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The purpose of this paper is to present a new way of manufacturing process in the plant of the leading weedicide manufacturing company in Korea, Dongbu.

This paper explains a design of Auto‐ID based weedicide manufacturing process, introduces new mechanism for assembly machine and presents simulation approach to understand potential benefit.

In Dongbu, there was no information matching among bottle, box and pallet levels. Another issue was error propagation. Because, the allowance range for weight difference is different depending on the level of unit, the small weight difference (i.e. deviation) within allowance range in bottle level can create errors when accumulated for boxing. The proposed method improved performance measures such as cycle time and cost of raw materials by introducing Auto‐ID technology. As in the simulation results, it is considered that adoption of radio frequency identification together with this automatic module will improve manufacturing performance drastically.

The research was based on the real world implementation of Auto‐ID based manufacturing in weedicide manufacturing company and discussed a new approach which addresses the current issues of industry.

The purpose of this paper is to identify the causal relationship between the independent variables such as process quality and product innovation in regard to the dependent variable of competitiveness, in the manufacturing sector of the automotive industry, specifically for Tier 1 auto parts manufacturing companies in the state of Nuevo León, México.

Based on a thorough review of the literature, an instrument was designed to measure the competitiveness of automotive industry manufacturing; it was applied to Tier 1 suppliers of automotive parts in the state of Nuevo León, México. Various statistical analysis tests were applied to the results; first, Cronbach's alpha to determine the reliability of the instrument, and next, a factor analysis to measure construct validity. In addition, a multiple linear regression analysis was carried out to identify the causal relationships between the variables analysed.

This study found that process quality as well as product innovation have independent and positive causal relationships with respect to competitiveness in automotive manufacturing.

The limitations of this paper are its focus on a single manufacturing sector, application in a single country and small sample size.

Companies that supply automotive parts will be able to invest in the key elements of quality and innovation while focusing their efforts on reinforcing their competitiveness.

Auto parts suppliers will be able to perform specific actions to improve their quality processes through lean manufacturing and quality assurance practices and by designing new and innovative products that will enhance their competitiveness.

It is of concern that several attempts at making Nigeria an automobile producing country have not yielded much success. This paper aims to re-examine the history of automobile manufacturing and the consequences of auto policies of successive governments towards having a viable automotive industry in Nigeria and the lessons therefrom.

Dispersed data were assembled from both primary and secondary sources on the automobile industry activities in Nigeria. The historic data cover Nigeria’s vehicles need, production levels, importations and local content developments. Time series data on Nigeria’s crude oil prices and the devaluation of the local currency were obtained and analyzed to elucidate effects and provide the trajectory. A comparative analysis of the policies of successful countries with initial status with Nigeria was carried out to elucidate the policy pitfalls in Nigeria’s industrial policies.

The automotive policies in Nigeria are not self-sustaining. It has been curiously observed that the automotive policy on import substitution and local content development approach did not include the key components in automobile manufacturing, making it a footloose industry. Nigeria’s crude petroleum mono-economy affects the manufacturing sector negatively. A fall in international crude oil price causes free fall of the country’s currency in the international market, the cost of imported new vehicles and parts become prohibitively high, consequently, individuals, as well as corporate organizations, resorted to imported fairly used vehicles and parts for their transportation needs. Capacity utilization dropped abysmally.

Nigeria’s experience has demonstrated the critical role the government can play in safeguarding the automobile industry in the developing economies. Apart from diversification of the economy, there is a need, therefore, for a more refined and pragmatic approach in the formulation of policies to enable only genuine investors to operate in the automobile industry which hitherto has been an all-comers affair with many taking advantage of unguarded and unguided government incentives.

The purpose of this study is to discover the elements that affect the new technology utilization by auto parts’ micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in northern India.

Based on the literature and professional reviews, 75 critical factors were identified on the basis of that affecting technology utilization in the auto parts-manufacturing MSMEs in Punjab. A survey was conducted in 113 auto parts industries (MSMEs) in Punjab. Descriptive statistics and factors analysis (principle component analysis) in SPSS software was used to examine the data.

After the analysis, 56 prominent factors were presented those are affecting the technology utilization in auto parts industry. After the study, 23 factors were identified, which explains the variance of 74.99 per cent of the total data. Most important factors for new technology utilization in MSMEs in Punjab are proper understanding of current operation and availability of professional consultant, problems with the compatibility of equipment and fear of layoffs, and the least important factors are volume flexibility and maintenance expenses.

These results deliver valuable perceptions into the awareness of by what means technology utilization has taken place in MSMEs.

The present work delivers beneficial strategies to MSMEs facing ups and downs because of their industry atmosphere.

