The connectance model revisited: a tool for manufacturing objective deployment

Much has been written about manufacturing strategy and its role in supporting firms in achieving competitive advantage in the marketplace. However, little is available on the process of manufacturing objective deployment, that is, on how to translate a given objective into the choice of action plans. There is a lack of methods to assist managers in identifying the range of alternative actions prior to arriving at a final decision. To address this gap, this paper revisits Burbidge’s connectance model and explains how the concept could be utilised as a tool for manufacturing improvement action plan selection. A software tool, tool for action plan selection was developed based on the concept and tested in a number of industrial case studies. This paper concludes by discussing the implication of this work for managers and academics.