Harm Boer

Organizing for Manufacturing Innovation: The Case of Flexible Manufacturing Systems

Reports research which aimed to find the organizational conditions required for companies considering innovating their operating core by adopting any advanced manufacturing technology, and implementing and operating this technology effectively. Describes a model of the organization of manufacturing innovation which was used in longitudinal case studies of the adoption, implementation and early operation of flexible manufacturing systems (FMS), to analyse these processes and to find the conditions affecting their level of success. It appears that the activities, innovation roles, organizational arrangements and slack resources which are required according to the model determine most of the success of the innovation process. Concludes that the model contributes to our understanding of how to organize and manage complex processes such as manufacturing innovation.

Assessing R&D quality in rehabilitation technology development. The case of Roessingh Research and Development

This paper presents a framework for describing and evaluating the links between the design of the R&D function, its context and its performance. As a first step towards the development of a quality assurance system, this framework was used to assess R&D quality performance at a privatized R&D unit connected to a rehabilitation centre (Roessingh Research and Development). The results suggest that the framework is a useful instrument for managers to identify and understand the strengths and weaknesses of the R&D function, both with respect to its present, operational (quality) performance as well as its strategic flexibility, i.e. its readiness to adapt to, anticipate, or even create future (quality) performance requirements. The paper concludes with managerial implications with regard to the choice of an appropriate quality assurance system for Roessingh R&D, thus illustrating briefly how the framework can be used to apply ISO/BS quality standards (which are aimed at product development) in more fundamental R&D.