The Competitive Characteristics of Scottish Manufacturing Companies

Aims to examine the competitive characteristics of Scottish manufacturing industry as perceived by the companies themselves. Reports on an empirical survey of all medium (over 100 employees) to large manufacturing companies located in Scotland. The high response rate reflects the topicality of the subject‐matter at director level. Begins by providing a brief profile of respondents, then focuses on the present situation facing Scottish manufacturing companies. Themes discussed in this section include: marketing practices; current competitive features;buying/purchasing effectiveness; planning, control and appraisal methods and finally the critical factors which are currently providing a competitive edge to companies′ activities. The next section briefly discusses present and future issues relating to exporting and Europe. Finally looks to the future by examining issues such as internal factors of importance to business success, proposed investment in engineering/manufacturing techniques, future challenges from external sources and lastly, likely strategic directions over the next five years.