Download or read book Competitive Advantage on the Shop Floor written by William Lazonick and published by Harvard University Press. This book was released on 1990 with total page 444 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: William Lazonick explores how technological change has interacted with the organization of work, with major consequences for national competitiveness and industrial leadership. Looking at Britain, the United States, and Japan from the nineteenth century to the present, he explains changes in their status as industrial superpowers. Lazonick stresses the importance for industrial leadership of cooperative relations between employers and shop-floor workers. Such relations permit employers to use new technologies to their maximum potential, which in turn transforms the high fixed costs inherent in these technologies into low unit costs and large market shares. Cooperative relations can also lead employers to invest in the skills of workers themselves--skills that enable shop-floor workers to influence quality as well as quantity of production. To build cooperative shop-floor relations, successful employers have been willing to pay workers higher wages than they could have secured elsewhere in the economy. They have also been willing to offer workers long-term employment security. These policies, Lazonick argues, have not come at the expense of profits but rather have been a precondition for making profits. Focusing particularly on the role of labor-management relations in fostering "flexible mass production" in Japan since the 1950s, Lazonick criticizes those economists and politicians who, in the face of the Japanese challenge, would rely on free markets alone to restore the international competitiveness of industry in Britain and the United States.

Download or read book Strategic Manufacturing for Competitive Advantage written by Steve Brown and published by Prentice Hall PTR. This book was released on 1996 with total page 388 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book concentrates on the strategic role and importance of production / operations, enabling the firm to be competitive in global markets. The first chapter, on strategic issues, provides an important framework for the rest of the book. Human resource management and new product development are given chapters of their own, and the chapter on manufacturing strategy provides an exhaustive discussion of key areas. Endorsements "There is no single text that I can think of which is as soundly written on the subject as this one. The perspective is clearly based on 20/20 vision, the toolkit is knowledgeably and freshly laid out and the supporting evidence described by a person obviously and freshly laid out and the supporting evidence described by a person obviously master of his subject." Dr Tom Mullen, Strathclyde Graduate Business School, University of Strathclyde "A timely book which is a step ahead of competing texts by demanding proper consideration be given to production and human resource operations in the top planners' inner sanctum. This text demonstrates how to achieve competitive and desired results. Strategy and tactics are rarely so thoroughly examined in a way to help the manager and employer alike to meet the new global challenge of the 21st century." Dr Manton C Gibbs, Professor of Strategic Studies, International Journal of Commerce and Management

Download or read book Lean Production for Competitive Advantage written by John Nicholas and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2018-03-15 with total page 613 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Lean Production for Competitive Advantage: A Comprehensive Guide to Lean Methodologies and Management Practices, Second Edition introduces Lean philosophy and illustrates the effective application of Lean tools with real-world case studies. From fundamental concepts to integrated planning and control in pull production and the supply chain, the text provides a complete introduction to Lean production. Coverage includes small batch production, setup reduction, pull production, preventive maintenance, standard work, as well as synchronizing and scheduling Lean operations. Detailing the key principles and practices of Lean production, the text also: Illustrates effective implementation techniques with case studies from a range of industries. Includes questions and completed problems in each chapter. Explains how to effectively partner with suppliers and employees to achieve productivity goals Designed for students who have a basic foundation in production and operations management, the text provides a thorough understanding of the principles of Lean. It also offers practical know-how for implementing a culture of continuous improvement on the shop floor and in the office, creating a heightened sense of responsibility in all stakeholders, and enhancing productivity and efficiency to improve the bottom line. In this second edition, the author addresses management’s role in Lean production. Early observers of Japanese methods focused on the shop floor to see amazing things unlike anything practiced elsewhere. And the thinking was, if the "methods" could be adopted by companies elsewhere, those companies would experience the success of the Japanese. What the early observers hadn’t considered were dramatic differences in the way those companies were managed, both daily and strategically. The "management side" of Lean production is addressed in two new chapters, one devoted to daily management, the other to strategy deployment. Additionally, there is a new chapter that addresses breakthrough improvement and an approach to achieving it called Production Preparation Process. Every chapter has been revised and expanded to better tell the story of Lean production—its history, applications, practices, and methods.

