Agility: The ultimate requirement for world‐class manufacturing performance

Abstract

Abstract It is becoming increasingly clear that the future success of U.S. industry depends on world‐class quality in its products and services. The achievement of this goal requires steps that go beyond the mere improvement of manufacturing. The leading organizations of the next century mill be those that integrate quality‐improvement efforts with agile manufacturing, which requires the utmost in customer responsiveness and a willingness to create virtual corporations that agree to pool their resources toward the achievement of common objectives. If United States industry takes up the agility challenge, the prize will be renewed U.S. quality and competitiveness.