Agile Manufacturing Strategy
Abstract:
Agility has been widely accepted in manufacturing industry as a new competitive concept. This paper proposes a framework for the implementation of agility as a manufacturing strategy and describes the development and analysis of a numerical taxonomy of agility strategies using the framework .Three distinct clusters of strategy groups were observed across the industry studied: Quick, Responsive and Proactive Players. Quick Players (small industries which only purchase and sell the products) are oriented towards a strong customer focus and quickness. They do not emphasize flexibility and responsiveness to changes and they give low priority to proactiveness and partnership. Responsive Players (large industries which produce innovative products) are preoccupied with flexibility and responsiveness to changes. They do not emphasize proactiveness and partnerships and they attach low importance to quickness. Proactive Players (industries which take customer requirements and will do small changes according to customer needs) are characterized by high priorities on proactiveness and customer focus, high values attached to all capabilities, and high importance given to partnerships. The underlying dimensions of agile capabilities along which the three strategy groups differ were investigated changes/uncertainties in the business environment experienced by members of different strategic groups were compared, and “manufacturing strategy choices,” in terms of manufacturing practices for achieving agility, employed by members of different Strategic groups were studied.
