Vehicle manufacturers build the majority of vehicles to a sales forecast and links between production and final customer orders are tenuous. A greater percentage of build to order (BTO) vehicle production may offer the European automotive industry a competitive edge. The EU and industry funded...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to introduce and provide an insight into the benefits of outsourcing the procurement function for engineering commodity items. Design/methodology/approach – Research into the literature presents the development of outsourcing procurement functions and...

Internet based information and communication technology provides the opportunity for small firms to improve their competitiveness. This paper presents a methodology that responds to the needs of small firms whilst overcoming the constraints to their use of these technologies. Key features of...

In engineering companies, intensified competition has increased interest in effective performance measurement particularly in manufacturing operations. More recently, it has been realised that significant potential for improving competitiveness may well be available by applying suitable measures...