Choices in manufacturing strategy decision areas in batch production system – six case studies

Abstract

The configuration of a production system can be described by the choices a firm makes in its manufacturing decision areas. Manufacturing strategy literature lacks empirical research in manufacturing decision areas. The current paper is an exploratory study using six case companies on alternative configurations that can exist in a batch production system. Choices made in decisions such as layout, shop floor control, etc., were found to be similar for all six companies that use batch process. However, there were a number of decisions that were found to be non-process specific and are influenced by product complexity, important competitive priorities, strategic orientation of manufacturing, top management decisions and the size of the company. The paper concludes with managerial implications and future research directions.

Keywords:

• batch production system
• manufacturing strategy
• manufacturing decision areas
• decision choices
• case studies

Acknowledgement

The authors are grateful to the six case companies for their participation in this research. The authors thank the two anonymous reviewers for their valuable comments, which helped in improving the content and presentation of the paper.