Manufacturing strategy and production systems: An integrated framework

TLDR

Manufacturing strategy research has identified a contingency framework linking production systems to manufacturing strategies, but the relationships among system types and strategic dimensions remain underexplored. This paper proposes a set of potential profiles for different production systems and manufacturing strategies and seeks to clarify their interconnections. The authors develop a conceptual link between generic manufacturing strategy—defined by cost efficiency and differentiation—and production system typology—defined by technical complexity and flexibility—introducing four system types (intermittent, continuous, concurrent, degenerate) and outlining methods to measure each technology dimension. The resulting integrated framework consolidates terminology and concepts from business strategy and manufacturing technology, providing a foundation for future empirical validation.

Abstract

Abstract This paper suggests a set of potential profiles for different types of production systems and manufacturing strategies and deals with the contingency framework that links production systems to manufacturing strategies. Specifically, an explicit conceptual link is drawn between “generic manufacturing strategy” that uses two dimensions of strategy (cost efficiency and differentiation) and the complementary production system typology in manufacturing that uses technical complexity and technical flexibility. Proposed production systems are “intermittent production system”, “continuous production system”, “concurrent production system”, and “degenerate production system”. This paper also expands the area of interest to focus on the development of methods and measures of each technology dimension that can be validated in some way. Thus, this study, by suggesting an integrated framework, clarifies and combines the terms and concepts related to manufacturing strategies based on the results of business strategy research and new manufacturing technology for further empirical study with this framework.