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In an increasingly volatile and complex market environment, adaptability becomes essential to success. Basic to every manufacturing strategy is the identification of the technological means of meeting the firm’s competitive priorities. But what should guide the decision‐making process regarding which capabilities to develop, given rapid change and uncertain outcomes? Current manufacturing strategy models fall short of explaining how firms adapt to technological change and what is the source of that change. To meet this need, we can turn to evolutionary economics. The model presented in this paper holds that technologically embodied trade‐offs change the practices of technology users, creating momentum along existent trajectories. The paper reports evidence to support the model, gathered through a series of interviews with technology users, suppliers, and service providers. The findings indicate that manufacturing strategy forms a critical link not only in firms’ ability to adapt to change in their environments, but also in their ability to knowingly shape their futures.

To develop a model for manufacturing strategy formulation and implementation to help the managerial body of a corporation improve the efficiency and effectiveness of their company.

The quality function deployment (QFD) technique is used in the formulation process to provide the basis for selection between options in each of the formulation stages. The proposed model consists of six stages starting from the business strategy formulation, functional strategy formulation, manufacturing priorities formulation, the generation of action plans and the suggestions of the detailed tasks of each action plan, and ending up with the evaluation of the developed strategy. QFD capture software is used to form the matrices needed for the proposed model.

It was found that the proposed QFD approach is easy to apprehend, clear to be applied and leads to dependable manufacturing strategy. Accordingly, this model is recommended to be used in other functional areas in addition to manufacturing to develop their functional strategies.

After the application of this model, the quality of management in this company was improved and recommended for other companies.

The paper provides a QFD approach that can be applied to any company by their managerial body in order to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of their company.

Notes that substantive relationships between dimensions of competition and supportive manufacturing strengths have not been clearly established. Existing priorities‐based models of strategy ignore the dynamics of manufacturing capabilities. Furthermore, these models employ highly aggregated concepts which mix together operational priorities, outcomes, and capabilities, making hierarchical relationships in strategy difficult to define. Develops and proposes a new framework which modifies existing models of business strategy and manufacturing strategy in order to clarify and define core dimensions of competitive differentiation and manufacturing capabilities. Discusses relationships among these dimensions that are apparent in previous research and case studies. These relationships are summarized by a comprehensive model with propositions regarding supportive links between manufacturing capabilities, manufacturing outcomes, and product differentiation. Concludes by suggesting directions for tests of the model and for related future research.

Extant manufacturing strategy research dichotomizes the trade‐off model and the cumulative model, but fails to explain each strategic result. The purpose of this paper is to propose four key antecedents of a trade‐off versus a cumulative model by manufacturing business units (MBUs), and in turn, their association with business performance.

The authors first review literature pertaining to the history and major themes of manufacturing strategy. Next, the authors present a theoretical model with explanations of the methodology and research design used. The model is empirically tested, and conclusions, managerial implications, and future research opportunities that stem from this research effort are provided.

Strategic time orientation, as well as manufacturing practices of supply chain integration intensity and advanced manufacturing technology, are empirically found to be associated with MBUs' combinative competitive capabilities. More specifically, manufacturers following these practices are more apt to realize higher levels combinative capabilities, as depicted by the cumulative model.

The paper shows that these manufacturing practices may extend the time within which the MBU reaches its capability frontiers, and therefore, increase the odds that it can exploit its current resources. Moreover, MBU size negatively moderates the relationship between advanced manufacturing technology and the cumulative model.

A quantitative theoretical model is proposed to measure how productivity performance can be affected by strategic decisions related to specific competitive priorities.

This study proposes the Primary Transformation Model (PTM) and an equation to measure cause-and-effect relationships between productivity and competitive priorities.

The interdependence between productivity and competitive priorities was studied using the PTM and the proposed model indicates that strategies that improve external performance also impact internal productivity. It was also observed that the compatibility between competitive priorities depends on the initial manufacturing conditions and the implementation method adopted.

