Abs ac —The aim o his s udy is o iden i y he condi ions o
implemen a ion o econ igu abili y in summa izing pas lexible
manu ac u ing sys ems (FMS) esea ch by d awing o e all
conclusions om many sepa a e High Pe o mance Manu ac u ing
(HPM) s udies. Me a-analysis will be applied o links be ween HPM
p og ams and hei p ac ices ela ed o FMS and manu ac u ing
pe o mance wi h pa icula e e ence o esponsi eness pe o mance.
Mo e speci ically, an applica ion o me a-analysis will be made wi h
e e ence o wo o he main s eps owa ds he de elopmen o an
empi ically- es ed heo y: es ing he adequacy o he measu emen o
a iables and es ing he linkages be ween he a iables.
Keywo ds—FMS ( lexible manu ac u ing sys em), HPM (high
pe o mance manu ac u ing), econ igu abili y, RMS ( econ igu able
manu ac u ing sys em), esponsi eness
I. INTRODUCTION
PERATIONS MANAGEMENT (OM) li e a u e has
somehow es ablished ha inc easing global compe i ion
has made he indus y u n i s a en ion o c i ical issues such
as compe i i eness, p oduc i i y, quali y, e c. Hence,
manu ac u e s seek new app oaches o manu ac u ing
p ocesses, and explo e new bounda ies o echnology.
The e o e, plan s a e looking o ways o espond quickly o
changes induced by new egula ions and ma ke . As a esul ,
lexibili y has become an impo an ool in his s uggle o
success, i.e. abili y o mee an inc easing a ie y o cus ome
expec a ions wi hou excessi e cos s, ime, o o ganiza ional
dis up ions, by inc easing he ange o p oduc s a ailable,
imp o ing a i m’s abili y o espond quickly, and achie ing
good pe o mance o e a wide ange o p oduc s. F om his
pe spec i e, one o he equen ly p esc ibed emedies o he
p oblem o dec eased p oduc i i y and declining quali y is he
au oma ion o ac o ies. Mo e speci ically, echnologies such
as Compu e In eg a ed Manu ac u ing Sys ems (CIM’s),
obo ics and Flexible Manu ac u ing Sys ems (FMSs) ha e
been he ocal poin s o much esea ch and explo a ion.
Besides, he a emp o inc ease compe i i eness, h ough
he sea ch and explo a ion o he bes solu ions in o de o
accomplish be e manu ac u ing ope a ions, seems ne e
ending. Al oge he , many imes hese solu ions c ea e new
p ac ices o ini ia i es in ope a ions as gene al endencies
wi hin manu ac u ing plan s.
C. H. O ega is wi h Uni e sidad Nacional Au onoma de Hondu as
(UNAH), Tegucigalpa, Hondu as (phone: 504-22391849; ax: 504-22391849;
e-mail: co ega@ iies-unah.o g).
I. Eguia is wi h Uni e sidad de Se illa (US), Se illa, Spain (e-mail:
[email p o ec ed]).
P. Ga ido is wi h US, Se illa, Spain (e-mail: [email p o ec ed]).
J. D. Machuca is wi h US, Se illa, Spain (e-mail: [email protected]).
This pe manen esea ch, o ge be e and be e
manu ac u ing pe o mances, con inues, and p omises o
con inue d awing mul i ude o p o essionals, manage s and
academics wo ldwide, no only om OM, bu also om he
whole communi y o business adminis a ion, economics and
enginee ing in gene al.
Thus, global ends by manu ac u ing plan s a e o employ
inc easingly lexible manu ac u ing p ac ices. This end is
d i en by he hypo hesis ha hei u iliza ion will esul in
imp o emen s in some measu es o pe o mance such as
highe esponsi eness. Un o una ely, FMS in es men s do no
yield he desi ed esul s as explained nex .
Empi ical s udies show, on he one hand, ha FMS is no
li ing up o i s ull po en ial, and, on he o he , ha e en some
manu ac u e s many ha e pu chased FMS wi h excess capaci y
and ea u es. Besides, he e a e a a ie y o p oblems
associa ed wi h FMS such as aining, econ igu abili y,
eliabili y and main enance, so wa e and communica ions, and
ini ial cos [1]. Pa adoxically, he main disad an age wi h
FMS is i s in lexibili y. I s quali y is o en called “sho - e m”
lexibili y in he li e a u e. The abili y o change he sys em o
p oduce new p oduc s is "long- e m" lexibili y.
This pape akes on he " econ igu abili y" p oblem o FMS.
Recon igu abili y p o ides exac ly he unc ionali y and
capaci y needed, exac ly when needed, pe mi ing educ ion o
lead ime o launching new sys ems and econ igu ing
exis ing sys ems, and he apid modi ica ion and quick
in eg a ion o new echnology and/o new unc ions in o
exis ing sys ems. A Recon igu able Manu ac u ing Sys em
(RMS) is simply one way ha manu ac u e s may achie e
econ igu abili y.
The e a e no p oposed and es ed RMS models in OM, since
i is a he inal p o o ype s age o Use Expe ience [2]. On he
o he hand, many esea che s ha e p oposed and es ed FMS
models, bu all o hem a e isola ed ep esen a ions a he han
cumula i e s udies ha sys ema ically build upon each o he
o econ igu abili y deploymen . This me a-analy ic e iew o
FMS esea ch is simply a i s , bu necessa y s ep in he
p ocess o de eloping a heo y o he nea u u e RMS
deploymen .
F om some o exis ing manu ac u ing p og ams, his pape
explo es s age se in o econ igu abili y om he High
Pe o mance Manu ac u ing (HPM) li e a u e (i.e. i is an
in eg a ed se o p ocesses designed o achie e a sus ainable
global compe i i e ad an age h ough he con inuous
imp o emen o manu ac u ing capabili y) o globally examine
p esen non- econ igu able condi ions o p ac ice linkages [3],
[4]. The s a ing poin o his is he concep ualiza ion i sel o
Cesa H. O ega Jimenez, Ignacio Eguia Salinas, Ped o Ga ido Vega and Jose A. Dominguez
Me a-analysis o Pe o mance: Summa izing
Resea ch o Implemen a ion o
O
Recon igu abili y
Machuca
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RMS ha e olu ionizes o a leas e ol es om FMS,
imp o ing mul idimensional pe o mance [5], and, hus, RMS
is s udied as pa o HPM. Thus, his pape e iews se e al
s udies ha ha e been p esen ed in majo ope a ions
managemen and o he c oss-disciplina y jou nals.
