Alan P. Muhlemann

A review of manufacturing flexibility

Abstract In the field of operations management, manufacturing flexibility has been the subject of much academic enquiry. Moreover, the need for this fundamental characteristic has never been more urgent. However, a comprehensive understanding of the subject remains elusive. An extensive review of the literature is used to examine the issues surrounding the concept of manufacturing flexibility. Specifically: the use of manufacturing flexibility as a strategic objective, the relationship flexibility has with environmental uncertainty, the use of taxonomies as a vehicle for furthering understanding of the types of flexibility, the nature of flexibility, and its measurement. Through this process of synthesis, the paper attempts to establish the extent to which knowledge of manufacturing flexibility has now progressed. Suggestions for future research topics in flexibility are also presented.

Manufacturing operations and strategic flexibility: survey and cases

The ability of manufacturing companies to adapt to their changing environment is frequently a key to long‐term success. As a consequence the strategic flexibility of manufacturing operations has become an increasingly important issue for organisations. There have been much theoretical work and some case studies in this domain. This paper reports part of a major study in the area. A key stage in this work has been an empirical study of UK manufacturing to investigate a broad range of issues surrounding manufacturing operations and strategic flexibility. In part this has been carried out through a questionnaire survey. This paper summarises some of the principal findings. These include respondents’ descriptions of their business strategies, the part played by manufacturing, the interfaces with customers, and the role of the information system and its contribution to manufacturing. This is complemented by a summary of 32 interviews/case histories which allow these issues to be explored further and which provide the input to the subsequent stages of the overall project.

Subcontracting within the supply chain for electronics assembly manufacture

Discusses issues associated with the subcontracting of manufacturing activity within the supply chain for electronics assembly products. The principal focus of the work is the operational issues surrounding the organization, management and control of the subcontract process, but related issues and research streams are also considered. Some of the operational issues are placed within the context of current practice by presenting case studies of two small to medium‐sized manufacturing enterprises (SMMEs) in the electronics assembly sector which use subcontract manufacture. The approaches of the two companies to the management and control of the process are compared and contrasted, and mapped onto generic models. This work is considered timely because of the increasing importance of the subcontracting of manufacture within the supply chain, and because of the lack of supporting theoretical and practical work. It identifies key issues which need to be addressed by academic researchers and by industry practitioners in the pursuit of world class manufacturing ideals, as part of a process of concentrating on core competencies and expertise.

The role of qualitative methods in production management research

Abstract This paper examines previous approaches to the identification and measurement of strategic flexibility and concludes that the use of quantitative methods alone cannot capture the essence of such a complex and intangible subject. It is reasoned that a holistic approach to research design should be adopted when carrying out particular categories of production management research. A research design used to investigate the concept of strategic flexibility in manufacturing industry is briefly outlined as an illustration. The role of the case study within this and the contribution it was able to make to the investigation is described.

A review of production planning and scheduling in smaller manufacturing companies in the UK

Abstract This paper briefly reviews recent published work in the area of production planning and control, in the context of attempting to determine the extent to which it is likely to contribute to the needs of the user community, especially smaller manufacturing enterprises. A sample questionnaire survey is then described in detail. Its aims were to establish current practice and to identify factors which influence production planning and control and, especially scheduling, in real manufacturing organizations. This is supported by four mini-case descriptions. The paper concludes with a short discussion of an approach to bridging the gap between theory and practice, and to the development of software to support schedulers in smaller organizations.

Decision support for the scheduling of subcontract manufacture

Presents work that addresses the issue of decision support for the operational management of subcontract manufacture. Theoretical study has been combined with empirical research and practical industrial investigation with regard to distributed manufacturing systems which incorporate subcontract manufacturing arrangements. There has been a particular focus on the study of resource planning and scheduling for subcontract manufacture in SMEs in the UK electronics assembly industry. This work led to the analysis, modelling, implementation and test of an object‐oriented advisory system to assist with scheduling for this domain which demonstrated the utility of a proposed concept of captivity‐based scheduling. Contemporary research in this area and existing commercial decision support solutions for manufacturing planning, scheduling and control in SMEs have been explored. Concludes that current commercial software systems for subcontract manufacture are underdeveloped. Further argues that software development tools and platforms are increasingly available to facilitate the creation of practical decision support systems for distributed organizational forms of manufacture.

Professional service quality A step beyond other services

Abstract The management and measurement of professional service quality is particularly problematic. To enable managers of legal practices to improve service quality they must understand the service attributes their clients consider important. Drawing on a series of focus groups conducted in the UK, this study provides insights into the assessment of legal services by commercial and corporate clients. A review of literatures pertaining to the evaluation of professional service quality, the concepts of quality and value, and dimensions relating to outcome and process is presented. The results of a series of focus groups are considered in the context of continuing research.

A system to support the enhancement of strategic flexibility in manufacturing enterprises

Manufacturing companies are finding it necessary to change their corporate strategy with increasing frequency, as a result of more rapid changes either in the demands made by customers or in the companys view of business. However, it is only possible to respond to these pressures for change if the information systems of the organisation are capable of helping the companies meet these new requirements. The aim of the work described here is to develop a decision support system (DSS) that will help companies to enhance their strategic flexibility, that is to increase the ability of their systems to support a broader range of corporate strategies. The development of this system is discussed. Particular attention is paid to describing the structure of the DSS and the manner in which the extensive fieldwork carried out with UK manufacturing businesses has provided information about the appropriate factors and parameters to be included in the system. Possible further development of the DSS is briefly considered.

The selection of information systems for production management: An evolving problem

Abstract The incidence of successful implementations of computer technology in manufacturing enterprises is disappointingly low. This paper argues that the selection of the manufacturing management information system is an essential activity in successful implementation, and that the problem is becoming more complex. A full account of the selection process used by one UK manufacturer is described to illustrate the benefits of using a selection and evaluation methodology based on the systematic application of several simple but effective procedures.

Parameterisation algorithms for the integer linear programs in binary variables

Abstract In this paper we consider the integer programmiing problem: minimize z ( x ) = c · x subject to Ax ⩽ b , x binary. Roodman appended the objective function z ( x ) to the body of the constraints and presented a modified version of the Balas additive algorithm by which each fathomed partial solution is attributed to the constraint which caused the fathoming. Exploiting this information, he conducted (a) ranging analysis, i.e. calculating bounds on the values of the parameters which leave the original optimal solution unchanged, and (b) parameter change analysis, i.e. determining new optimal solutions (if any) for revised values of the parameters outside the ranging bounds. We extend Roodmans results and construct parametric functions of the following form. Let Σ be any parameter of c or b or A , and replace Σ by Σ ( λ ) = Σ + λ . Then, holding every other parameter of the program fixed, and varying λ in the set of real numbers we construct the parametric function z ∗ (Σ(λ)) which matches non-overlapping intervals of λ with optimal solutions. This replaces by exact bounds in the linear programming sense, the bounds underestimated by Roodmans ranging analysis. It also determines optimal solutions for any values of λ, rather than for a revised set of values. Finally some results of computational experience are presented.