Making manufacturing flexibility operational – part 1: a framework

Abstract

Develops a framework for manufacturing flexibility which illustrates how to obtain consistency from manufacturing strategy to the resource characteristics in the production system. Provides guidance on how to analyse and develop manufacturing flexibility in a corporate decision‐making context. Uses the well‐known input‐transformation‐output (ITO) model as a starting point for building the frame‐work. Makes a clear distinction between internal and external factors impinging on the company, connecting the market demand for flexibility, the characteristics of the production system and the flexibility of the suppliers. Pursues the connection from the strategic level to the individual resource characteristics in the production system.

Sources of volume flexibility and their impact on performance

“…To further enhance its responsiveness, the company has created strategic alliances with some of the most recognized distributors in the world such as Ingram Micro, Merisel Inc., and Tech Data. These observations highlight the clear distinction made between internal and external factors by Nilsson and Nordahl (1995). Their conceptual model connects the market demand for flexibility to the characteristics of the production system, as well as the flexibility of the suppliers.…”

Working with JIT requires a Flexible Approach

“…Many manufacturing businesses are investing heavily in FMS to compete in markets characterized by mass customization, shortened product life cycles, stringent product specifications, and global supply and distribution [11]. Nilsson and Nordhahl [12,13] have developed a framework for practitioners to follow to enhance flexibility for competitive advantage. His approach is pragmatic and therefore useful as it focuses on a process for analyzing and developing flexibility instead of defining a general classification of different types of flexibility.…”

The Link between Modification Flexibility and Organizational Objectives: An Empirical Study on Jordanian Manufacturing Companies

“…Similarly, Wainwright and Bateman [40] argue that the need for flexibility is emphasized in response to changes associated with compression of product life cycles, increased product diversity and a reduction in customer lead times. A need for wider product scopes and the trend towards shorter product life cycles are some factors that make flexibility a top priority issue in manufacturing strategy [27] . Similarly, [19] referring to [8,10,13] , Corrêa [9] argue that the need for flexibility is linked to two groups of factors namely:…”

“…Oke [28] New product flexibility: The ability of a manufacturing system to introduce and manufacture new parts and products [27] . Mix flexibility: The ability of the organization to produce different combinations of products economically and effectively, given a certain capacity [43] .…”