Manufacturing flexibility and its effect on system performance

Abstract

In present time, manufacturing industries are facing a very competitive, unpredictable, and ever changing environment, with growing complexity and high levels of customization. In order to achieve the customer satisfaction without sacrificing profitability, one hand industry leaders are trying to invent and adopt newer technologies and on the other hand, top management of industry requires an assurance of early return on their investment from its technical people /managers prior to actual investment in any new technology. Flexibility is probably among the most sought after manufacturing technologies. To address the issue, a prior study of the effect of different flexibility levels on manufacturing process is required. In the present paper an attempt has been made to understand the various flexibility types and their effect on the performance of a Manufacturing System (MS). It is observed that beyond a certain level of flexibility manufacturing system performance starts deterioting. A theoretical frame work for manufacturing system, factors affecting its performance & Manufacturing Flexibility (MF) is laid down. Further, an effort has also been made to present simple probable measure of various flexibility types. Towards the end with the arrangement of various flexibility dimensions in different categories on a flexibility pyramid, the concept of flexibility pyramid is proposed. Some further probable research areas are also identified.