Enhancing quality management through intra- and inter-plant integration in manufacturing networks

Abstract

This study investigates the relationships among quality management (QM), integration and business performance in the context of manufacturing networks. Specifically, two kinds of integration in manufacturing networks are examined: intra-plant integration (integration across functions within a plant) and inter-plant integration (integration across plants within a manufacturing network). An international survey of 493 manufacturing plants was used to test the hypothesised relationships. Results show that both intra-plant integration and inter-plant integration enhance QM practices and business performance. Moreover, intra-plant integration is a prerequisite for inter-plant integration while inter-plant integration has a more significant effect on QM than intra-pant integration does.

Keywords:

• Quality management
• manufacturing network
• intra-plant integration
• inter-plant integration

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China [grant number 71472166].