Managing International Manufacturing

This book presents the current state of knowledge and pending questions in the internationalisation of manufacturing from the perspective of production management. In spite of its substantial reality and accelerated growth, internationalisation of manufacturing has not received much attention from the researchers in the production and operations management area. Most of the body of knowledge on international manufacturing has been from the perspective of the economists, political scientists, industry analysts, or others. This book, bringing together contributions from some of the world scholars, presents a first reference for academics and practitioners in manufacturing management.

Using site-specific optimization approaches in international manufacturing networks is increasingly proving insufficient. To solve this problem, several holistic and integrated alternatives have been developed to reflect a global perspective. This book presents advances in the St. Gallen Global Manufacturing Network Model and its application in numerous industry-, benchmarking- and research projects. The contents combine data-driven solutions with qualitative management frameworks for the strategic optimization of international manufacturing networks. In the first part, the book addresses the foundation of manufacturing network management and further describes the St. Gallen Operational Excellence approaches to manage plant performance. On this basis, the authors show how plant- and network-level performance can be enhanced via key improvement domains (e.g., strategy, configuration, coordination, performance management, digitalization). In turn, the second part demonstrates the application of the constructs in manufacturing companies from various industries. By combining research and practice, the book offers unique perspectives on the management of global production striving toward higher performance on manufacturing site and network level.

The preceding process of globalization and the continuously rising competitive pressure on manufacturing companies in more developed economies unveiled the limits of classical site-focused optimization approaches. The focus of network optimization shifts ever more towards an integrative view of manufacturing networks, striving for a harmonization of the strategy-, configuration- and coordination levels. This book presents such an integrative approach to the strategic management of manufacturing networks. Besides strategic network requirements, this book discusses the derivation of an optimal global footprint and the optimization of network coordination activities. Special attention is paid to the site roles concept, especially to the concept of 'lead factory'. A large number of up-to-date cases from the producing industry enrich the book and provide the reader with vivid examples for the application of the presented concepts. Hence, this book is a must-read for both practitioners and academic researchers.

Containing case studies and research findings, this book deals with methods and tools suitable for designing, managing, and controlling processes within the supply chain. The authors are leading experts within the international community in the field of production management.

This guide for managers with a non-technical knowledge of manufacturing, explains new manufacturing processes and how operations can be planned and controlled effectively. Recent changes in technology and the manufacturing environment, means that managers need to understand more about technology.

Over the last twenty years, there has been an increasing number of factors that have placed the manufacturing strategies of companies and countries in a global context. This book reviews and addresses the global manufacturing strategy area through research in the four major economic areas of the world: Europe, North America, Latin America and Asia. International Manufacturing Strategies: Context, Content and Change is the result of a single major research project undertaken in twenty countries, focusing on the manufacturing strategies and practices in each, and uses research data to focus on factors specific to industrial countries or regions and those which are common across the group of countries or the entire sample The core of this book is a set of chapters reviewing individual countries. Each country is reviewed in a format with an overall common approach: the socio-economic background; the distinctive results for that country from the research and the link between the two. Most will be illustrated by a small case study of a company. Following this is an integrating review of the findings from various countries, the different trajectories followed, and the impact on external variables and the socioeconomic context on those. The final part of the book is devoted to new ideas and developments in functional areas and in manufacturing strategy that have been developed from the analysis conducted during the research.

To stay competitive and meet market expectations in a global economy, both domestic and foreign companies must realign their manufacturing processes, make improvements, and increase their manufacturing capabilities. With large numbers of employees working in a network of domestic and foreign facilities, production processes are as varied as the products being produced. Manufacturing managers need a manufacturing plan or strategy that will bring structure to this complex environment. In Manufacturing Strategy: How to Formulate and Implement a Winning Plan, 2nd Edition, John Miltenburg offers a sensible and systematic method to: (1) evaluate domestic and foreign factories and international manufacturing and (2) plan the appropriate manufacturing strategy to be first in the market. Incorporating comments and suggestions from managers who used the first edition of Manufacturing Strategy, John Miltenburg expands and improves on his focus in the areas of: International Manufacturing — where the focus is on a company's international network of factories; Competitive Strategy — where managers must understand the role manufacturing strategy plays in their company's business strategy; and Manufacturing Programs — showing how programs such as quality management, six sigma, agile manufacturing, and supply chain management fit within the manufacturing strategy. Manufacturing Strategy gives managers a common language for dealing with manufacturing problems at both strategic and operational levels. It improves communication between manufacturing managers and those outside manufacturing (who will now have a better understanding of what manufacturing can and cannot do).

The phenomenon of globalization has increased in recent decades due to the opening of borders in Eastern Europe and the sudden emergence of other countries in the global trade economy. Yet, the process of becoming global to get access to growing markets or to achieve quality, service, and/or cost advantages from the reconfigured Value Chains is one