Manufacturing best practices of the electric and electronic firms in Malaysia

A study was conducted to evaluate the manufacturing practices in the electronic and electrical firms of Malaysia based on the criteria identified from literature on a broad‐based manufacturing practice known as world‐class. Based on the replies to a structured questionnaire developed for this study, the current manufacturing practices indicate the status of these firms in their journey towards world‐class manufacturing practices. The result of this study showed that the implementation of “world class” or “best practices” among the respondents is satisfactory especially in the areas of management commitment, internal and external customer service policies and plans, and supplier relationship and development programs. There are some areas of improvement, such as cost of quality, supplier quality, increase operational flexibility and the use of group technology and flexible layout that should be taken into consideration.