Roger Beach

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.

Reverse e‐auctions and supplier‐buyer relationships: an exploratory study

Purpose – Reverse e‐auctions are increasingly being used in business‐to‐business procurement and have been reported to yield significant price reductions for buyer firms. However, the adoption of online auction formats has raised many concerns among suppliers, often being criticized for damaging supplier‐buyer relationships and for being antithetical to what is currently regarded as good supply chain management. Against this background this paper aims to examine the reverse auction phenomenon in the UK packaging sector.Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected from the direct experiences of one large food‐packaging supplier, using case studies of reverse e‐auctions, and from exploratory interviews with other suppliers in the sector.Findings – While buyers are reaping significant short‐term price reductions, the benefits to suppliers are less obvious. In fact, little reference was detected to the often‐quoted reductions in overall transaction costs for either buyers or suppliers. However, most resp...

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.

Environmental sustainability: a value cycle research agenda

This article considers how adopting an environmentally sustainable agenda impacts on the management of an organisations supply chain and highlights areas for future research. The article argues that the current fragmented/functional approach to sustainability and the conceptualisation of the supply chain as a bounded unidirectional flow of value does not provide the holistic approach that is required to meet the sustainability needs of tomorrows business. A value cycle paradigm that facilitates the development of a multi-disciplinary research approach is developed and used to examine the extant literature for the principal issues that will need to be addressed. Future research concerned with developing environmentally sustainable business models must focus on the identification and management of the information flows at the interfaces between the customer, marketing, design, operations, logistics and external agents in the supply network. New networks required to support more sustainable forms of consumption will necessitate a fundamental reassessment of how and where value is added, consumed and recovered. In contemporary businesses, environmental sustainability is becoming a strategically important objective requiring holistic multi-disciplinary approaches. The extent to which the sustainability agenda extends conventional business models is demonstrated providing insights into areas of the value cycle that require further 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.

Adopting Internet technology in manufacturing: a strategic perspective

Whilst there is little doubt that the adoption of Internet technology can provide manufacturing companies with unprecedented commercial opportunities, evidence to date suggests that the majority of the manufacturing industry and in particular the small- to medium-sized enterprises, are not embracing the technology as quickly as they perhaps should. This paper draws on the findings from a number of published surveys to ascertain why smaller manufacturing organizations are failing to adopt Internet technology. A further analysis of the growing body of literature documenting the e-commerce experiences of organizations in a variety of industries suggests that many of the issues identified are not unique to a particular sector and contrary to expectations, the manufacturing sector is better positioned than most to adopt and exploit Internet technology. The paper concludes with recommendations for those in manufacturing concerned with developing an e-capability.

A management framework for organisational networks: a case study

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to draw on the experiences of a real company to develop a framework of management processes for an organizational network model that has enabled a network of enterprises to develop new levels of organizational flexibility, particularly with regards to improving the networks capacity to innovate.Design/methodology/approach – A longitudinal case study of an Italian enterprise network forms the basis of the analysis described in this paper.Findings – The key operational and organizational activities of the principal agent in a novel organizational network model known as the Virtual Development Office (VDO) are identified and discussed.Research limitations/implications – The (VDO) concept is identified as a realistic and practical means of leveraging the competences of an enterprise network to achieve competitive advantage. However, more empirical data are required before the concepts described herein can be generalised more widely.Practical implications – The small to ...

Information systems as a key facilitator of manufacturing flexibility: a documented application

The desire to exploit new process technology and the need to reduce costs and throughput times, to accelerate new product introductions, and to insure against market uncertainties have contributed to the increased importance manufactur ing enterprises attach to manufacturing flexibility. The Manufacturing Management Information System (MMIS) is a central component in the manufacturing enterprises quest to achieve these key objectives yet its role is frequently neglected when formulating strategy. This paper explores the operational mismatch which often arises between the preferred mode of operation of the MMIS and that dictated by the enterprises developing and changing strategic and hence operational