The Flexible Manufacturing Mission—Some Implications for Management

Flexible manufacturing can be understood and managed even by non‐technological senior management provided they are involved in agreeing market parameters, technological flexibility needs, quality, cost and delivery performances. Abdicating the responsibility of technological decisions to lower levels of management is to be avoided. Companies aiming to satisfy customer needs by rapid response, through having a flexible manufacturing system which integrates market and financial requirements with effective production, will compete in the future. A development path extending three to ten years into the future is required, to integrate flexible manufacturing into an effective element of corporate strategy.