Cumula i ely hey ep esen he cu en iewpoin s in he
academic a ena on FMS’s ole wi hin he plan s, as a p e ious
s ep o RMS.
Hence, a gene al amewo k o unde s anding he u u e
ole o RMS is p esen ed. I akes in o accoun he ac ha
p esen FMS in e ela es o many o he HPM p og ams such
as jus in ime (JIT), o al quali y managemen (TQM), human
esou ces (HR), manu ac u ing s a egy (MS) and echnology
(T).
Based on he abo e, he ollowing esea ch ques ions a e
p esen ed: a e he e manu ac u ing compe i i e pe o mance
dimensions o e ed by econ igu abili y being cu en ly sough
by cu en non- econ igu able plan s? A e he e o he
echnology p ac ices linked o FMS? A e he e HPM p og ams
linked o FMS? A e he e non- econ igu able echnology
p ac ices ela ed o econ igu able pe o mance dimensions?
To answe hem, he pape ’s objec i es will hen be o e iew
se e al s udies indi idually, o p esen he pe inen pa ame e s
o he esea ch, o e iew exis ing esea ch ac oss hese
pa ame e s in o de o e alua e i s comp ehensi eness as a
whole, o explo e gained insigh s by ela ing pe o mance
dimensions and manu ac u ing p ac ices ha mo i a e need o
u he wo k, and o p esen models o u he esea ch.
II. L
ITERATURE
R
EVIEW
Plan managemen should be e y amilia wi h being
ecommended o adop each and e e y manu ac u ing ini ia i e
appea ing as a end such as lean, manu ac u ing s a egy, e c.
This wo k, on he con a y, ma ks away om such idea, by
associa ing o he company he concep whose ocus is linking
only he manu ac u ing sys em (wi h o wi hou adap a ions)
which join ly achie es a compe i i e o ganiza ion. Bu be o e
such linkage be ween p ac ices, he e mus be a s a egic plan
o con ingency based in he pa icula con ex o he company,
in o de o selec , adap (when needed) and implemen
p ac ices, o he e o s o design will no ha e he desi ed
e ec (a mo e success ul business). This p ocess o
con ingence and linkage mus be uni ed wi h a delibe a ed pa h
o con inuous imp o emen . This app oach, called High
Pe o mance Manu ac u ing (HPM) [3], will subsequen ly be
used o s udy cu en non- econ igu able condi ions se in
s age o u u e RMS implemen a ion.
Thus, he inc emen o wo ld compe i ion and he
assessmen ha managemen app oaches anscend na ional
on ie s ha e c ea ed he mo emen o he in e na ional da a
base p ojec High Pe o mance Manu ac u ing (HPM) in
business and academic ci cles. This mo emen has e ealed a
necessi y o highe in eg a ion o manu ac u ing p ocess,
human esou ces managemen and o ganiza ion cha ac e is ics
o achie e he objec i es o wo ld compe i i eness by means
o highe manu ac u ing managemen . The s age o FMS:
u u e RMS implemen a ion
The sea ch o de elop he echnology o Recon igu able
Manu ac u ing Sys em (RMS) s a ed in he mid-nine ies as a
cos -e ec i e esponse o ma ke demands o esponsi eness
and cus omiza ion. Acco ding o [5], RMS is being designed
o apid change in s uc u e, including bo h ha dwa e and
so wa e componen s, in o de o quickly adjus p oduc ion
capaci y and unc ionali y, wi hin a pa amily, in esponse o
sudden changes in ma ke . Ko en and his colleagues assess
ha o a manu ac u ing sys em o be eadily econ igu able, i
mus possess ce ain key cha ac e is ics which includes: i)
modula i y o componen design, ii) in eg abili y o bo h
eady in eg a ion and u u e in oduc ion o new echnology,
iii) con e ibili y o allow quick changeo e be ween p oduc s
and quick sys em adap abili y o u u e p oduc s, i )
diagnosabili y o iden i y quickly he sou ces o quali y and
eliabili y p oblems, ) cus omiza ion o ma ch designed
sys em capabili y and lexibili y o applica ions, and i)
scalabili y o inc emen ally change capaci y apidly and
economically.
Howe e , cau ious should be aken when calling RMS he
newes and su es ini ia i e o manu ac u ing echnology o ge
high pe o mance o he nea u u e, e en i i is he subjec o
majo esea ch e o s a ound he wo ld. On he one hand, high
pe o me s (i.e. wo ld class manu ac u e s) ha e been in he
ad ance pa y o he “bes p ac ices” in OM. Thei
de elopmen s ha e nu u ed he academic wo ld, which in u n
ha e been a ocus o ep ocessing and/o making knowledge
o ans e o companies. Howe e , he concep behind HPM is
no es ablishing he end o a new p ac ice o p og am, bu
ocusing manu ac u ing in o de o ge global high
pe o mance.
O ganiza ions, which pe manen ly adop HPM philosophy,
look o oppo uni ies o imp o e in mul iple compe i i e
p io i ies, such as quali y, cos , deli e y, lexibili y,
inno a ion, e c. Such imp o emen s a e essen ial in he
company o i s su i al, bene i , and [3].
Hence, he e a e s ill o he key issues o conside when
implemen ing a new manu ac u ing p og am. Fo ins ance,
[39] assesses ha a new manu ac u ing p og am such as lean
manu ac u ing, TQM, TPM, e c., is in oduced e e y i e o
en yea s as he panacea o ge ing high pe o mance; and
e en when hese p og ams ail in p ac ice, he wo main
easons gi en by many academics and p ac i ione s a e pa ial
implemen a ion o he p og ams and incompa ible sys ems
wi hin he plan . Taking in o accoun ha mos o pas
esea ch p ima ily conside s manu ac u ing p og ams in
isola ion, Cua and his coau ho s ha e p oposed o also
conside he linkage o manu ac u ing p og ams by
implemen ing p ac ices common o all exis ing p og ams and
linking new p og ams wi h cu en ly p ac ices.
