Designing market‐oriented production systems: theory and practice

Abstract

The aim of many publications on the subject of market‐oriented production systems has been first to help practitioners to withstand the increasing pressure on production, and second to encourage academia to investigate empirically the manufacturing strategy concept. Whereas the former aim is gradually being achieved, empirical research into the way companies formulate and implement their manufacturing strategies and the effects of that process on success in the market‐place is relatively scarce. Consequently, although, there are several useful concepts reported in the literature, a validated model that covers all the relevant insights management need to conduct the manufacturing strategy process effectively is still lacking. Aims, through the research, to take a step towards such a model. Presents this model, discusses its background, in particular the prerequisites of a model to be useful for management, assesses its validity using the results of 19 case studies, and indicates directions for further research needed to improve the utility of the model for management.