of supply chains had?
 prosperity and stability

Additional Materials

Production

https://www.economicsdiscussion.net/production/production-meaning-definition-
types-and-factors/12398
https://www.britannica.com/topic/theory-of-production

References
Mackenzie, I. (2010). English for Business Studies. A course for Business Studies and
Economics students. Cambridge University Press.

“Formando líderes para la construcción de un nuevo país en paz”

Universidad de Pamplona
Pamplona - Norte de Santander - Colombia 3
Tels: (7) 5685303 - 5685304 - 5685305 - Fax: 5682750
SC-CER96940 www.unipamplona.edu.co
 “Formando líderes para la construcción de un nuevo país en paz”
Universidad de Pamplona
Pamplona - Norte de Santander - Colombia 4
Tels: (7) 5685303 - 5685304 - 5685305 - Fax: 5682750
SC-CER96940 www.unipamplona.edu.co