Manufacturing is the process of converting raw materials and parts into what?

Manufacturing is fundamentally about taking raw materials and components and transforming them into finished goods. Finished goods are the final products that are ready for sale and consumption, having undergone all necessary processes and quality checks to ensure they meet predefined standards. This process often involves various stages, such as assembling, fabricating, and testing to convert the initial resources into items that consumers can use.

In this context, while prototypes, components, and subassemblies are all important aspects of the manufacturing process, they do not represent the end result. Prototypes are typically created for testing and development purposes before mass production; components are parts that may be used in the final product but are not themselves complete items; and subassemblies refer to intermediate assemblies that are used to build finished goods but aren’t standalone products. Therefore, the correct emphasis on "finished goods" highlights the ultimate goal of the manufacturing process, which is to deliver complete products that satisfy market demands.