The e o e, econ igu able echnology canno be an end in
i sel , since i has o be linked o o he p ac ices and a eas o a
plan in he pa h owa d high pe o mance. Fo s a e s, he
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pu sui o be e pe o mance and compe i i e ad an age o ce
manu ac u ing plan s no o jus ob ain he la es equipmen bu
o also de elop esou ces and capabili ies ha canno be easily
duplica ed, and o which eady subs i u es a e no a ailable.
Besides, using he HPM concep abo e, one may say ha
e en i all indus ies we e o expe ience e e -changing
en i onmen s, i is e y unlikely ha all plan s be o ced
(especially in he sho e m), o eassess hei manu ac u ing
p og ams, so ha a new echnology sys em such as RMS can
be designed and ope a ed e icien ly. I will jus no be easible
o all plan s o jus abandon many o hei manu ac u ing
p og ams in o de o adop RMS. Fo ins ance, i aking FMS
(one o hese cu en p og ams and conside ed he p e ious
s ep o RMS), i has been s udied in HPM as pa o lexible
au oma ion (FA) (Fig. 1).
Fig. 1 FMS as p e ious s ep o RMS
FA, o i s pa , is an a emp o combine ad an ages o
ixed au oma ion wi h hose o p og ammed au oma ion. Using
his me hod, plan s a e able o ob ain simul aneously low cos s
pe uni and a high deg ee o lexibili y. FA is hen de ined as
an ad anced in eg a ed sys em o ha dwa e and so wa e ha
makes i possible o design and p oduce au oma ically a
p ede ined a ie y o p oduc s. The e a e a ious ypes o FA,
besides FMS, such as au oma ed anspo and wa ehousing,
p oduc ion cells and nume ical p oduc ion, compu e
nume ically con olled (CNC)/di ec nume ically con olled
(DNC) p oduc ion, e c. Due o RMS’ echnological
cha ac e is ics, i is conside ed he nex s ep o FMS, and as
such, i mus be amed wi hin FA as well.
Thus, om he poin o iew o echnology (FMS), his
pape conside s RMS bes i as pa o FA, which has
componen s om all h ee a eas o echnology:
1. P ocess/manu ac u ing echnology may be de ined as he
equipmen and he p ocesses o making p oduc s (e.g.
Maie , 1997).
2. P oduc echnology is de ined as he equipmen and
p ocesses o design and build new p oduc s.
3. In o ma ion echnology is conce ned wi h he p ocesses and
equipmen o in o ma ion ea men .
In addi ion, he e ec i eness o all HPM p og ams is
closely in e ela ed wi h echnology, and, bidi ec ionally, his
in e ela ion in luences he success o any echnological
sys em in a plan : echnology and o he HPM p ac ices
oge he a ec pe o mance. A possible missing link be ween
echnology and o he a eas o a plan is an impo an cause o
ailu e.
Fu he mo e, wha a plan does (and e en wha a plan does
no do) will e lec on i s ou come. The e o e, he decision o
use ce ain echnology p ac ices, o o he s, o none al oge he
(no ac ion aken) always has an impac on pe o mance. This
makes oom o some di e ences ha may dis inguish high
om s anda d pe o me s. Fo ins ance, conside ing di e en
echnologies in use, high pe o me s a e mo e inno a i e and
a e mo e likely o in oduce inno a ions such as CAD,
CNC/DNC, FMS, o soon RMS han s anda d pe o me s.
In conclusion, e en a e RMS is ully a ailable and
ope a ional (deli e ing all p omised ea u es) he e is s ill he
undamen al ma e o whe he RMS will be a “bes p ac ice”
o all plan s in all indus ies. The con ingency a gumen , om
HPM, has some hing o say abou his ma e : i depends on
he plan . O cou se, his should no be an excuse o doing
no hing. The e o e, as gene al li e a u e sugges s ha global
economic compe i ion and apid social and echnological
changes ha e o ced indus ies in gene al o ace
manu ac u ing esponsi eness (i.e. he main cha ac e is ic
o e ed by RMS), i is impo an o know wha high pe o me s
a e doing now globally o mee equi emen s o esponsi eness
pe o mance wi h a ailable manu ac u ing p ac ices and
con ex s.
III. S
TAGE
F
OR
RMS:
A
N
HPM
F
RAMEWORK
So a , he pape has se a s age, which may ela e some
HPM p ac ices, om p esen FMS, in o de o analyze u u e
RMS implemen a ion and ope a ions, using plan con ingency,
p ac ice linkages and mul idimensional pe o mance. The e a e
wo main aspec s o such amewo k in he p esen s udy: 1)
he echniques and p ac ices o HPM p og ams; and 2) he
e ec o hese p og ams on pe o mance. In his sec ion, each
componen o he amewo k and he p oposi ions a e
de eloped.
A. Compe i i e Pe o mance
Al hough adi ional hinking has been ha high
pe o mance in one capabili y is necessa ily aded o o low
pe o mance in o he s, specialized li e a u e shows his
pe spec i e is no ha gene al. One eason o his may be he
necessi ies in con ex s o global compe i ion and de elopmen
and dissemina ion o ad anced manu ac u ing echnologies
such as lexible au oma ion, whe e he no ion o ade-o s may
be i ele an due o he in ensi ied p essu es on plan s o
imp o e on all dimensions. Fu he mo e, “cumula i e
capabili ies” desc ibes high pe o mance in mul iple
capabili ies simul aneously. Capabili ies a e desc ibed as
cumula i e because hey build upon each o he and a e
mu ually ein o cing. The op imal sequence o cumula i e
capabili ies is used he e mo e gene ically o desc ibe a
si ua ion whe e a plan has a high le el o pe o mance in mo e
han one capabili y [38].
Es ablishing links be ween an ini ia i e and pe o mance
ou come is, pe haps, he mos c i ical and in e es ing aspec o
a s udy on manu ac u ing p ac ices, pa icula ly when s udying
si ua ions, whe e plan s need o pe o m well in a
mul idimensional le el. Howe e , mos exis ing li e a u e o en
igno es he ole o manu ac u ing goals and uses a one-
dimensional pe o mance measu e in he models and empi ical
es s. Re e ence [6] a gues ha in o de o do jus ice o he
con ingency a gumen bo h he mul idimensionali y o
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pe o mance and he s a egic goals mus be inco po a ed in o
he analysis. Thei posi ion is ha h ee componen s mus be
explici ly measu ed: (1) goals; (2) p ac ices; and (3)
mul idimensional pe o mance.
