When it comes to thinking about scale, the assumption of corporate leaders since Henry Ford's day has been that bigger is better. And in many situations, such thinking is inarguably correct because of the cost efficiencies that size provides. But sometimes efficiencies can mask opportunities. In...

This paper describes how a participative simulation model is used to demonstrate supply chain dynamics and to model possible improvements to an entire supply chain. A three-year research project in the automotive steel supply chain found that lack of understanding of the core processes...

The underlying research discussed in this paper is derived from a research programme along three tiers of an automotive steel supply network. The main objective of the initial research was to pinpoint wasteful activities in the supply chain, and in later stages, to develop solutions. The...

Describes a two‐ and, later, a three‐dimensional view of supply chain dynamics within a theoretical framework derived from research carried out in the UK automotive industry. However, the authors believe that the models developed have a far wider applicability than this narrow sectoral and...

Purpose ‐ The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of decentralised control on finished goods inventory levels in a distribution system, and to identify the factors that determine the overall inventory level. Design/methodology/approach ‐ The authors' study is based on a mixed...

The establishment of supplier parks (i.e., the co-location of component suppliers in the immediate vicinity of the vehicle assembly plant), is a relatively recent phenomenon in the automotive industry. The first supplier park officially labeled as such was opened in Abrera, Spain, in 1992 to...

Empirical work on order fulfillment strategies suggests that building products to customer order is an important driver of organizational value. Similarly, the experimental literature indicates that customers derive value from customization. The modeling literature provides a more equivocal...

3D printing has been widely identified as an emerging disruptive technology. In this study we investigate how this technology could enable the circular economy by disrupting the existing materials value chain. Specifically we ask whether this novel technology could be used to locally manufacture...

Outsourcing initiatives are key to firm efforts to focus on core competencies, alter engrained practices and attain significant cost reductions in non-core processes. Extensive thought goes into the selection of outsourcing service providers, with the aim of enlisting vendors that have the...

This is the Fifth Edition of what has become a standard bestselling text on the tools, systems, and principles of Lean Manufacturing and Lean Operations. The Lean Toolbox covers Lean Philosophy, The Science of Lean, Improvement, Change, Strategy, Flow, Mapping, Scheduling, Layout, Quality,...