Research issues in cellular manufacturing

Abstract

Both industry and academia are currently devoting considerable interest to cellular manufacturing systems. Despite this growing attention, the existing literature does not adequately address a number of issues related to the successful adoption of these systems. This paper identifies a large number of research topics related to cellular manufacturing, discusses the need for their investigation, and suggests appropriate methodologies for their study. This research agenda is presented in the context of four important decision areas for new technology adoption—applicability, justification, system design, and implementation. The volume and variety of topics identified allow us to conclude that cellular manufacturing is an area with many researchable issues, spanning several academic disciplines, and requiring a multitude of research methodologies.