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The purpose of this paper is to analyze the relationship between agile production (flexible production technology) and absorptive capacity.

We use a database of 1,864 Spanish industrial firms from the Survey of Business Strategies (the largest Spanish database of its kind). Our theoretical approach is based on the resource-based view and the dynamic capabilities perspective. The methodology includes descriptive statistics analysis and lineal regression with moderator effect.

High-agile firms with greater absorptive capacity are more innovative and better performers than low-agile firms. Absorptive capacity moderates the relationship between flexible production technology and innovation performance.

This is a cross-sectional study, which may limit the establishment of causal relationships. We give evidence to the importance of studying absorptive capacity in the agile production implementation process.

There are several managerial implications. First, agile production systems should be integrated into the firm’s innovation system because the continuous improvement of agile production has to be reinforced by the outputs of external knowledge and in-house innovation activities. Second firms that use external sources of knowledge to improve production processes could leverage that benefit better, not only in Operations but also in innovation performance. The adoption of flexible production technology cannot be kept apart from the firm´s organizational learning processes based on external knowledge. Our results also support the contribution of clusters of collaborative firms to improve their production processes throughout absorptive capacity and thus the implementation of agile production systems.

This is the first study, to the best of our knowledge, has involved the role of absorptive capacity, as an internal capability/competence, to influence the relationship between agility/flexible technology and innovation performance.

Analizar la relación entre producción ágil (tecnología flexible de producción) y capacidad de absorción.

Se utiliza una base de datos de 1.864 empresas españolas manufactureras de la Encuesta de Estrategias Empresariales (la mayor base de datos española de este tipo). Nuestro enfoque teórico está basado en la teoría de recursos y capacidades dinámicas. La metodología incluye análisis estadístico descriptivo y regresión lineal con efecto moderador.

Las empresas ágiles con mayor capacidad de absorción son más innovadoras y obtienen mejores resultados que las empresas menos ágiles. La capacidad de absorción modera la relación entre tecnología de producción flexible y los resultados de innovación.

Es un estudio de corte transversal lo que limita el establecimiento de relaciones causales. Ese evidencia la importancia de estudiar la capacidad de absorción en el proceso de implantación de la producción ágil.

Hay varias implicaciones de gestión. La primera es que los sistemas de producción ágil deberían integrarse en el sistema de innovación de la empresa porque la mejora continua de la producción ágil ha de reforzarse con los outputs del conocimiento externo y las actividades internas de innovación. La segunda es que las empresas que utilizan fuentes externas de conocimiento para mejorar los procesos de producción podrían apalancar mejor ese beneficio, no solo en Operaciones sino también en resultados de innovación. La adopción de tecnología de producción flexible no puede mantenerse al margen de los procesos de aprendizaje organizativos basados en el conocimiento externo. Nuestros resultados también apoyan la contribución de los cluster de empresas colaboradoras para mejorar sus procesos de producción mediante la capacidad de absorción y con ello la implantación de sistemas de producción ágil.

No es aplicable

Este es el primer estudio, en la medida de nuestro conocimiento, que ha considerado el papel de la capacidad de absorción, como competencia/capacidad interna, para influir en la relación entre tecnología flexible e innovación.

Capacidad de absorción, Tecnología flexible de producción, Innovación

Trabajo de investigación

Analisar a relação entre produção ágil (tecnologia de produção flexível) e capacidade de absorção.

Um banco de dados de 1.864 empresas de manufatura espanholas é usado no Business Strategies Survey (o maior banco de dados espanhol desse tipo). Nossa abordagem teórica é baseada na teoria de recursos e capacidades dinâmicas. A metodologia inclui análise estatística descritiva e regressão linear com efeito moderador.

Empresas ágeis com maior capacidade de absorção são mais inovadoras e obtêm melhores resultados que empresas menos ágeis. A capacidade de absorção modera a relação entre a tecnologia de produção flexível e os resultados da inovação.

Trata-se de um estudo transversal que limita o estabelecimento de relações causais. Isso mostra a importância de se estudar a capacidade de absorção no processo de implementação da produção ágil.

