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Assuring the Competitiveness of European Manufacturer through Changeability in Manufacturing

Author

Listed:
  • Thorsten Blecker

    (Hamburg University of Technology, Germany)

  • Günter Graf

    (University of Klagenfurt, Austria)

Abstract

Changeability has become a buzzword for operations management, especially in German literature. Therefore, we analyse this concept in comparison with existing concepts for variability, such as flexibility and agility. Agility is an enterprise-wide concept incorporating product design as well as manufacturing systems design and aiming at lean and often dislocated manufacturing processes. Flexibility means that an operation system is variably within a specific combination of in-, out and throughput. Changeability, in contrast, means the ability of an operation system to autonomously alter the configuration to meet new, prior unknown demands e. g. from the market. Changeability is then the ability to realise new states of the in-, out- and throughput. Additionally, the reconfiguration of the system has to be realised as quickly as the environmental changes. Therefore, to be changeable, the speed of adaptation is important.

Suggested Citation

  • Thorsten Blecker & Günter Graf, 2004. "Assuring the Competitiveness of European Manufacturer through Changeability in Manufacturing," Zagreb International Review of Economics and Business, Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Zagreb, vol. 7(Special C), pages 109-126, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:zag:zirebs:v:7:y:2004:i:sci:p:109-126
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    changeability; operations system; competitive advantage; strategic resource;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • M11 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Administration - - - Production Management
    • L21 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Business Objectives of the Firm
    • L23 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Organization of Production

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