Much has been written and talked about on the subject of lean manufacturing (LM) since the idea was first defined by Womack, Jones and Roos. This has stimulated academics and practitioners within various sectors of manufacturing industry to assess the viability of applying lean manufacturing principles to their circumstances. Addresses the vexing question asked specifically by many manufacturers in high variety, low volume (HVLV) segments: "Can we either directly or in adapted form apply LM principles and, if so, how do we go about it in our circumstances?" First describes the main characteristics of HVLV situations and then, drawing from experience of such organizations, contrasts these characteristics with those of the typical large lean manufacturing company. Uses this discussion as the framework to debate some of the major organizational and technological barriers which need to be overcome in applying lean principles in HVLVs. Then proposes approaches which feasibly can be considered when implementing lean manufacturing principles within a typical HVLV situation. Concludes with examples of the application of these principles to real situations in two case companies. The cases present instances of how organizations adapt lean principles to design and implement logistics and manufacturing operations for leanness, in creating and leveraging integrative supplier relationships and in evolving towards a process orientation which permits the institution of consistent measures to gauge strategic performance.
As manufactured products become more complex, their design and manufacturing demands more and more resource which is being increasingly sbared between the supply/value cbain members. Competition is being typified less by firm versus firm and more by supply chain versus supply chain. The final assemblers are simplifying their supply chain to reduce logistics complexity and provide best value to the final customer. To suppliers, particularly SM Es, this gives rise to both opportunities for increasing 'added value', as well as threats of being dropped from rationalized supplier bases. Historically, SMEs have been sandwiched between large customers and suppliers and have always reacted to their superior bargaining power. Now, if the SMEs want to survive and grow, they have to adopt a more proactive stance to re-position themselves in response to these supply chain trends. In this paper, we present a technique for re-positioning the supplier in terms of 'physical value added' and competency/practice-based 'differentiation'. We use the proposed approach to see how one supplier has successfully changed his business and another has developed plans to change, in line with the trends in their industry structure.
lobality'' is a term we use to describe a new and different global reality, one in which most businesses will face unrelenting competition from businesses everywhere for everything. Simply put, globality is what comes next after globalization.In the last three decades, globalization has been characterized by two fundamental trends:B Established industry leaders -known as ''incumbents'' -from the developed economies of the United States, Japan, and Europe, relocated their manufacturing activities to developing countries in order to lower the cost of production and, accordingly, reduce the price of their goods offered in their home markets.B The incumbents also began to sell their offerings -usually with few if any modifications for local consumers -into the low-cost markets and enjoyed incremental sales gains, as the consumer economies began to grow in these countries. The flow of commerce was driven from West to East; it followed established Western business practices; and companies in the rapidly developing economies took roles as suppliers, jobbers, and, occasionally, local distributors or partners.
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