Responsive manufacturing: creating competitive advantage through domestic and international sourcing practices

This study analyzed factors affecting production choices and resulting benefits and challenges associated with apparel production sourcing. The research focused on sourcing strategies’ effect on competitive advantage. Data were gathered through interviews with production sourcing professionals in Canadian and U.S. apparel firms that use offshore, domestic, or combined offshore/domestic production methods. Findings indicate offshore production may result in lost time and profit due to lack of control, wasted materials, rising production and shipping costs, and decreased quality and consumer-perceived brand value. Localized manufacturing may increase firms’ competitive advantage through improved control of production processes; enhanced customization, adaptation, and response to consumer desire; increased perceived brand value; and reduced waste level, number of failed products, and markdowns. Strategic sourcing and smaller-scale, localized production also supports the local economy, thus creating apparel firms that are strategic, responsible, and profitable.

Responsive manufacturing: creating competitive advantage through domestic and international sourcing practices

This study analyzed factors affecting production choices and resulting benefits and challenges associated with apparel production sourcing. The research focused on sourcing strategies’ effect on competitive advantage. Data were gathered through interviews with production sourcing professionals in Canadian and U.S. apparel firms that use offshore, domestic, or combined offshore/domestic production methods. Findings indicate offshore production may result in lost time and profit due to lack of control, wasted materials, rising production and shipping costs, and decreased quality and consumer-perceived brand value. Localized manufacturing may increase firms’ competitive advantage through improved control of production processes; enhanced customization, adaptation, and response to consumer desire; increased perceived brand value; and reduced waste level, number of failed products, and markdowns. Strategic sourcing and smaller-scale, localized production also supports the local economy, thus creating apparel firms that are strategic, responsible, and profitable.

DIMENSION IN ESTABLISHING THE RESPONSIVE MANUFACTURING PERFORMANCE – A REVIEW

In a contemporary manufacturing environment, the concern against the level of manufacturing responsiveness is vital in sustaining the growth of the manufacturing firms for a longer period of time. From this point of view, manufacturers do not only can improve their performance in fulfilling the volatility of demands, but also allow them to develop a better plan to become more competitive in the global market. From reviews, 28 performance indicators were identified to drive the implementation of responsive manufacturing. These performance indicators appear to be influenced by three responsiveness mediators, namely suppliers, manufacturers, and customers. From the discussion, seven dimensions of responsiveness, i.e., market trends, management information’s system, environmental management, financial management, manufacturing capability, innovation, and the management of material and resources must be considered by manufacturers in coordinating, and streamlining the desired actions in establishing the responsive manufacturing practices. This information is useful as basis guidelines in formulating the strategy in strengthening the business function in achieving an exceptional responsiveness performance in manufacturing practices.

Concept of dependent joints in functional reconfigurable robots

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to discuss an example of modelling with experiments of robot prototype with dependent joint concept, including a full description of related functionalities. Reduction in active degrees of freedom in a machine can lead to improved accuracy, improved reliability and lower cost. The reconfiguration of machines and systems is a key technology for future responsive manufacturing systems. The concept of dependent joints helps to implement much specified sub-workspaces depending on functional needs in the machine. Design/methodology/approach – This is inherently made possible using smart mechanical concepts having embedded sensors and reconfigurable control systems. This paper introduces structural reconfiguration systems and discusses a sample approach to functional reconfiguration. Findings – A successful manipulator design with extended features when considering reduction in active degrees of freedom in a machine would lead to specific sub-workspace with improved accuracy, improved reliability and lower cost. Research limitations/implications – Reduction in active degrees of freedom in a machine can lead not only towards a dedicated functional workspace but also towards improved accuracy, improved reliability and lower cost. Originality/value – This paper is of value to engineers and researchers developing robotic manipulators for use in various aspects of industry.

Towards an Integrated SOA-Based Architecture for Interoperable and Responsive Manufacturing Systems Using the ISA-95 Object Model

Manufacturing systems need to integrate information from several sources, manage their business processes and coordinate the shop floor in order to meet the schedule at reduced costs. Holonic manufacturing has been proposed to solve these problems and has been normally implemented using agents. However, these implementations are not widely used due to their cost and limited interoperability. In this work, an approach that combines a service-oriented architecture with a multi-agent system is proposed. A list of rules is designed for deciding how to implement each holon, and is applied to the level 3 activities of ISA-95. The adoption of an enterprise service bus is suggested for decoupling service consumers and producers, and using a complex event processing engine is recommended to detect trends from the day-to-day operations of a plant. This approach is then applied to a grinded ceramic tile manufacturing plant, deriving a general architecture and an implementation of a service-based holon based on the ISA-95 object model, with a human-facing side (a website) and a machine-facing side (a Web Service).