Organizes the wide‐ranging literature on “new wave manufacturing” factors which impact on the flow of materials into six themes which are related to a conceptual model. The six themes are: the effects of under‐capacity loading; the role of pull scheduling; the reduction of variability;...

The role of quality and how it is defined in a supply chain are discussed and the change in the meaning of quality as relationships evolve from supplier to co‐maker described. The way in which the supplier′s responsibility for quality grows as co‐makership develops is dealt with and the...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to critically assess current developments in the theory and practice of supply management and through such an assessment to identify barriers, possibilities and key trends. Design/methodology/approach – The paper is based on a three‐year detailed...

Purpose – This paper aims to explore the influence of human resource (HR) practices in shaping inter‐organisational supply relationships, and to describe the extent to which supply partners seek to adapt their internal HR practices to the external relationship. Design/methodology/approach...

Purpose – This paper aims to use institutional theory to explore the role of human resource (HR) practices as carriers in the evolution of interdependent supply relationships. Design/methodology/approach – This is a qualitative study of an inter‐firm supply relationship where the two...

Case‐based research of the early days in the establishment of a Just‐in‐Time supply contract is examined. Schedule variability was shown to be more apparent than real, although it had previously been identified as causing high stock levels and poor availability of material. Improved...

This article focuses on the application of manufacturing concepts in a medium‐sized manufacturer of plastic products for medical use. The company produces a range of product lines for a wide range of markets. The article illustrates how concepts such as factory focus, plant within a plant, and...

The concept of world class manufacturing is examined in terms of the definitions which have been developed in recent survey based research. A fundamental flaw in such approaches is that they model a fixed notion of manufacturing competitiveness. The paper presents results from case based...

Managerial practices and perceptions in the implementation of just‐in‐time (JIT) principles and concepts are significantly different in the United Kingdom compared to the United States. In a study of 99 companies located throughout both countries, several distinct differences between the US...