Following he abo e, in o de o examine he ela ionship
be ween ini ia i es and pe o mance, his s udy ocuses no
only on he wo compe i i e p io i ies om manu ac u ing,
cos and esponsi eness, which li e a u e, e.g. [5], claims RMS
will p o ide bu also on quali y, whe e all h ee a e closely
linked o plan ope a ions. Fo he e i ica ion o he exis ing
p ac ices being ollowed by plan s o ge cos , quali y, and
esponsi eness is necessa y o iden i y he d i e s o high
pe o mance and sus ainabili y o hese compe i i e
pe o mances. Ope a ions managemen esea che s ha e
con ibu ed o he li e a u e by examining he condi ions unde
which speci ic p ac ices, esou ces o s uc u al a angemen s
a e aluable.
Following a gumen s ha esponsi eness suppo s quali y,
imp o es cos pe o mance and can subsume speed,
dependabili y and lexibili y, his s udy uses he se o
compe i i e p io i ies o quali y, cos , speed, dependabili y and
lexibili y [7]. The las h ee p io i ies a e being used as he
in eg a ed pa s o esponsi eness. These au ho s assess ha
esponsi eness no only co e s hem bu add esses how o
u ilize and manage hese p io i ies in a pu pose ul manne .
Mo eo e hey no ed ha he le el o esponsi eness needed is
di e en in e e y i m and depends on he indi idual business
s a egy, backing up he con ingency undamen . All hese i e
basic compe i i e p io i ies o manu ac u ing pe o mance
(cos , quali y, deli e y/dependabili y, ime and lexibili y)
ep esen one o mos common app oaches o pe o mance
measu es. The i e p io i ies a e b ie ly summa ized in Table
1.
TABLE
I
P
ERFORMANCE
D
IMENSIONS
Pe o mance
Dimension In e nal e ec s Ex e nal e ec s
1. Cos High o al
p oduc i i y Low p ice
2. Quali y E o - ee p ocess Speci ica ion p oduc
3. Responsi eness
a. Speed/Time
b. Dependabili y
c. Flexibili y
Abili y o espond
• as h oughpu
• eliable op.
• abili y o change
Desi ed esul
• a sho deli e y lead ime
• dependable deli e y
• equen new p oduc
se ice, wide p oduc
ange, olume and
deli e y adjus men
The p esen s udy goes beyond such li e a u e, by
de eloping en manu ac u ing compe i i e pe o mance
dimensions om he i e p e ious compe i i e p io i ies
(Fig1). Pe o mance on cos s may be es ima ed h ough he
uni cos o manu ac u ing. Quali y pe o mance is based on
con o mance o s anda ds and i may be assessed by e alua ing
he pe cen age o sc ap o ewo k. Fo ime pe o mance, h ee
di e en dimensions a e conside ed: speed o new p oduc
in oduc ion, lead ime, and cycle ime. The dimensions o
dependabili y pe o mance a e wo: on ime new p oduc
launch and on ime deli e y. The dimensions o lexibili y a e
h ee: lexibili y o change p oduc mix, lexibili y o change
olume, and he ime ho izon adop ed o eeze planning ( his
las one on he basis ha a sho e ime o e s mo e lexibili y).
Fig. 1 Compe i i e pe o mance
A. Manu ac u ing p ac ices and pe o mance
A good unde s anding o a plan may help iden i ying
manu ac u ing p ac ices which mee pe o mance dimensions,
p o iding basis o why and how p ac ices ha e compe i i e
alue. In o de o do so, his s udy builds on wo key oles in
es ablishing he heo e ical a gumen o why p ac ices ma e
[6]:
• The esou ce-based ( ou ine-based) iew o he i m (RBV).
Based on he idea ha he manu ac u ing p ac ices (no
he esou ces hemsel es) a e subjec o inimi abili y,
causal ambigui y and a e con ex -speci ic. The e o e, hey
o e alue o he o ganiza ion ha makes use o hem.
• The e olu iona y heo y. F om he li e a u e, hey a e
suppo ed on he p oposal ha he o ganiza ional
p ocesses (e.g. ou ines) a e shaped o e ime and a e
subjec o pa h dependency and ine ia. So, a leas in he
sho e m, ou ines a e di icul o imi a e. The ou ines
a e also embedded in he o ganiza ional con ex , which
makes hei po en ial con ingen alue highe han in any
o he con ex .
Taking hese wo a gumen s in o conside a ion, he p ac ices
a e selec ed and measu ed acco ding o he speci ica ion
p o ided below.
While he e a e many p ac ices and p og ams in
manu ac u ing managemen , he nex ou easons a e ollowed
o choose he speci ic p ac ices and p og ams o examina ion
(Fig. 2):
1. P og ams and p ac ices and ecognized as HPM [3].
2. HPM p og ams wi h links o FMS.
3. Technology p ac ices which ha e been heo e ically o
empi ically associa ed wi h one o mo e speci ic
dimensions o ope a ional pe o mance (included
esponsi eness dimensions o e ed by econ igu abili y).
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FMS: p e ios
s ep o RMS
Flexible
au omaion
Technology:
p oduc , p ocess
and in o ma ion
FMS-HPM
p og ams
links
Technology p ac ices
imp o e pe o mance
Fig. 2 HPM amewo k: s age o RMS
Thus, based on he abo e, he ollowing p oposi ions on
econ igu abili y a e p esen ed:
P oposi ion 1. FMS is linked o HPM p og ams.
P oposi ion 2. FMS is linked o o he echnology p ac ices.
P oposi ion 3. The e will be ce ain combina ions o non-
econ igu able echnology p ac ices in e connec ed wi h FMS
ha migh enhance dimensions o pe o mance ela ed o
RMS.
P oposi ion 4. FMS by i sel does no deli e all pe o mance
dimensions o e ed by RMS.
P oposi ion 5. Non- econ igu able plan s a e sea ching o
pe o mance dimensions o e ed by RMS.