Download or read book It s About Time written by Rajan Suri and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2010-03-31 with total page 232 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the decade since the publication of Rajan Suri’s landmark book, Quick Response Manufacturing, the innovative principles of QRM have been proven with impressive results at many companies, big and small, in a variety of industries. While the key principles of QRM remain unchanged, after a decade of teaching QRM workshops to senior executives, Suri has developed a clear, concise, and accessible method of presenting QRM strategy using four core concepts: 1. The Power of Time – the huge impact time has on your entire enterprise 2. Organization Structure – how to structure your organization to reduce lead times 3. System Dynamics – understanding how interactions between jobs and resources impact time to make better decisions on capacity, lot sizes, and similar issues 4. Enterprise-Wide Application – QRM is not just a shop floor strategy, it extends across your whole enterprise including material planning and control, supply management, office operations, and new product introduction Presenting new case studies on QRM implementation, It's About Time: The Competitive Advantage of Quick Response Manufacturing illustrates how QRM can not only reduce lead times but also improve quality, reduce operating costs, and enable companies to gain substantial market share. This practical reference explains how factories in advanced nations can use QRM strategy to compete with manufacturers in low-wage countries. In addition, it provides helpful pointers for QRM implementation, including accounting strategies, novel cost-justification approaches, and a stepwise process for implementation. Also included are downloadable resources with five appendices that provide a number of practical details to assist in the success of your QRM implementation. When you are ready to start implementing QRM, you will find that these appendices contain time-saving tips to help you work through implementation issues¿including simple calculation methods and tools to support the design of your QRM strategy. You can also access these Appendices on the Downloads and updates tab on https://www.crcpress.com/9781439805961. The author, Rajan Suri, recently became one of only 10 people to be inducted into Industry Week's 2010 Manufacturing Hall of Fame.

Download or read book Knowledge and Competitive Advantage written by Johann Peter Murmann and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2003-11-10 with total page 324 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A comparison of the development of the synthetic dye industry in Europe and the US.

Download or read book New Wave Manufacturing Strategies written by John Storey and published by SAGE. This book was released on 1994-02-28 with total page 270 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Over the past decade, many companies have adopted new strategies for manufacturing, which have taken their competitiveness on to new planes. A whole array of initiatives, such as FMS, JIT, TQM, CIM, and MRP II, have been introduced. This book deals with the far-reaching significance of these new approaches - collectively labelled "new wave manufacturing". Considerable research evidence as well as practitioners′ own experiences make one crucial point time and time again. The organizational as well as the human resource management aspects of these new strategies are critical to their success or failure. The underlying theme which is tackled in this book, therefore, is to what extent do these new operational strategies require a matching set of organizational and HR strategies? By looking at the issues through the joint eyes of production and behavioural analysts, this book provides an unique introduction to the new developments in manufacturing as well as providing an up-to-date assessment of the organizational and H R dimensions to these methods. New Wave Manufacturing Strategies has a vision which goes beyond the "new technology"/advanced manufacturing technology discussions. The chapters have been written in a clear, accessible manner by leading experts from Europe, the USA and Australia as well as from the UK.

Download or read book Innovation in Technology Industries and Institutions written by Yūichi Shionoya and published by University of Michigan Press. This book was released on 1994 with total page 378 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this volume a group of distinguished scholars take up the familiar Schumpeterian theme of innovation. They cast it in a new light by emphasizing not technology and innovation in particular industries but rather innovation in institutions and organizational structures. They thus cumulatively argue that innovation promotes not only industry but the evolution of society as a whole.

