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ABSTRACT
Agile manufacturing has been defined as the
capability of surviving and prospering in the competitive environment of
changes by reacting quickly to markets. The external uncertainties are
related to demand volume, production mix, and technological changes.
These problems challenge especially in the electronics industry, where
short life cycles emerge with high fluctuations. The aim of this study is
to deepen the understanding of management of volatile demand,
operationalise the concept of agile manufacturing and to recognise the
enabling factors for agility/flexibility. The research problem is to
examine ways to analyse and improve agility in electronics manufacturing
in terms of response, flexibility and costs. The problem is made
operational into two research questions. Firstly, the thesis aims to
study agility measurement by examining the cost effect of response, and
secondly, to analyse empirically whether enabling factors depend from
production type.
The research approach is to model a generic
production system by using system dynamics. To apply the proposed
framework and verify the system dynamic models an application in a three
stage supply chain is demonstrated. Thereafter, a number of electronics
manufacturers are analysed from agility/flexibility point of view.
Finally, some descriptive case studies from electronics manufacturing
industry are used to illustrate the uncertainties and enabling factors
for agility. The cases differ from each other by production volume,
product mix and product life cycle.
Operationally agility is ability to operate in
uncertainty whilst maintaining stable level of productivity and
appropriate external product availability. The conclusion of this study
is that agility can be achieved in different ways, concerning the
parameters related to volume, mix and life cycle. Practically this means
that companies operating in different markets and with different
responsibilities have different kind of uncertainties and for this reason
different enabling factors. The results of this study suggest
appreciating the value of time and building the supply chain on this
basis of product availability. Practically this means valuing the shared
the risk within the supply chain.
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