HYBRID MANUFACTURING FRAMEWORK TO IMPROVE SMALL TO MEDIUM-SIZED MANUFACTURERS’ FLEXIBILITY TO MARKET TURBULENCE IN A MULTI–PRODUCT ENVIRONMENT: CASE STUDY OF A MANUAL ASSEMBLY LINE

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DOI:

https://doi.org/10.7166/31-1-2184

Abstract

Market flexibility can be described as the ability to react competently to customers’ fluctuating demands. This ability has become critical to the survival of small to medium-sized enterprises. This study aimed at improving small to medium-sized manufacturers’ flexibility. The framework proposed in this paper has a mixed make-to-order and make-to-stock strategy, supported by a manual assembly line setup based on workers’ movements at its core. The hybrid system designed through this study allows small to medium-sized manufacturers to improve their responsiveness to the current dynamically changing market environment, and to stay competitive by providing them with the tools for fast customer response and financial expansion.

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Published

2020-05-29

How to Cite

Mukalay, T. A. (2020). HYBRID MANUFACTURING FRAMEWORK TO IMPROVE SMALL TO MEDIUM-SIZED MANUFACTURERS’ FLEXIBILITY TO MARKET TURBULENCE IN A MULTI–PRODUCT ENVIRONMENT: CASE STUDY OF A MANUAL ASSEMBLY LINE. The South African Journal of Industrial Engineering, 31(1), 144–156. https://doi.org/10.7166/31-1-2184

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Section

Case Studies