These p oposi ions a e based on he hypo hesis ha RMS
can be bes implemen ed i i is ca e ully linked o cu en
con ex s, especially FMS. Hence, all i e p oposi ions a e
c i ical i his pape is o de elop a “ heo y o RMS
implemen a ion om FMS and i s linkages wi h o HPM
p og ams and p ac ices”. In addi ion, hese p oposi ions mus
be e alua ed in he con ex o p io published li e a u e wi hin
he domain o FMS e ec i eness. Towa ds his end, a me a-
analysis o majo jou nals yielded 33 HPM models wi h
p og ams ela ed o FMS ha a e ele an o RMS’ discussion.
They a e e iewed in he ollowing h ee sec ions.
IV. O
VERVIEW
O
F
L
INKAGES
A
ND
C
ONTINGENCY
In o de o p ope ly me a-analyze, acili a ing compa ison o
s udies, he ollowing was done:
• To de ine clea and homogeneously concep s om HPM
p og ams, echnology a eas (p oduc , p ocess and in o ma ion)
and hei p ac ices, FMS as pa o echnology, and
pe o mance.
• To use mainly pape s om he HPM in e na ional p ojec .
• To complemen wi h pape s om sou ces o he han he
HPM p ojec wi h he ollowing equi emen s:
o Scien i ic measu es ha we e alid, eliable, sha ed.
o De ailed in o ma ion on sampling design and esul ing
samples.
o Use ul in o ma ion o u u e compa isons: mean,
s anda d de ia ion o each a iable; co ela ion ma ix,
sample size, missing alues, and ea men s.
• To inc ease explici ness le el wi h espec o assump ions,
condi ions, and hypo heses.
Thus, o answe all p oposi ions om p e ious sec ion, he e
was an o e iew o cu en FMS, manu ac u ing p ac ices and
p og ams, and pe o mance dimensions, in o de o be g ouped
acco ding o HPM amewo k (Fig. 2). Hence, se e al
p ominen jou nals we e e iewed o esea ch on FMS-HPM
p og ams and pe o mance ela ionships, since 1984. The
jou nals included mo e han 49 pape s in ope a ions
managemen (Jou nal o Ope a ions Managemen , P oduc ion
and Ope a ions Managemen , In e na ional Jou nal o
Ope a ions and P oduc ion Managemen , e c.). The goal was
o p o ide a easonable ep esen a ion o he heo e ical and
empi ical esea ch on FMS o a po en ial RMS deploymen .
Then, a ca ego iza ion o he HPM g oups (p og ams and
pe o mance) was made. The ocus was o compa e and
con as hem wi h espec o se e al impo an issues,
summa izing he scope o he g oups’ de ini ions and hei
empi ical ela ionships. Besides, his pape akes he
concep ualiza ion o RMS, whe e [5] de ine i along he same
line o FMS. Thus, since FMS is pa o lexible au oma ion
[25] his pa explained “manu ac u ing echnology p og am”
om which he lexible au oma ion is pa o . Thus,
ela ionships be ween FMS and some HPM p og ams a e also
shown.
The i s 27 models ha ocused on FMS deploymen and i s
e1ec i eness a ound HPM p og ams p o ide a easonable
ep esen a ion o he heo e ical and empi ical esea ch on
e1ec i e RMS deploymen .
A e iew o he models e ealed wo dis inc le els o
analysis in he ela ionship o FMS ep esen ed in he nex wo
Tables: 21 models om HPM p og ams in e connec ed o
FMS, and 6 models om echnology p ac ices (o he han
FMS), whe e FMS is inse ed. Table II illus a es he li e a u e
o linkages be ween lexible au oma ion (i.e. which includes
FMS) and he HPM p og ams JIT, TQM, HR, MS, and
p ac ices om echnology (T) di e en om FMS. Thus, i
p o ides a e y gene al summa y o he models o HPM
p og ams wi h links o FMS, which a e discussed below
ch onologically. The Table p esen s a amewo k o hese
models wi h p oposed s uc u es o HPM p og ams-FMS
ela ionships wi hin manu ac u ing plan s, and whe he o no a
model is amed wi hin he da a base o he HPM in e na ional
p ojec .
TABLE
II
L
INKAGES
B
ETWEEN
FMS
A
ND
HPM
P
ROGRAMS
Au ho s HPM p og ams HPM p ojec
[8]
JIT
Yes
[9]
JIT
Yes
[10]
JIT
Yes
[11]
JIT
No
[12] JIT Yes
[13] JIT No
[14] JIT Yes
[15] JIT, TQM, HR, MS No
[16] JIT Yes
[17]
HR, MS
No
[
18]
HR, T
No
[19]
JIT, TQM, MS
No
[20]
JIT, TQM, HR, MS, T
Yes
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Au ho s HPM p og ams HPM p ojec
[21]
HR
No
[22] T No
[23] TQM, HR No
[24] JIT, TQM. HR, MS, T Yes
[25] JIT, TQM, HR, T Yes
[26] TQM, T Yes
[27]
TQM, HR
No
[28]
TQM
No
Technology: lexible au oma ion (FMS, CNC, CAD, e c.)
As a as he HPM co e p og ams being conside ed in Table
II, OM li e a u e ag ees ha manu ac u ing s a egy (MS), jus -
in- ime (JIT), manu ac u ing echnology, o al quali y
managemen (TQM), and human esou ce (HR) a e
concep ually, heo e ically, and empi ically well es ablished.
All i e a e ecognized HPM p og ams. Success ul
Implemen a ion o hese p og ams is ound o imp o e
manu ac u ing pe o mance and help companies gain a
compe i i e edge.
Tu ning o FMS, al eady ecognized in his pape as pa o
echnology, he li e a u e seen abo e asse s ha o FMS o
gi e compe i i e esul s mus ha e linkages o JIT, TQM, HR,
and manu ac u ing s a egy. Thus, Table II shows signi ican
suppo o p oposi ion 1.
On he o he hand, he selec ion o p ac ices shown in Table
III is no exhaus i e no is i he only app op ia e one.
Addi ionally, hese dimensions may no be unique o he
echnology HPM p og am, bu a e ep esen a i e o he
pu poses o p esen ing he heo e ical a gumen s. F om he
li e a u e e iew, he Table shows in ch onological o de
models o p ac ices, o he han FMS ( lexible au oma ion and
g oup echnology), om he h ee a eas o echnology
(p ocess, p oduc and in o ma ion) b ie ly men ioned in
sec ion 2. These p ac ices a e in e ela ed wi h FMS, gi ing
suppo o p oposi ion 2.
