| This study examines the process used in formulating long-range manufacturing strategy, and the role that the process plays in helping a firm gain competitive advantage, based on their manufacturing capability. The study group was composed of manufacturing quality professionals, both managerial and staff positions, representing a wide cross-section of different functional organizations within a variety of manufacturing firms.; The study found that there is a tendency for firms that have an effective manufacturing strategy formulation process, and a commitment to the strategic management of quality, to have a perceived competitive performance advantage. The results also showed, that firms that had a weak manufacturing strategy formulation process with a low a commitment to the strategic management of quality, had the lowest average manufacturing performance.; The study also showed that firms have a perceived competitive performance advantage when they effectively implement their manufacturing strategy, and link it to their business strategy. A relationship between different levels of manufacturing strategy process effectiveness and company performance was also indicated. These conclusions were in agreement with the findings from an analysis of respondents with a management job classification, which supports the concept that management and staff professionals tend to perceive the strategy effectiveness of the firm in the same way.; The study also demonstrated that the perceived levels of manufacturing strategy formulation, implementation and effectiveness were consistent throughout all levels of manufacturing performance. Strength of the relationship between the different manufacturing strategy process scales also supported these conclusions, all of the Chronbach's Alpha values for the scales were greater than 0.68.; The concept of using a manufacturing strategy index was suggested as a result of this research. In effect, the manufacturing strategy process variables were reduced into a set of variables, or Manufacturing Strategy Process Index (MSPI) values. With further testing, the MSPI concept may prove useful, by helping to simplify future research and giving practitioners a standard general measurement index for their manufacturing strategy process. |
