Enablers and inhibitors to manufacturing strategy

Two radically different views of manufacturing strategy are that it should be developedfiom the ‘top down ’ by planned integration with corporate strategy, or alternatively, that it should be developed from the ‘bottom up ’ by focusing on improved performance by the elimination of waste. Using comparative, case-based research, this paper casts some light on these opposing views through quantitative and qualitative studies in two very different organisations. Within each organisation, two units of analysis were used to investigate the nature of the tradeoffs, and the role of best practice in manufacturing strategy development. A third set of proposals is made about the development of manufacturing strategy enablers that are available only in given situations.