Strategically flexible production: the multi‐focused manufacturing paradigm
International Journal of Operations & Production Management
ISSN: 0144-3577
Article publication date: 1 November 1996
Abstract
Defines a new manufacturing paradigm and investigates its adoption and performances, within the assembly industry on a global basis. The definition of the paradigm is based on a set of basic principles to design and manage production systems which discard the traditional way of organizing manufacturing activities, and pool companies which pursue different manufacturing strategies and implement different innovative techniques. The paradigm is characterized by the simultaneous implementation of three principles: strategic multi‐focusedness, integration of business processes across functions, and process ownership. Starting from an operationalization based on fuzzy logic, explores the hypotheses about the adoption and the performance improvements of the multi‐focused manufacturing paradigm using a sample from the International Manufacturing Strategy Survey (IMSS) database. The paradigm has been adopted widely across countries and industries involved in the IMSS survey. Shows that process ownership is poorly implemented by most of the companies at the moment, while multi‐focusedness and integration are more on hand. Companies which have adopted the paradigm are improving their performance significantly better and quicker than partial or non‐adopters. Highlights different possible patterns that the companies can follow to reach core adoption of the multi‐focused manufacturing paradigm.
Keywords
Citation
Spina, G., Bartezzaghi, E., Bert, A., Cagliano, R., Draaijer, D. and Boer, H. (1996), "Strategically flexible production: the multi‐focused manufacturing paradigm", International Journal of Operations & Production Management, Vol. 16 No. 11, pp. 20-41. https://doi.org/10.1108/01443579610131438
Publisher
:MCB UP Ltd
Copyright © 1996, MCB UP Limited