This research adds to the literature on technology utilization and aids MSMEs in improving themselves for the excursion ahead.

This paper aims to present existence comprehensive analysis of state of implementation of benchmarking concepts in Indian automotive companies.

The research is carried out through a mixed method of research approach comprising of a survey of 300 auto companies in India. Out of 300, 48 valid responses together with three additional case studies were used in the data analysis. Inclusion of case studies was aspired to get deeper insight into the issues pertaining to adoption of best practices, and subsequently the implementation of benchmarking activities.

Benchmarking has been unanimously accepted as an effective performance and productivity improvement tool by Indian auto companies. However, Indian automobile manufacturers still see benchmarking as a tool to compare product attributes, quality attributes, operations, and processes. Moreover, it has been perceived as being less applicable at strategic level. Results also show that benchmarking is in its primary stage in the Indian automotive industry, and it still needs much more commitment from top management for its proliferation. Lesser significance is given to competitor benchmarking due to the fear of losing competitive advantage, and the problem of confidentiality. Reasons identified in this study for not using benchmarking include “lack of human resources” as most important, followed by “financial constraints”, and “lack of internal expertise”.

Research results should be generalized and reproduced with a larger sample size. Owing to the scarce application of benchmarking in small and medium enterprises (SMEs), separate study should be carried out to find ways to encourage benchmarking implementation in Indian auto component manufacturing SMEs.

The paper provides insight into the extent of implementation of benchmarking concepts in Indian automobile industry. This study is the first attempt to understand propagation of benchmarking concepts, exclusively among Indian auto companies.

The study aims to explore the argument of implementing the lean method to part or whole of an operation by examining the moderating impact of varying levels of the extent of implementation of four different lean methods, along with their functionalities, in predicting productivity improvement (PI).

As the focus of understanding the efficacy of lean principles is shifting from process to industry level, this study tried to generalize the approach by gathering data from 132 large Indian auto component manufacturers. This involves an assessing/monitoring approach rather than measurement.

Results highlighted the interdependence or individuality of the extent of implementation of lean methods and their functionalities. Findings revealed a significant moderating effect in improving productivity to a greater extent of 50%.

Adopting an assessment approach to a measurement study provides a noteworthy contribution to bridging theory and practical consequences. The findings can be appropriately extrapolated to medium and small enterprises forming a critical connection in the entire automobile manufacturing ecosystem.

The study showed that even if a lean method is applied to a certain extent of operations the chances of PI are significant. This is important for decision makers as they confront problems of optimum resource allocation.

PI, reduced cost and generalization of results would enable the auto component industry to become more competitive.

The examination of the moderation effect of a lean principle implementation extent, along with that of its functionalities to predict the improvement in productivity from its existing level, is a major outcome of this study.

Industry 4.0 has received significant attention in today's competitive business market, necessitating a restructuring of functional domains in nearly every manufacturing organization. A comprehensive strategy to improve performance in preparation for Industry 4.0 implementation necessitates several steps, one of which is the establishment of performance outcomes (POs). The aim of this paper is to identify and rank the POs realized due to the adoption of Industry 4.0 enablers.

Based on an extensive literature review and inputs received from experts, a comprehensive list of enablers and the POs was prepared and finalized. This paper proposes a framework based on hybrid solution methodology, namely Neutrosophic Analytical Hierarchy Process (N-AHP) and Neutrosophic Combined Compromise Solution (N-CoCoSo), to rank the POs realized due to the adoption of Industry 4.0 enablers. The N-AHP methodology has been adopted to calculate the relative weights of the Industry 4.0 enablers. In comparison, the N-CoCoSo method has been adopted to rank the POs of Industry 4.0.

The proposed framework is applied to an Indian manufacturing organization to test the organization's practical applicability. Additionally, sensitivity analysis is also carried out to check the steadiness of the proposed framework. The findings of this study revealed that “Improved responsiveness to market conditions in today's competitive business environment” is the top-ranked PO of Industry 4.0, followed by “Enhanced competitiveness and better market share”, “Better product quality, through smart management of production process” and “Reduction in manufacturing waste and environmental sustainability” which could be realized due to adoption of its enablers.

This research would aid practitioners by enhancing the practitioners' capacity to understand and prioritize the various POs resulting from implementing Industry 4.0 enablers. Embracing a clear strategic plan will further assist practitioners in improving the efficiency of Industry 4.0 implementation.

Previous literature has only addressed the relationship between Industry 4.0 enablers and POs in a limited way. This paper attempts to compile a comprehensive list of Industry 4.0 enablers relevant to manufacturing organizations in order to fill this knowledge and research gap.