Existem várias implicações de gerenciamento. A primeira é que os sistemas ágeis de produção devem ser integrados ao sistema de inovação da empresa, porque a melhoria contínua da produção ágil deve ser reforçada com os resultados de conhecimento externo e atividades internas de inovação. A segunda é que as empresas que usam fontes externas de conhecimento para melhorar os processos de produção podem aproveitar melhor esse benefício, não apenas nas operações, mas também nos resultados da inovação. A adoção de tecnologia de produção flexível não pode ser mantida fora dos processos de aprendizagem organizacional baseados em conhecimento externo. Nossos resultados também apoiam a contribuição do agrupamento de empresas colaboradoras para melhorar seus processos de produção através da capacidade de absorção e com isso a implementação de sistemas ágeis de produção.

não aplicável

Este é o primeiro estudo, na medida do nosso conhecimento, que considerou o papel da capacidade de absorção, como competência / capacidade interna, para influenciar a relação entre tecnologia flexível e inovação.

Capacidade de absorção, Tecnologia de produção flexível, Inovação

Trabalho de pesquisa

In industrial management, the 1980s marked the end of the twentieth century, an epoch dominated by US manufacturers, the alleged masters of mass production. This system has now been outstripped in several dynamic sectors by flexible/agile production. Increases in the pace of technological progress, training and aspirations have made the modern context so dynamic that firms which manage to harness the creativity and initiative of a good part of their workforce have an advantage over those that can only count on the input of their experts and managers. In sectors undergoing relatively broad and rapid change, twenty‐first century firms must adopt a more flexible and innovative type of organization to achieve manufacturing excellence.

The purpose of this paper is to understand how small and medium enterprises (SMEs) cope with the need for labour flexibility. Most previous studies ignore the labour flexibility practices of SMEs, especially in times of economic growth and tight labour markets.

A multiple case study approach is applied, with ten Dutch SMEs located in one small province with a similar labour market. A survey was executed as an intake, followed by 48 interviews with the entrepreneurs, HR and other managers and employees, and two focus groups in each company. The findings are based on an analysis of the approved case descriptions.

SMEs, like big companies, do not rely on one flexibility practice. Volume fluctuations are countered with all flexibility strategies, the mix fluctuations and the product innovations are mostly countered with flexible functions and flexible production technology. In general, the data suggest that flexibility strategies of SMEs can be characterised as ad hoc, reactive and with a short-term orientation.

Future research should include other sectors and regions enabling to generalise the findings. Future research should have a longitudinal design to include the pathway dependencies of flexibility practices.

This study identifies the need to analyse flexibility demands; reduce flexibility demands before investments in flexibility practices; create production process flexibility; invest in labour flexibility practices only after the first three steps are taken; and develop basic and more advanced levels of flexible contracts, flexible functions and flexible working times.

This study contributes to the authors’ knowledge on the use of labour flexibility practices in SMEs. In addition, it brings empirical data on how these labour flexibility practices relate to the needs for flexibility and how they relate to other sources of organisational flexibility, such as a flexible market approach and flexible production technologies. Dynamic capabilities should include the suggested operationalisation of the flexibility practices.

To address management issues in the development of flexible production systems in the enterprises of knowledge-intensive industries, this chapter considers four basic approaches to planning production processes. Based on these approaches, the methodology of the agent-based approach, which satisfies the fundamental requirements of today's production systems, is formulated, with much attention paid to the rules of dispatching as a key tool of operational control over the production plan and its implementation. The advantage of simulation-based approaches is that they can dynamically adjust the ongoing integration of planning, depending on the state of flexible production systems, in the use of combined approaches and methods of management of production processes.

This paper aims to provide a framework for the choice, design, set-up and management of a fully flexible assembly system (F-FAS). Many industrial applications for small batch productions require highly flexible automated manufacturing systems. Moreover, some extensions of the F-FAS concept are provided.

The paper reviews recent findings regarding the F-FAS with a top-down approach, and defines an integrated implementation framework. This framework is structured into three strictly correlated phases, and the presented procedure is organized to be readily used for new industrial applications. Practical applications are presented to show how the system can satisfy flexibility demands in a variety of cases.

The proposed framework is organized in three steps: convenience analysis of the F-FAS compared to a traditional flexible assembly system; an optimal design of the feeder; a choice of the set-up and sequencing algorithm yielding the highest throughput. Following these steps, the F-FAS can become an effective solution for small batch productions with frequent reconfigurations. However, due to the limited throughput, the system is not well suited for large batches.

The presented framework allows to implement an F-FAS for a given industrial application, and to evaluate its efficacy with respect to other assembly technologies. Moreover, with the same implementation framework, the F-FAS concept can be applied to production fields that are different from assembly, as shown by the provided examples. This represents an important element of originality and of interest for its strong practical implications in different production environments.