The proposed model is theoretical and, as such, is an abstraction of reality and does not consider all possible aspects. It consists of a novel approach that still requires further empirical testing. The PTM provides insights about the trade-offs between productivity and strategic objectives, as well, contributes to the ongoing research on manufacturing strategy and can be further developed in future studies.

The main practical implication is to allow companies to relate their strategic decisions to their productivity performance.

This research also contributes to societal issues by enabling firms to better align strategic objectives and operations, which ultimately allows offering products more suited to the needs of customers, thus making better use of the required resources and favoring economic growth.

The model proposed allows objective assessment of actions aiming at operational efficiency and effectiveness, in addition to providing insights into cause-and-effect relationships between productivity and competitive priorities. The model can also be used in empirical investigations on manufacturing strategy.

Explores the interrelationships between environmental issues and manufacturing strategy. Based on the theoretical underpinnings of previous work in the field of manufacturing strategy and insights from an open‐ended and exploratory survey of strategic decision makers in a wide variety of manufacturing settings, attempts to illustrate the potential synergies between environmental management and manufacturing strategy. Expands the models of Wheelwright and Hayes (1985) and Hill (1994) in order to suggest that operational excellence may provide leverage towards environmental excellence for manufacturers.

Manufacturing strategy has gained increasing attention in recent years. However, the development of theory is inadequate. In addition, there has been insufficient development and validation of operational measures for theoretical constructs derived from a particular conceptualization of strategy. Makes a contribution to theory development of manufacturing strategy by presenting a path analytic model which describes a sequential relationship between uncertainty, risk, manufacturing strategy and performance constructs. The manufacturing strategy constructs include both strategic content and strategic process, in which the content is specified by manufacturing flexibility and the process is specified by four organizational process variables. Using data from three types of industries with 25 manufacturers in each, it was found that both environmental uncertainty and risk taking influenced manufacturing strategy constructs, e.g. the role of the manufacturing function, manufacturing planning activities, environmental interaction and flexibility. A low level of risk taking was facilitative in the formulation of manufacturing strategy constructs. Consequently, the manufacturing strategy constructs influenced business performance.

The purpose of this paper is to assess the implications of organizational knowledge, source of information and functional orientation, resource-based view of the manufacturing and global orientation, on manufacturing practices which include advanced manufacturing strategies.

An empirical study approach has been used to assess the implications of advanced manufacturing strategies on firm performance.

This paper provides a framework for managers to: assess competitive priorities of the industry; identify order winners for the industry; identify key decision areas or practices for improvements; and to assess the role of implications of organizational knowledge on the manufacturing practices.

The limitations are as follows: the issue of organizational knowledge and learning is assessed from manufacturing view point only; plants located all over India are considered for study; and considers plants employing different manufacturing systems and products.

Saturated with the conventional manufacturing technologies, a growing number of small- and medium-scale industries began to explore advanced manufacturing technologies (AMTs). Investment in AMTs remains a promising but potentially risky venture. This paper helps the small- and medium-scale industries to adopt viable AMTs and business performance strategies and then provides guidelines for enhancing their competitiveness.

This paper may help all the stakeholders of small- and medium-scale industry.

This paper is based on one of the few studies conducted to assess the implications of advanced manufacturing strategies on firm performance in Indian scenario.

With the increasing level of competition in many competitive environments, a body of research regards the ability to formulate and implement a formulated strategy as an equally important source of competitive advantage. The rate of change in both internal and external environments of manufacturing firms is increasing, which necessitates that increased attention be paid to strategic planning and strategy formulation. This paper reviews the concepts of strategy, strategic planning and strategy formulation. It then discusses the common strategy determinants and describes the characteristics of several planning frameworks and methodologies. A conceptual synergy model for strategy formulation is proposed, and its features and characteristics are presented along with a discussion of its applicability in manufacturing enterprises.

The contribution that human resource management practices might make to the successful implementation of manufacturing strategy is examined. It is argued, on the basis of empirical research, that organisations typically adopt one of three different approaches to handling the critical human resource management practices which are identified. These findings have implications both for practitioners considering a change in their strategy for manufacturing, and for the further development of models of manufacturing strategy.