Download or read book Learning and Technological Change written by Ross Thomson and published by Springer. This book was released on 1993-10-13 with total page 299 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this book, fifteen prominent scholars of the economy, business, and technology argue that technical change can fruitfully be interpreted as an institutionally structured learning process. These essays show that the analysis of knowledge-generating institutions - including firms, industries, patenting systems, and occupations - provides important insights into the pace, direction, and persistence of technological change. The authors use these insights to both reshape economic theory and reinterpret the economic development of Britain, the USA, Germany and Japan.

Download or read book Manufacturing Systems and Technologies for the New Frontier written by Fumihiko Kimura and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2008-05-19 with total page 555 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Collected here are 112 papers concerned with new directions in manufacturing systems, given at the 41st CIRP Conference on Manufacturing Systems. The high-quality material includes reports of work from both scientific and engineering standpoints.

Download or read book Lean Production for Competitive Advantage written by John Nicholas and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2011-06-23 with total page 527 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Lean concepts and principles described in this book have revolutionized manufacturing practice and business conduct in a manner similar to what Henry Ford’s system did for mass manufacturing. Lean production however, involves much more than the adoption of methods and procedures, it requires a change in management philosophy that emphasizes relationship building, trust, and responsibility being conferred to frontline workers and suppliers. Based on three decades of teaching experience, Lean Production for a Competitive Advantage: A Comprehensive Guide to Lean Methodologies and Management Practices introduces the Lean philosophy and illustrates the effective application of Lean tools with real-world case studies. From fundamental concepts to integrated planning and control in pull production and the supply chain, the text provides a complete introduction to Lean production. Coverage includes small batch production, setup reduction, pull production, preventive maintenance, standard operations, as well as synchronizing and scheduling lean operations. Detailing the key principles and practices of Lean production, the text also: Illustrates effective implementation techniques with case studies from a range of industries Includes questions and completed problems in each chapter Explains how to effectively partner with suppliers and employees to accomplish productivity goals Designed for students who have a basic foundation in production and operations management, the text provides a thorough understanding of the fundamental principles of Lean. It also offers practical know-how for implementing a culture of continuous improvement on the shop floor or in the office, creating a heightened sense of responsibility and pride in all stakeholders involved, and enhancing productivity and efficiency to improve the bottom line. Instructor’s material available – please contact: [email protected] or call 1-800-634-7064 to request these materials.

Download or read book Supervision and Authority in Industry written by Patricia Van den Eeckhout and published by Berghahn Books. This book was released on 2009-08-01 with total page 245 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The number of studies discussing the labour relationship under industrial capitalism is overwhelming, but the literature on labour and its concrete, day-today shop-floor practices is much less abundant. How and by whom workers were supervised is one of the neglected aspects in the history of labour relations. After an insightful introductory chapter discussing the different forms of supervision in the United States, Britain, France and Germany before the First World War, the case studies in this volume focus on foremen: vital, but largely unstudied figures in the history of factory life, labour relations and management. Illustrating the multiple faces of the foreman, the contributors examine the artisanal sector, textiles, mining, printing, engineering, heavy manufacturing and car industries in Western Europe and show that the foreman was a multifaceted character who possessed technical expertise in addition to educational and organizational qualities. This comprehensive volume is further enhanced by comparisons with practices of supervision in Russia, Japan, China and India.

Download or read book Globalization Growth and Governance Towards an Innovative Economy written by Jonathan Michie and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 1998-09-03 with total page 294 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is about the processes of innovation at the global, national, and corporate levels. It explores the contexts, complexities, and contradictions of innovation from a range of disciplinary perspectives and is divided into three main sections: Globalization and Technology; Innovation and Growth; Governance, Business Performance, and Public Policy. Interdisciplinary and international in its scope this book provides important evidence and arguments on the processes of innovation, and in so doing addresses real challenges for policy-makers, managers, and academics alike. - ;This book is about the processes of innovation at the global, national, and corporate levels. It explores the contexts, complexities, and contradictions of innovation from a range of disciplinary perspectives and is divided into three main sections. In the first on Globalization and Technology, international contributors explore the links between changing systems of production and competitiveness; the impact of new technology and innovation on international labour markets; and the innovation practices of global firms. In the section on Innovation and Growth, a close look is taken at the innovation decisions and activities of individual firms. The evidence in these chapters challenges many assumptions about the nature of competitive behaviour and the co-operative links between firms. In the section on Governance, Business Performance, and Public Policy, the contributors examine the relationship between governance systems and firms' innovation strategies and decisions, assessing the capabilities and characteristics of different models of capitalism. The book concludes with a discussion of the most effective approach to industrial policy in the 'innovative economy'. Interdisciplinary and international in its scope this book provides important evidence and arguments on the processes of innovation and in so doing addresses real challenges for policy-makers, managers, and academics alike. -

