Final answer:
Lean production emphasizes continuous improvement, reduction of waste, and synchronization of material flows, but NOT large batch sizes. Lean production prefers smaller batches that respond quickly to customer demand, while also considering the most cost-effective production technology and the scale of production that maximizes economies of scale.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question asks which option is NOT emphasized in lean production. The concept of lean production is characterized by certain key principles: continuous improvement, reduction of waste, and synchronization of material flows. These are designed to create a more efficient production process by reducing unnecessary costs and processes, leading to increased productivity and quality. In contrast, large batch sizes are typically not emphasized in lean production. This is because producing large batches goes against the lean principle of flexibility and rapid response to customer demand. Instead, lean production tends to favor smaller batch sizes, which are more aligned with the goals of reducing inventory costs and increasing the frequency of product enhancements.
When considering production technologies, firms aim to select the option with the lowest total cost to maintain efficiency. This often leads to a preference for technology that allows for a balance between machine hours and labor, avoiding the unnecessary costs of either resource. Once the most cost-effective production technology is chosen, a firm can also consider the appropriate scale of production. With economies of scale, the cost per unit decreases as the quantity of output increases, a concept exploited by warehouse stores such as Costco or Walmart. However, this does not undermine the lean principle of producing to demand, rather than producing larger quantities that may lead to waste.