Infrastructure and flexible manufacturing technology: Theory development

The operational infrastructure required to benefit from the routine use of flexible manufacturing technology was investigated and eleven propositions and three conceptual models identifying the impact of specific infrastructure elements on the benefits attained from the use of flexibility manufacturing technology were developed.

Abstract

Abstract Many firms have installed flexible manufacturing technologies but have not achieved the expected benefits. While considerable research has been conducted on the difficulty of implementing advanced forms of technology, this study investigated the operational infrastructure required to benefit from the routine use of such technology. Six in‐depth case studies were conducted to ascertain the performance impact of three areas of the operational infrastructure: the operator's role, the production planning systems and the integration of technology with the organization. Performance was evaluated in terms of quality, marketing, responsiveness, cost/productivity, inventory and on‐time delivery. Based on the insights from the case studies, eleven propositions and three conceptual models identifying the impact of specific infrastructure elements on the benefits attained from the use of flexible manufacturing technology were developed.