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The introduction of advanced manufacturing technologies can result in prolonged start‐up phases long after commercial production has started up. Progress of manufacturing performance is often prevented owing to extensive start‐up losses, giving rise to uncertainty. Based on a longitudinal case study of a Swedish manufacturer of engines for the automotive industry, the paper investigates the start‐up process of an advanced manufacturing system. The theory underlying learning curves and manufacturing progress functions are used to illustrate progress in manufacturing performance that takes place as time passes and the production volume is accumulated. A start‐up methodology, the concept of full‐speed testing, is outlined, empirically documented and analyzed by means of qualitative and quantitative inquiry. Full‐speed testing is a methodology for detecting potential problems and limitations in technology and organization, and for increasing the rate of direct labor‐ and cognitive learning. Tentative support is found for the notion that material supply, organization design and increased problem‐solving capacity are related to the rate with which manufacturing performance progresses as time passes and production capacity is accumulated.

The purpose of this paper is to reflect on interactive research as a means to create relevant knowledge in the domain of operations management in general and specifically in the context of production start-up.

The reflection on the use of interactive research in production start-ups was based on a study of two completed interactive research projects. The lens for reflection was a framework including context, quality of relationship, quality of the research process itself and outcomes.

The context was industrial manufacturing companies in Sweden, with different kind of challenges related to production start-ups, such as collaboration between involved functions and suppliers, competence development and work routines. Indicators of the quality of relationship between researchers and practitioners were initiated development activities and new collaboration between functions, within the company, between companies and in supply chains. The reflection of the quality of the research process itself was based on an interactive research process including four iterative steps with regular follow-ups allowing joint practitioner and researcher reflection on the progress. Identified outcomes included increased awareness and competence on how to deal with production start-ups, improvements of communication, work procedures and structures, better use of competences, increased cross-functional dialogue and cultural understanding.

Implications for practitioners are the possibilities for knowledge creation through interactive collaboration in research projects enabling exchange between researchers from complementary fields and other companies dealing with production start-ups.

The interactive research approach enables joint knowledge creation in a fast-changing context such as production start-ups as well as value-adding results both for practitioners in industry and for academia.

This paper describes the major barriers across the design‐manufacturing interface and examines ways to overcome them to achieve a smooth production start‐up. An integration model reveals that formalization facilitates a smooth production start‐up. Independent of the degree of formalization during the early development stages, a formal approach is preferred when the new product is introduced into production. Another facilitating factor is the empathy from design towards manufacturing, which can be stimulated by managerial actions. Although the complexity and newness of product and technology hinder a smooth production start‐up, their effect seems to vanish by introducing formalization and by striving for a design team that has empathy towards manufacturing.

The materials planning (MP) environment sets the prerequisites for the MP process. Before and during production transfer and start-up (PTS) supply chain uncertainty of the MP environment increases, as the company goes from a known to an unknown situation. The purpose of this paper is to describe the impact of the MP environment on the MP process before and during PTS.

A conceptual framework describing the MP environment before and during PTS is developed and applied to one case of outsourcing from Sweden to China. The framework is based on a literature review and further evaluated by both researchers and managers.

A conceptual framework describing the dynamic MP environment before and during PTS has been developed compared to previously static MP environments descriptions. In addition, this framework proved to be useful in analysing the importance of various characteristics of the MP environment before and during PTS.

The study highlights the importance of a proactive approach to materials availability when transferring production. The conceptual framework developed here can be used as a checklist to identify the characteristics of the MP environment that are most important to ensuring materials availability.

The paper highlights the PTS when outsourcing, a substantial time frame with a large impact on success. This is an important contribution, given the focus of previous outsourcing research on strategic issues. Further, the paper demonstrates the differences between static and dynamic MP environments.

This paper aims to develop a procedure for preparing production transfers based on risk management principles. The procedure should help companies reduce the amount of supply chain disruptions during transfers and achieve their outsourcing/offshoring objectives.

The procedure was developed during a three-year Design Science study. First, a literature review and case studies were conducted to frame the research problem. Second, a preliminary procedure was developed based on preventive risk mitigation actions from the production transfer literature. Third, the procedure was implemented during an electronics-offshoring case and refined during workshops with the sender and receiver’s transfer personnel. Fourth, during a seminar, transfer practitioners verified the procedure by applying it to outsourcing/offshoring cases with which they had experience.

Most of the preventive actions were evaluated as relevant for the transfers the procedure was applied to, regardless of industry and relocation type. Moreover, the electronics-offshoring case showed that the success of a production transfer not only depends on the physical, knowledge and supply chain transfers, as presented in earlier research, but also on the administrative transfer and on the organisation, project and quality management actions. This paper also attempts to enhance the production transfer literature by clarifying transfer risk management.

