Redistributed manufacturing – challenges for operations management

Kapletia, Dharm; Phillips, Wendy; Medcalf, Nick; Makatsoris, Harris; McMahon, Chris; Rich, Nick

Abstract

Recent advances in small-scale local production technologies and materials sciences, combined with the power of digital design and analysis methods, have generated new opportunities for product innovators to experiment with rapid prototyping and commercialisation of highly customised products that serve existing markets or create new niches. These developments involve modest investments in local production equipment and infrastructure with low ‘break even’ points and engineer-to-order/make-to-order production runs. This represents a transformation of manufacturing and will challenge traditional operations management thinking in fundamental ways.

• Journal Article Type: Editorial
• Acceptance Date: Oct 21, 2018
• Online Publication Date: May 15, 2019
• Publication Date: May 19, 2019
• Deposit Date: Apr 21, 2020
• Journal: Production Planning and Control
• Print ISSN: 0953-7287
• Electronic ISSN: 1366-5871
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 30
• Issue: 7
• Pages: 493-495
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/09537287.2018.1540057
• Keywords: Management Science and Operations Research; Strategy and Management; Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering; Computer Science Applications
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/5607173
• Additional Information: Peer Review Statement: The publishing and review policy for this title is described in its Aims & Scope.; Aim & Scope: http://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?show=aimsScope&journalCode=tppc20; Received: 2018-10-19; Accepted: 2018-10-21; Published: 2019-05-15