Briefly reviews the Social Protocol attached to the Maastricht Treaty. Addresses the debate between those advocating the minimal harmonization of labour legislation necessary for the establishment of fair competition within the single market, on the one side, and those arguing for a more interventionist approach to avoid the consequences of social dumping, on the other. Then examines the implications for this debate of the rise of flexible production, with its demand for increased human capital investment and long‐term employment relationships.

Traditional industry was initially built with kinship, cultural value, and unique characters representing a particular system of production. However, current industry challenges pressurized traditional industry bond of primordial system with the need of adaptations to survive. Some traditional industry may resist the twenty-first-century challenges and pressures, but many of them are transforming their cultural and production characters to adapt modern business competitions. Indonesian traditional furniture industry Jepara has their familial system of productions which constitute “flexible specialization” where particular kinship and work contract created from a very specialized household small-scale furniture producer. However, this production system in fact struggles and is contrasted with the community needs to survive in the industry. The likely occurring progress of traditional industry are then remaining on the senior members of the industry to preserve knowledge which has empowered over many generations, while the younger generations consider transforming their ability for survivability and better financial rewards.

This chapter is the further elaboration of how Indonesian rural traditional furniture industry in Jepara presents its survivability and whether it is sustainable. This chapter exemplifies participants’ quotes and statements which create anxiety toward their future, cultural value, bond of industry kinship, and doubting their ability to withhold global and local pressures.

As supply chain management has become more strategic (rather than transactional) in nature the need for a more integrated perspective of how products, and processes should be aligned with strategic decisions to enhance competitive advantage has been amplified. The purpose of this paper is to provide a better understanding of how this alignment should be done.

A conceptual framework was developed that emphasizes the need for alignment between the key aspects of a product and its supply chain processes and highlight, the links between supply chain processes and supply chain strategy.

Products can be produced with one of four distinct supply chain structures: make to stock, assemble to order, built to order and design to order. Each supply chain structure is appropriate for different products based on their demand characteristics. Each supply chain structure orients its production and logistics processes differently based on its strategic priorities.

High volume, low demand uncertainty products should be matched with lean supply chains enabled by efficient processes, whereas low volume, high uncertainty products should be matched with agile supply chains enabled by flexible processes. Medium volume and medium demand uncertainty products should use leagile supply chains that use a combination of efficient and flexible processes.

After thoroughly reviewing and synthesizing important findings from existing literature, an integrated framework is derived that highlights how products should be best matched with their production and logistics processes. Also, the framework is compared with two well‐known, process‐oriented supply chain frameworks: the supply chain operations reference (SCOR) and the global supply chain forum (GSCF) models.

Flexifactories, where the product made can be changed at low cost and quickly, constitute an important aspect of manufacturing flexibility. Examination of Honda flexifactories worldwide reveals how models are changed over, the model mix altered, and whole factories switched to making new types of products. Flexifactories are logically operated as networks, constituting a bridge between the “micro” flexibility of people and machines and overall corporate flexibility, resulting in improved mass production. This is not to argue that the flexibility of flexifactories is without limit, nor that they do not contain their own rigidities. Further empirical and theoretical research is needed to compare the flexifactory model with previous models of optimal factory organization.

Purpose – This chapter aims to explore and discuss how women paid and unpaid labor in weaving is positioned in the flexible production chain in the context of local development.

Methodology/approach – It is based on a research11Report on Effects and Results of the Relationships between Manufacturers and Local Weavers on the Local Social Structure: Cases of Mugla/Yesilyurt, Istanbul/Sile and Kastamonu in collaboration with Asuman Turkun-Erendil and supported by Mugla University Research Projects Unit, 2006 (unpublished project report). study, using mainly oral history methods, of three weaving centers in Anatolia in their attempts to achieve local development through the restructuring of their traditional craft.

Findings – This study shows how a flexible production process is organized in ways in which women's labor is almost always positioned as cheap and insecure. In this process, through production of hegemonic discourses, symbolic capital of secure women's work is drastically decreased and that of the production activity itself (weaving) is increased. It also discusses how the state as the main carrier of symbolic violence, plays an important role in expansion of flexible production and informality directly (with its policies applied in its own enterprises) or indirectly (with its policies in general).

Originality/value of paper – By focusing on the mechanisms through women's labor is kept cheap or unpaid in the organization of the entire production process and also on the relationships between women's labor and the state in local development context, critical points for future discussion and policy-making are raised.