The role of resource configuration on mix flexibility requirements

Wilson, Shellyanne; Platts, KW

doi:10.1080/09537280903209378

Cited by 8 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 62 publications

(72 reference statements)

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…This greater flexibility provided a strong competitive advantage to Japanese firms (De Meyer et al 1989) that explains the subsequent adoption of the lean production model by many European and North American companies. This success lead researchers and practitioners to identify manufacturing flexibility as the focus of the next competitive battle (De Meyer et al 1989) and explains the growing interest of managers in the search of greater manufacturing flexibility in their firms and the subsequent relevance conceded by academics to the study of manufacturing flexibility (Wilson and Platts 2009). 1 Despite the great amount of effort devoted to the study of manufacturing flexibility, the field is far from exhausted.…”

Section: Manufacturing Flexibilitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Manufacturing flexibility and advanced human resource management practices

Urtasun

Larraza‐Kintana

García-Olaverri

et al. 2012

Production Planning & Control

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This article analyses the connection between the use of advanced human resource management (HRM) practices, individually and as a system, with manufacturing flexibility. The results show a positive relationship between the implementation of advanced HRM practices and manufacturing flexibility. While most of the advanced HRM practices analysed show higher levels of implementation in flexible firms, no differences are observed in training efforts. Flexible firms are more prone to implement systems of advanced HRM practices.

show abstract

Section: Manufacturing Flexibilitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Manufacturing flexibility and advanced human resource management practices

Urtasun

Larraza‐Kintana

García-Olaverri

et al. 2012

Production Planning & Control

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The product wheel concept used as a lean tool in the process industry provides a means through which the sequencing coordination mechanism used to manage shared resources in the achievement of mix flexibility can be realized. The product wheel concept takes into account the three main factors which Wilson and Platts (2009) argue impact mix flexibility: product variety; uncertainty and resource configuration. Both product variety and uncertainty are considered in the determination of the average product demand and demand variability, when the products are classified as MTS or MTO.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, our interest is in the short term, operational flexibility, which refers to flexibility achieved during day-to-day operations, where both the plant and equipment, and the routines and procedures used to guide operations are fixed (Carlsson, 1989). Wilson and Platts (2009) argued that the amount of mix flexibility required influences how mix flexibility is achieved. Uncertainty and variety are traditionally viewed as the fundamental reasons for needing manufacturing flexibility at a plant level (Gerwin, 1987).…”

Section: Flexibility and Resource Configurationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Uncertainty and variety are traditionally viewed as the fundamental reasons for needing manufacturing flexibility at a plant level (Gerwin, 1987). However, Wilson and Platts (2009) also included manufacturing resource configuration as a third factor influencing the need for mix flexibility, where resource configuration is viewed as the organization of a plant's manufacturing resources, in terms of the relationship, arrangement and layout among the resources.…”

Section: Flexibility and Resource Configurationmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Product wheels to achieve mix flexibility in process industries

Wilson

Ali

2014

Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Purpose – Mix flexibility is a critical manufacturing flexibility type needed to produce a company's range of products. Oftentimes, multiple products are produced on shared resources which require coordination mechanisms to ensure their effective utilization. This paper aims to explore the applicability of the product wheel concept as a coordination mechanism that can be used to manage shared resources in operational mix flexibility achievement in process industries. Design/methodology/approach – The product wheel concept is a construct from the theory of lean manufacturing adoption in process industries. This construct is applied as a sequencing coordination mechanism, where similar products are grouped together to run consecutively in a production schedule. A single case study is used to illustrate the development and evaluation of a product wheel design. Findings – The results show that the product wheel concept does achieve the aim of grouping similar products in the production schedule, and, as such, can be used to improve the production planning process through the reduction of the number of time-intensive changeovers without sacrificing product availability to meet customer demand. The product wheel, however, is not a mathematical optimization technique; but is instead a heuristic technique which requires the use of judgment and experience to achieve an optimal design. Originality/value – A theoretical contribution to the study of mix flexibility has been made, where the application of the product wheel construct presents a novel approach to the study of operational mix flexibility achievement, via the sequencing of products on shared manufacturing resources.

show abstract

“…While there appears to be consensus on the need for enhanced flexibility, there is less clarity or agreement on how this might be achieved at the manufacturing level through the right configuration (Wilson and Platts 2009). Among the different configuration levers, Upton (1995Upton ( , 1997 states that "The flexibility of plants depended much more on people than on any technical factor" (Upton 1995, p. 75).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Alternative uses of temporary work and new forms of work organisation

Cagliano

Caniato

Longoni

et al. 2013

Production Planning & Control

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between the use of temporary workers and the adoption of new forms of work organisation (NFWO) in production. This study aims to understand to what extent these two forms of human resources flexibility are synergic or mutually exclusive. In order to answer this main goal, we discuss different levels of temporary workers adoption in relation to different levels of use of NFWO, the level of integration of temporary workers within the overall production organisation and the joint and synergistic use of NFWO and temporary work. Evidence drawn from seven case studies in manufacturing plants in northern Italy is provided. Results highlight that, according to the characteristics of the production process, temporary workers and NFWO are not mutually exclusive, that temporary workers can be integrated with other workers in the shop floor, and that NFWO can also be adopted for temporary workers. In addition, NFWO has been proven to be a key enabler to integrate temporary workers within the organisation, thus showing an important synergistic effect between the two human resource flexibility practices

show abstract

The role of resource configuration on mix flexibility requirements

Cited by 8 publications

References 62 publications

Manufacturing flexibility and advanced human resource management practices

Manufacturing flexibility and advanced human resource management practices

Product wheels to achieve mix flexibility in process industries

Alternative uses of temporary work and new forms of work organisation

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About