The procedure can be used during the production transfer phase as a preparation procedure. Moreover, it informs the decision-making process during the relocation-decision and supplier-selection phases.

To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first production-transfer-preparation procedure based on risk management principles.

The purpose of this paper is to explore how the manufacturing and supply chain flexibility impact on the ability to transfer production between the units, i.e. production network coordination. To take advantage of available opportunities for different actors and locations, companies need to effectively transfer production.

The case studied was a transfer of production between The Netherlands and Sweden. The case was selected based on the opportunity it provided to perform a longitudinal study of an ongoing production transfer.

Different flexibility dimensions have different importance depending on the receiver or sender. A production transfer can be divided into four parts: knowledge, physical, administrative and supply chain transfer. The manufacturing flexibility have a high impact on the physical and knowledge transfer, the new product development dimension also have a major impact on the administrative transfer in combination with the supply chain flexibility dimension IT. The supply chain transfer was impacted by the supply chain flexibility dimensions except IT.

The paper presents a first step towards a tool for analysing the strength and weaknesses within units in relation to receiving/sending production. Furthermore, that the production transfer should be viewed as four parts with interdependencies help to identify the order of the transfer process.

This paper widens the flexibility concept to a network level. Furthermore, it describes the link between the strategic decision of coordination in the network and the operational ability of the network to accomplish this change.

QFD is a product development and implementation tool to translate the customer′s product requirements into the design of the equipment to make that product, and then into the manufacturing plan to produce that product. QFD ensures that the “voice of the customer” is not lost as plans for changing a product or making a new one proceed from concept generation through to production start‐up. Focuses on steps beyond the house of quality: the process planning and the production planning matrices, and emphasizes the practical application of QFD to new product development. Describes the formation of the QFD team, at Kimberley Clarke Corporation, the strategies used to get around the barriers that existed, the results of the effort of the programme, and the transformation in the use of QFD from a “tool” to “the culture” by which business gets done on this programme.

The purpose of this paper is to provide the insights on the challenges influencing rural start-ups. It provides insights with regards to managerial, operational, marketing and finance-related challenges influencing the rural start-ups in the study. The study aims to expand the domain of start-ups by including a broader range of challenges and related aspects found in the start-up literature.

The paper opted for an exploratory study using the open-ended approach of grounded theory, including 61 rural start-ups operating in Karnataka, India. The data were analysed through non-parametric test to understand the comparison between different sectors of rural start-ups.

It suggests that marketing techniques and infrastructure challenges influences the rural start-ups. Therefore, success of start-ups is influenced by these related variables.

Because of the chosen research approach, the research results may lack generalizability. Researchers are therefore encouraged to test the proposed propositions further in the area of challenges and growth in the domain of managerial, infrastructure, marketing, finance, human resource and logistics in rural start-ups. The study is restricted to rural start-ups located in districts of Karnataka, India.

The paper includes implications for managing the challenges for enhancing the growth of start-ups. The paper provides insights on the significant challenges witnessed by the start-ups and provides directions for the growth of start-ups.

This paper fulfils an identified need of the start-ups in rural sector and contribute to the growth of start-ups in rural sector of India.

This paper fulfils an identified need to study how rural start-ups operate and create a niece in the growth of Indian economy.

Although prior research provides evidence that production ramp-up is often disrupted by supplier-related problems, it fails to discuss how the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and various types of suppliers integrate their functions and operations to secure preparations for production ramp-up. The purpose of this paper is to investigate OEM–supplier integration in a new product development (NPD) project to prepare for production ramp-up.

The results presented in this paper are based on a real-time, longitudinal study of a single collaborative NPD project in the mechanical engineering industry. The NPD project involves seven suppliers and it is carried out in a large Swedish company (the OEM) and fits the theory-elaborating approach of this research.

This study argues that the aspect of timing in OEM–supplier integration, the OEM’s research and development (R&D) attitude toward collaboration and the OEM’s (R&D) operating procedure are challenges affecting the preparation for production ramp-up. The following three mechanisms to facilitate OEM–supplier integration in order to prepare for production ramp-up are also discussed: the mediator’s role, the OEM’s face-to-face meeting at the project level and suppliers’ formal face-to-face meetings with the OEM and internally.

This paper elaborates on and extends prior research on production ramp-up by conducting an empirical analysis that incorporates supplier integration in NPD. It bridges the gap between the literature on production ramp-up and on supplier integration in NPD and clearly indicates that supplier integration is an important prerequisite for successful production ramp-up.

This paper details the experiences gained by a photoresist manufacturer, an equipment supplier and a PCB manufacturing end user in the conversion of an inner layer production facility from dry film to liquid resists. The paper describes the steps necessary to plan the conversion, install equipment, start up production, train personnel and yield improve a liquid resist fine line inner layer process.