TABLE
III
C
ONTINGENCY
:
O
THER
T
ECHNOLOGY
P
RACTICES
Au ho
s A ea o T Manu ac u ing
p ac ices HPM
p ojec
Basic p emise
and/o indings
[20] P oduc
echnology Concu en
enginee ing/phase
o e lapping
Yes P oduc
echnology. I
was ound as
an in e media e
(be ween ha d
and so )
echnology
p ac ice
Au ho
s A ea o T Manu ac u ing
p ac ices HPM
p ojec
Basic p emise
and/o indings
[29] P oduc ,
p ocess and
in o ma io
n
echnology.
P oduc design
simplici y,
Concu en
enginee ing/phase
o e lapping,
In e unc ional
design e o ,
Willingness o
In oduce New
Technology,
An icipa ion o
New
Technologies,
E ec i e P ocess
Implemen a ion,
P op ie a y
equipmen , IT
Yes P oduc ,
in o ma ion
and p ocess
echnology. All
h ee in luence
plan
compe i i enes
s
[30] P ocess
echnology Willingness o
In oduce New
Technology,
An icipa ion o
New
Technologies,
E ec i e P ocess
Implemen a ion,
P op ie a y
equipmen
Yes P ocess
echnology. A
key ac o o
plan success
[31] P ocess
echnology Willingness o
In oduce New
Technology,
An icipa ion o
New
Technologies,
E ec i e P ocess
Implemen a ion,
P op ie a y
equipmen
Yes P ocess
echnology. I
was de ined as
a echnology
p ac ice needed
o
compe i i enes
s
[32] P oduc
and p ocess
echnology
P oduc design
simplici y,
Concu en
enginee ing/phase
o e lapping,
In e unc ional
design e o ,
Willingness o
In oduce New
Technology,
An icipa ion o
New
Technologies,
E ec i e P ocess
Implemen a ion,
P op ie a y
equipmen
Yes P oduc and
p ocess
echnology.
They we e
ound as a
compe i i e
echnology
p ac ices
[33] P oduc
and p ocess
echnology
P oduc design
simplici y,
In e unc ional
design e o ,
E ec i e P ocess
Implemen a ion
Yes P oduc and
p ocess
echnology.
E idence was
shown bo h by
hemsel es and
combined wi h
o h
e p ac ices
V. A
NALYSIS
:
HPM
TECHNOLOGY
A
ND
P
ERFORMANCE
A. Ca ego iza ion o he models: speci ic linkages in FMS
The ocus in he ollowing discou se will be o compa e and
con as models o echnology p ac ices, whe e FMS is
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inse ed, wi h espec o pe o mance. Table IV summa izes
ch onologically he scope o he model de ini ions and hei
empi ical alidi y. As i has been shown, RMS is being
compa ed mos ly, and e en conside ed he nex s ep, o FMS,
and since he la e is pa o echnology p og am, he Table
p esen s eigh p ac ices wi hin his p og am ( om i s h ee
a eas: in o ma ion, p oduc and p ocess echnology), which
may lead o imp o emen s in cos , quali y, cycle ime, new
p oduc in oduc ion speed, lead ime, on ime deli e y, as
deli e y, p oduc mix, olume mix, and ho izon p oduc ion
schedule.
TABLE
IV
P
ERFORMANCE AND
T
ECHNOLOGY
Au ho s Technology
a ea Manu ac u ing
p ac ices HPM
p ojec Pe o mance
ela ionship
[29] P oduc ,
p ocess and
in o ma ion
echnology
P oduc design
simplici y,
Concu en
enginee ing/phase
o e lapping,
In e unc ional
design e o ,
Willingness o
In oduce New
Technology,
An icipa ion o
New Technologies,
E ec i e P ocess
Implemen a ion,
P op ie a y
equipmen ,
in o ma ion
echnology
Yes P oduc and
in o ma ion
echnology
posi i ely a ec
lead ime, on
ime deli e y,
p oduc and
olume mix and
ho izon
p oduc ion
schedule, bu
only when
combined wi h
p ocess
echnology.
P ocess
echnology
p ac ices
di ec ly leads o
be e
pe o mance on
he same 5
dimen
sions.
[30] P ocess
echnology Willingness o
In oduce New
Technology,
An icipa ion o
New Technologies,
E ec i e P ocess
Implemen a ion,
P op ie a y
equipmen
Yes P ocess
echnology
p ac ices leads
o be e
pe o mance on
cos by
educ ion o
de ec s, quali y
(de ec
educ ion), on
ime deli e y
and all h ee
dimensions o
lexibili y.
[31] P oduc and
P ocess
echnology
P oduc design
simplici y,
Concu en
enginee ing/phase
o e lapping,
In e unc ional
design e o ,
Willingness o
In oduce New
Technology,
An icipa ion o
New Technologies,
E ec i e P ocess
Implemen a ion,
P op ie a y
equipmen
Yes P oduc
echnology
p ac ices
combined
imp o es
quali y
( educ ion o
de ec s), cos
(by educ ion o
de ec s), lead
ime, on ime
deli e y, and all
h ee
dimensions o
lexibili y, bu
need o be i ed
Au ho s Technology
a ea Manu ac u ing
p ac ices HPM
p ojec Pe o mance
ela ionship
wi h p ocess
echnology.
P ocess
echnology
p ac ices
di ec ly
imp o e same 7
pe o mance
dimensions.
[32] P oduc and
p ocess
echnology
P oduc design
simplici y,
Concu en
enginee ing/phase
o e lapping,
In e unc ional
design e o ,
Willingness o
In oduce New
Technology,
An icipa ion o
New Technologies,
E ec i e P ocess
Implemen a ion,
P op ie a y
equipmen
Yes When
combined wi h
p ocess
echnology,
p oduc
echnology
p ac ices
imp o e quali y
( educ ion
de ec s), cos
(by educ ion o
de ec s), lead
ime, on ime
deli e y, and all
h ee
dimensions o
lexibili y
(p oduc and
olume mix and
ho izon
p oduc ion
schedule).
P ocess
echnology
p ac ices
di ec ly
imp o e same 7
pe o mance
dimensions.
[34] In o ma ion
echnology In o ma ion
echnology Yes In o ma ion
echnology
posi i ely
in luences all 9
pe o mance
dimensions.
