The changing nature of operations flexibility

Supplier-dedicated resources and flexibility’s roles in a manufacturer’s superior performance

In today’s ever-changing environment, a manufacturing firm depends increasingly on suppliers to sustain its competitiveness. The recent COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated that supply chain disruptions impair a firm’s ability to deliver customer value. The adverse effect is more significant when the supply chains in question are inflexible rather than flexible. This research argues that supplier-dedicated resources (SRs) and supplier flexibility (SF) determine a manufacturing firm’s competitive advantage (CA) and provide a comprehensive view of these supply chain-based factors in the same model. Based on data from 201 respondents in US manufacturing firms that vary in industry type and company size, the results confirm that SRs are critically extended resources for a manufacturing firm. The results also demonstrate that SF mediates the effect of SRs on a manufacturer’s sustainable CA fully. Further, the research develops and verifies SRs as a second-order construct reflecting the synergistic benefit of three subconstructs: dedicated technology, engineers and managers, and company climate.

Dynamic capabilities for the creation of logistics flexibility – a conceptual framework

Purpose

The purpose of this research is to develop a conceptual framework in which dynamic capabilities (DCs) for the creation of logistics flexibility are outlined, and elaborate it further based on empirical data from a case study at a Swedish fast fashion retailer.

Design/methodology/approach

A conceptual framework that aims to delineate the relationship between generic classes of DCs and logistics flexibility is proposed. Thereafter, based on a theory elaboration approach, empirical data from a case study at a Swedish fast fashion retailer is used to identify more specific DCs and further outline the characteristics of the DCs classes.

Findings

The proposed framework draws on the three DC classes of sensing, seizing and reconfiguring, and how they underscore logistics range and logistics response flexibility. The framework also distinguishes between DC classes and logistics flexibility that occur at operational, structural and strategic levels. DCs for the creation of logistics flexibility at a Swedish fast fashion retailer have also been identified and described as a means to further elaborate the characteristics of the DC classes.

Research limitations/implications

Current empirical data is limited to one specific company context.

Practical implications

The research presents a systematic and comprehensive map of different DCs that underscore logistics flexibility, a useful tool supporting logistics development efforts regarding flexibility.

Originality/value

The establishment of a more detailed DC lens, in which different classes of DCs are included, means that an improved understanding for how flexibility is created can be achieved. It helps the research to move beyond the “here and now” existence of logistics flexibility to instead focus on how logistics flexibility can be created.

Creating Short-Term Volume Flexibility in Healthcare Capacity Management

It is well-known that unpredictable variations in supply and demand of capacity in healthcare systems create the need for flexibility. The main tools used to create short-term volume flexibility in the healthcare system include overtime, temporary staff from internal calling lists, moving staff across units, internal staffing pools, external staffing agencies, queuing patients, and purchasing care from external providers. We study the creation of short-term volume flexibility in healthcare systems to manage short-term capacity losses and demand fluctuations. A questionnaire was developed and distributed among healthcare managers in the Region Västra Götaland healthcare system. Respondents were asked to what extent they used each tool to create short-term flexibility in capacity. Data were analyzed using multiple regression analysis. Several significant tendencies were found, including that acute units use overtime and internal staffing pools to a larger extent, and queuing patients and external providers to a lesser extent than planned units. The prerequisites and required managerial approaches used to efficiently manage aggregate capacity in the system differ substantially between different parts of the system. These differences must be addressed when, for example, capacity pools are considered. These results serve as a stepping stone towards a more thorough understanding of efficient capacity management in healthcare systems.

The flexibility of industrial additive manufacturing systems

Purpose

Flexibility is a fundamental performance objective for manufacturing operations, allowing them to respond to changing requirements in uncertain and competitive global markets. Additive manufacturing machines are often described as “flexible,” but there is no detailed understanding of such flexibility in an operations management context. The purpose of this paper is to examine flexibility from a manufacturing systems perspective, demonstrating the different competencies that can be achieved and the factors that can inhibit these in commercial practice.

Design/methodology/approach

This study extends existing flexibility theory in the context of an industrial additive manufacturing system through an investigation of 12 case studies, covering a range of sectors, product volumes, and technologies. Drawing upon multiple sources, this research takes a manufacturing systems perspective that recognizes the multitude of different resources that, together with individual industrial additive manufacturing machines, contribute to the satisfaction of demand.

Findings

The results show that the manufacturing system can achieve seven distinct internal flexibility competencies. This ability was shown to enable six out of seven external flexibility capabilities identified in the literature. Through a categorical assessment the extent to which each competency can be achieved is identified, supported by a detailed explanation of the enablers and inhibitors of flexibility for industrial additive manufacturing systems.

Originality/value

Additive manufacturing is widely expected to make an important contribution to future manufacturing, yet relevant management research is scant and the flexibility term is often ambiguously used. This research contributes the first detailed examination of flexibility for industrial additive manufacturing systems.

Pundir A, Ganapathy L. Assessment of manufacturing flexibility

Purpose

– The purpose of this study is to present a systematic review of all the enablers of manufacturing flexibility and to provide a path for future research in the area of manufacturing flexibility.

Design/methodology/approach

– Research papers were collected from electronic databases to search academic journals dealing with manufacturing flexibility, environmental uncertainty, business strategy, organizational attributes, technology, innovation and product types. The study consists of a systematic review of 101 research papers and assessment of these papers in terms of their role in enabling flexibility.

Findings

– It is seen from the literature review that most of the research in the field of flexibility was done in developed countries, and further empirical research with respect to manufacturing flexibility and firm performance is required to be done in developing countries. It is also seen that financial performance has often been used in many of the studies as a proxy to measure firm performance and one can explore alternative metrics for firm performance. The review reveals that an integrated framework to assess manufacturing flexibility and firm performance is largely missing in literature. This review highlights some research gaps for future research in the area of manufacturing flexibility.

Research limitations/implications

– The literature review was done using search terms restricted to manufacturing flexibility, environmental uncertainty, business strategy, organizational attributes, technology, innovation and product types. There may be various unexploited areas for future research in terms of indirect influence of several different variables. The proposed framework is only conceptual in nature and thus requires rigorous empirical testing to develop a comprehensive list of enablers and their respective criteria and attributes.

Originality/value

– The study synthesizes existing literature for assessing manufacturing flexibility in an organization and addresses gaps in the research area of manufacturing flexibility. It provides a comprehensive review of all relevant studies from 1992 to January 2013 for the use of both academicians and practitioners.