Manufacturing strategy: a pictorial representation

Abstract

This article describes an updateable picture of manufacturing strategy content, called a “strategy chart”. It is based on established manufacturing and business strategy theory and is designed for use by managers in a wider strategy development process. Three cases are used to examine and improve methods for constructing a strategy chart; to explore the biases inherent in this representation of strategy; and to assess its utility. Preliminary conclusions are that charts present manufacturing strategy content more holistically than normally achieved and can make “strategy” a more understandable and communicable concept for manufacturing managers and workforce. The approach also provides useful insight into the development of a firm’s manufacturing strategy over time, providing the potential for managers to examine their strategy process and to learn from the past.

Citation

Mills, J., Neely, A., Platts, K. and Gregory, M. (1998), "Manufacturing strategy: a pictorial representation", International Journal of Operations & Production Management, Vol. 18 No. 11, pp. 1067-1085. https://doi.org/10.1108/01443579810231660