[33] P oduc and
p ocess
echnology
P oduc design
simplici y,
In e unc ional
design e o ,
E ec i e P ocess
Implemen a ion,
Yes P oduc and
p ocess
echnology
p ac ices
imp o e cos ,
quali y cycle
ime, speed NP
in oduc ion, on
ime deli e y,
p oduc ion and
olume mix,
bu be e ye
when in eg a ed
wi h o he
p og ams
Al hough all p ac ices will lead o be e pe o mance in
cos , dependabili y (on ime deli e y), and lexibili y (p oduc
mix, olume mix, and ho izon p oduc ion schedule), he use o
each indi idual o hese p ac ices will no mean highe
pe o mance in he o he e e ed dimensions. Be e quali y is
mo e likely o be ob ained by all p ac ices bu willingness o
in oduce new echnology, an icipa ion o new echnologies,
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and p op ie a y equipmen . These same h ee p ac ices, as well
as concu en enginee ing/phase o e lapping, do no show o
lead o as new p oduc in oduc ion and cycle ime. Finally,
only concu en enginee ing/phase o e lapping, p op ie a y
equipmen , and IT ha e shown imp o emen s in lead ime.
Hence, he combina ion o hese eigh p ac ices om all h ee
echnology a eas, which a e in e connec ed wi h FMS, migh
enhance all pe o mance dimensions bu on ime new p oduc
lunch om dependabili y ( he o he se en dimensions ela ed
o all h ee esponsi eness p io i ies a e p esen : speed,
lexibili y and dependabili y). The e o e, his gi es suppo
o p oposi ion 3.
VI. R
ESEARCH
C
OMPARISON
T
O
T
HE
HPM
F
RAMEWORK
A e iew o he las six models e ealed h ee le els o
analysis: indi idual by FMS p ac ices, combined by FMS and
o he echnology p ac ices, and o ganiza ional by FMS wi hin
he HPM p og ams. Table V p o ides a gene al summa y o
he models, which a e discussed below in ch onological o de .
A b ie synopsis ela ed o pe o mance o hese models is
p esen ed, along wi h p oposed s uc u es o he h ee
echnology a eas wi hin he plan , and gene al indings
ega ding hese ela ionships. Tables V–VI p esen a
depic ion o he causal ela ionships p ac ices-pe o mance. I
should be no ed ha in some cases he model depic ions
ep esen in e p e a ions o how he models we e p oposed o
es ed. They include wo FMS p ac ices, lexible au oma ion
and g oup echnology, since bo h a e pa icula ly impo an ,
no only because o cu en lexible au oma ion needing g oup
echnology, bu because u u e RMS may be enclosed he e, as
well as hey bo h suppo ge ing high pe o mance in mul iple
dimensions: cos , quali y, speed (cycle ime, new p oduc
in oduc ion speed and lead ime), dependabili y (on ime
deli e y), and ( lexibili y p oduc mix, olume mix and
ho izon p oduc ion).
Table V shows ha bo h FMS p ac ices oge he may
p oduce highe pe o mance in all scales bu in cycle ime, and
new p oduc (NP) in oduc ion speed. G oup echnology may
be he only o ge be e pe o mance in cycle ime and NP
in oduc ion speed. This means ha FMS all a bi sho e on
imp o ing speed, gi ing some suppo o p oposi ion 4.
TABLE
V
P
ERFORMANCE AND
FMS
Au ho
s Tech. a ea Manu ac u ing
p ac ice HPM
p ojec Pe o mance
Rela ionship
[19] P oduc ,
p ocess and
in o ma ion
echnology
Flexible
au oma ion
(CAD/CAM/CIM/
FMS/CNC)
No FMS p ac ice
implemen a ion
imp o es quali y,
lead ime, and on
ime deli e y
when combined
wi h p ac ices
om o he HPM
p og ams
Au ho
s
Tech. a ea Manu ac u ing
p ac ice
HPM
p ojec
Pe o mance
Rela ionship
[20] P oduc ,
p ocess and
in o ma ion
echnology
Flexible
au oma ion
(CAD/CAM/CIM/
FMS/CNC), G oup
echnology-cellula
manu ac u ing
Yes Bo h FMS
p ac ices ha e a
posi i e e ec on
cos , quali y, lead
ime and on ime
deli e y, bu only
when combined
wi h o he FMS
p ac ices
[23] P oduc ,
p ocess and
in o ma ion
echnology
Flexible
au oma ion
(CAD/CAM/CIM/
FMS/CNC)
No FMS p ac ice
imp o es bo h
lexibili y mix
dimensions
(p oduc and
olume mix), bu
combined wi h
p ac ices om
o he HPM
p og ams
[35] P oduc ,
p ocess and
in o ma ion
echnology
Flexible
au oma ion
(CAD/CAM/CIM/
FMS/CNC), G oup
echnology-cellula
manu ac u ing
Yes Bo h FMS
p ac ices imp o e
all lexibili y
dimensions
(p oduc and
olume mix and
ho izon
p oduc ion
schedule
[36] P ocess and
in o ma ion
echnology
G oup echnology-
cellula
manu ac u ing
Yes This pape
con i ms
co ela ion
be ween FMS
modula iza ion
and bo h cycle
ime and NP
in oduc ion
speed, bu o be
e ec i e i needs
unc ional
coo dina ion
[37] P ocess and
in o ma ion
echnology
G oup echnology-
cellula
manu ac u ing
Yes I shows a
co ela ion
be ween FMS
modula iza ion
and bo h cycle
ime and NP
in oduc ion
speed
Table VI sums up pe o mance dimensions imp o ed by
FMS p ac ices and o he echnology p ac ices. This p esen s a
b oade iew o FMS om a HPM pe spec i e, whe e he
s udies analyzed show ha p ac ices om he echnology HPM
p og am may help ge ing high pe o mance in quali y, cos ,
cycle ime and lead ime, speed new p oduc in oduc ion, on
ime deli e y, p oduc mix, olume mix, and ho izon
p oduc ion schedule (in dimensional e ms i means h ee
elemen s o speed, one elemen o dependabili y, and h ee
elemen s lexibili y, espec i ely). This gi es signi ican
suppo o p oposi ion 5, since plan s seem o be sea ching o
nine ou o he en p oposed dimensions.