Download or read book International Competition and Strategic Response in the Textile Industries SInce 1870 written by Mary B. Rose and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2013-11-05 with total page 209 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book of essays, which draws on the expertise of leading textile scholars in Britain and the United States, focuses on the problem of and responses to foreign competition in textiles from the late nineteenth century to the present day. A short introductory essay by the editor is followed by a survey of the debates surrounding the British cotton industry, foreign competition and competitive advantage. The other essays consider various aspects of that competition, including textile machine-making, Lancashire perceptions of the rise of Japan during the inter-war period and responses to foreign competition in the British cotton industry since 1945, whilst others deal with the decline and rise of merchanting in UK textiles and European competition in woollen yarn and cloth from 1870 to 1914. A recurring theme in a number of the essays is Japanese competitive advantage in textiles. The book is unique since although there are numerous books dealing with the problems of British staple industries, none focuses primarily on the issue of competition, its sources and responses, nor on textiles in general rather than a single industry. Moreover, since the scope is international rather than limited only to the UK, it follows recent trends in British busines history away from single company case studies towards a more thematic, comparative approach. In addition, the international authorship of these papers gives this book, first published in 1991, wide appeal.

Download or read book Computer Integrated Manufacturing Iccim 91 Manufacturing Enterprises Of The 21st Century Proceedings Of The International Conference written by B S Lim and published by World Scientific. This book was released on 1991-10-02 with total page 646 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the 21st century, computer integrated manufacturing (CIM) systems will not only be the economic development tools but will also be the essential means of achieving a higher level of flexibility, cohesiveness and performance. CIM systems are beginning to settle into our society and industries, with greater emphasis on the integration of economic, cultural and social aspects together with design, planning, factory automation and artificial intelligent systems.This volume of proceedings brings together 10 keynote and invited speaker addresses, and over 180 papers by practitioners from 28 countries. It documents current research and in-depth studies on the fundamental aspects of advanced CIM systems and their practical applications. The papers fall into 3 main sections: CIM Related Issues; Industrial AI Applications Aspects; and Concurrent Engineering, Advanced Design, Simulation and Flexible Manufacturing Systems.

Download or read book Business Organization and the Myth of the Market Economy written by William Lazonick and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 1993-05-28 with total page 392 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Explains the transitions in twentieth-century industrial leadership in terms of changing business investment strategies and organizational structures.

Download or read book Competitive Strategy written by Michael E. Porter and published by New York : Free Press ; Toronto : Maxwell Macmillan Canada. This book was released on 1980 with total page 424 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Presents the comprehensive framework of analytical techniques to help a firm analyze its industry as a whole and predict the industry's future evolution, to understand its competitors and its own position ...

Download or read book Understanding Competitive Advantage written by Fredrik Nilsson and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2005-10-14 with total page 234 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is about competitive advantage and how it is created at the company level. It is based on the premise that the alignment of strategies and control systems affects the firm`s chances of successfully positioning itself in its chosen arena of competition. The firm is in a better position to concentrate on activities that create value for the customer if its strategies and control systems are mutually consistent and adapted to expected external demands. The authors believe that the co-ordination and integration of strategies and control systems will provide a necessary, and long-overdue, expansion of knowledge in the area.