THE IMPACT OF WORLD-CLASS MANUFACTURING PRACTICES ON SMALL MANUFACTURERS - by
David K. Johnson

Figure 4: The Structure of World-class Manufacturing

Metaphorically speaking, this model is similar to a structure assembled from a solid supply-chain management foundation, and the pillars of lean manufacturing and quality, which support operational performance. If one of the components of the structure is removed the structure is inevitably weakened. Literature on the subject of world-class manufacturing suggests that the categories of supply-chain management, lean manufacturing, and quality are mutually supportive, and that the supporting structure of operational performance is weakened when a component of world-class manufacturing is removed.

This model is actually a summarization of individual practices and philosophies that fall into the categories of supply-chain management, lean manufacturing, and quality. Using a cause and effects type analysis and the assistance of experts in the field of operations management theoretical relationships of individual practices and philosophies were traced from the desired effect, a competitive advantage. These theorized relationships are presented in the following diagram (figure 5). From this analysis individual practices and philosophies were grouped into the categories of supply-chain management, lean manufacturing, and quality resulting in the summarized model presented previously. By using the summarized model in the thesis, we are able to simplify the study from prohibitive complexity to a manageable level. Of note, however, is the recognition that the interrelations of individual manufacturing practices and philosophies are much more complicated than what can be represented by a model.

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Copyright © 2005. David K. Johnson. All Rights Reserved.