Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to develop and test a procedure to enable organizations to establish a competitive capability to manufacture flexibly. Design/methodology/approach -A survey of manufacturing businesses and two case studies in separate plants of an international manufacturing company led to the design of a process to improve manufacturing flexibility. The proposed process was subsequently tested and refined in workshops and interviews in additional collaborating companies. Findings -Insight gained from the combination of case study and survey research has identified key steps in a process to improve manufacturing flexibility, which have not been emphasised previously. In addition a framework is proposed which matches operational capabilities with desired dimensions of flexibility; mix and/or volume. Research limitations/implications -Further trials of the proposed process in a range of manufacturing operations are required to establish its robustness and generic value. Originality/value -A new conceptual framework has been developed to improve manufacturing flexibility. The results of an initial trial of this framework are reported.
IntroductionManufacturing companies formulate strategies to develop their manufacturing capabilities and therefore to increase their competitiveness in the marketplace. The main emphasis in the strategic manufacturing literature has for many years been on the formulation side of strategies (Grundy, 1998;. The issue of implementation has received less attention, although implementation of strategic initiatives has frequently been considered to be the graveyard of strategy (Grundy, 1998). Many companies are still facing major difficulties during the implementation of strategic decisions derived from the formulation of business, marketing or manufacturing strategies (Al-Ghamdi, 1998). As Grundy (1998) points out, strategic management should move from a 90:10 concern with strategy formulation relative to implementation to at least a 50:50 concern with each. Otherwise, no matter how good the strategic decisions are, companies would not benefit from them ). This argument is reinforced by Beer et al. (1990) who attribute much of the shortcomings in the strategy area to failures in the implementation process rather than in the formulation of strategy itself. Unfortunately, once a strategy has been developed, its implementation appears to be seen as a matter of operational detail and tactical adjustment carried out within the boundaries of existing company's structures and procedures . Over the last few years there has been increasing interest in the research of new methods to improve the efficiency of strategy implementation. Project management has received much of this interest. Authors such as Van Der Merwe (2002) have argued that strategies do not fail when they are being analysed or when the objectives are being set but during implementation and, more particularly, due to the lack of proper project management. Project management is gaining in popularity as a vehicle for the implementation of business and marketing strategies. Increasingly, project management is being applied outsides its core domain. Strategic manufacturing literature is lagging behind in the research and development of project management as a vehicle for the implementation of formulated manufacturing strategies.This paper contributes to the literature on implementation of manufacturing strategies by identifying the key success factors (KSFs) in the project management of the implementation of strategic manufacturing initiatives (SMIs). It describes a survey of practitioners internationally. The paper presents the research methodology and the findings from the survey. This study is part of a larger research programme that aims to develop a methodology that provides a consistent step by step discipline for implementing SMIs and includes the tools, templates and techniques that reflect the distinctive nature of project management within the strategic manufacturing implementation area.The results of our survey suggest that in the manufacturing environment the project manager of SMI implementation projects assumes a high responsibility for the overall su...
There is a need for a unified theory of the strategic management of manufacturing. Current theory encourages the strategic management of manufacturing by seeking to match the use of production resources with the need to satisfy the order winning criteria of the target markets. Such an approach suggests but one strategic role of manufacturing. Hayes and Wheelwright have suggested there are four strategic roles
Purpose-The purpose of the paper is to present the findings of a study of factory closure management. It details the sequence and the results of the key strategic manufacturing management decisions made from the time of the announcement of the plant closure to the cessation of operations. The paper also includes an analysis of the human resource management (HRM) actions taken during this same time period and their consequences upon all those involved in the closure management process. Design/methodology/approach-The case study methodology consisted of two initial site visits to monitor closure management effectiveness (adherence to plan and the types and frequency of closure management communications). During these visits, documentary evidence of the impact of the closure decision upon production performance was also collected (manufacturing output and quality performance data). Following plant closure, interviews were held with senior business, production and HRM managers and production personnel. A total of 12 interviews were carried out. Findings-The case study findings have informed the development of a conceptual model of facility closure management. Information obtained from the interviews suggests that the facility closure management process consists of five key management activities. The unexpected announcement of a factory closure can cause behavioural changes similar to those of bereavement, particularly by those employees who are its survivors. In addition, similar reactions to the closure announcement may be displayed by those who choose to remain employed by the factory owner throughout the phased closure of the plant. Originality/value-Facility closure management is an insufficiently researched strategic operations management activity. This paper details a recommended procedure for its management. A conceptual model has also been developed to illustrate the links between the key facility closure management tasks and the range of employee changes of behaviour that can be induced by their execution.
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