TABLE
VI
P
ERFORMANCE
,
T
ECHNOLOGY
A
REAS
A
ND
FMS
FMS Technology Pe o mance
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a ea
Dimension Responsi eness
p io i y P io i y
Bo h 1, 2, 3 Cos Cos Cos
Bo h 1 pa ial, 2 ,
3 Quali y Quali y Quali y
One 1&2pa ial,3 Cycle ime
Speed
Responsi enes
s
One 1&2pa ials,
3
Speed NP in o
Bo h
2pa ial,3
Lead ime
Bo h 1,2,3 On ime
deli e y Dependabili
y
Bo h 1,2,3 P oduc mix
Flexibili y
Bo h 1,2,3 Volume mix
Bo h 1,2,3 Ho izon
p oduc ion
1: p ocess, 2: p oduc , 3: in o ma ion. Pa ial means ha no all p ac ices
o he pa icula p og am posi i ely impac on pe o mance.
Finally, some linkages be ween FMS, lexible au oma ion
(FA) and some HPM p og ams a e shown in he gene al model
in Fig. 3, which comes om he li e a u e in Tables II-VI. I is
ne e oo epe i i e o say ha FA is no a s andalone
ini ia i e, bu i is in insically pa o he HPM echnology
p og am, and i enci cles non- econ igu able FMS as he
p e ious s ep o econ igu able RMS. Fu he mo e, in he
implemen a ion o RMS, o he HPM p og ams should also be
conside ed, when looking o ge high pe o mance in a
mul idimensional way. This Fig. is only an illus a i e model,
and d aws i s a iables mainly om he s udies e iewed. As
such, i needs o be leshed ou in g ea e de ail and be e
g ounded in heo y.
Fig. 3 Gene al model o ansi ion om FMS o RMS
Thus, his esea ch p o ides signi ican suppo o he
p oposed HPM amewo k. As s a ed in P oposi ion 1, he e
a e ce ain condi ions o HPM p og ams link o FMS. This
esea ch p o ides suppo o P oposi ion 1: he e we e
signi ican indings in e e y s udy on he linkages o JIT, HR,
TQM, MS and o he T p ac ices wi h FMS.
The e idence o echnology p ac ices be ween he a iables
as p oposed in P oposi ion 2 also ound suppo in he
esea ch. These las p ac ices posi i ely impac pe o mance
dimensions, gi ing e idence o P oposi ion 3. The e was also
e idence ha FMS by i sel does no comple ely impac all
pe o mance dimensions o e ed by RMS, inding suppo o
P oposi ion 4. Finally, P oposi ion 5 s a ed ha plan s a e
looking o pe o mance dimensions o e ed by RMS, which
hey we e, excep o on ime NP launch. I may equi e
u he ing es ing he impac on his dimension om he
combina ion o no only FMS and o he echnology p ac ices,
bu also he o he HPM p og ams ound he e o ha e links wi h
FMS (e.g. JIT, TQM, e c.)
VII. C
ONCLUSION
RMS e1ec i eness is c i ical in cu en en i onmen s o
economic and inancial c isis ha p omo e inc easing
deploymen o echnological ini ia i es due o cons an ma ke
changes. Un o una ely, me e exis ence o echnology is no
su icien . I has o be imbibed in o i s con ingen con ex in
o de o be e1ec i e. While he e has been subs an ial esea ch
on echnology e1ec i eness, RMS elec i eness in OM has no
been e iewed. This a icle akes he modes s ep o p esen ing
a synopsis o RMS e1ec i eness om a pe spec i e o FMS
and HPM esea ch ha has been published in majo jou nals
associa ed wi h he managemen sciences. This esea ch is
in e p e ed in ligh o a b oad HPM based amewo k ha
espouses no ions o “links and con ingency” be ween
manu ac u ing ini ia i es. Thi y h ee models a e e iewed
and i is a gued ha hese models p o ide a ounda ion upon
FMS and i s link o HPM p og ams. In gene al, he e seems o
be suppo o he alidi y o he in e ac ions be ween no only
FMS and o he echnology p ac ices, bu also JIT, TQM, MS
and HR. The e o e, i is appa en om his e iew ha FMS
echnology is no and canno be implemen ed independen o
i s en i onmen . Thus, g oups examining ela ionships we e
summa ized and me a-analyzed in an a emp o p o ide a
mo e in eg a ed pe spec i e. The e was a majo amoun o
suppo o he in e ela ionships p esen ed in he HPM model,
p o iding s ong alida ion o i as p esen ed in P oposi ions
1-5. The indings consis en ly suppo JIT, TQM, MS, HR,
FMS, and o he echnology p ac ices as impo an pa ame e s
o RMS pe o mance. Pe o mance dimensions which will be
deli e ed by RMS we e al eady being a ge ed by se s o non-
econ igu able p ac ices such as FMS and he es o HPM
p ac ices and p og ams seen he e. They can howe e be
imp o ed and ex ended wi h he conside a ion o ime and
changes. Al hough HPM g oups we e e alua ed on hei
common p ac ices and dimensions ela ed o RMS, inding ha
he “links and con ingency” no ion is also suppo ed, he
limi a ions o his esea ch make i di icul o compa e he
models and hei empi ical esul s. Hence, hese limi a ions
b ing oppo uni ies and help o iden i y insigh s o u he
esea ch. The e o e, o s a e s, P oposi ions 4 and 5 needs
mo e ex ensi e empi ical examina ion o pe o mance h ough
es ing a combina ion o all HPM p og ams in ol ed.
Besides, a HPM amewo k o u he examining FMS in
i s con ex will lead o be e heo y building ha can allow
examining esul s ac oss i sel . The use o HPM models o
explo ing he balancing o he a ious HPM le e s wi h FMS
will hen allow esea che s o de elop a “ heo y o
implemen ing, ope a ing and managing RMS”.
The esea ch summa ized he e has c ea ed a ounda ion o
such a heo y. Hence, a esea ch plan, along wi h a RMS
Wo ld Academy o Science, Enginee ing and Technology
In e na ional Jou nal o Economics and Managemen Enginee ing
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In e na ional Science Index, Economics and Managemen Enginee ing Vol:6, No:6, 2012 wase .o g/Publica ion/11941