CHARACTERISTICS OF METHODOLOGIES FOR MANUFACTURING STRATEGY FORMULATION

Although the need for companies to develop competitive manufacturing s trategies is widely accepted, the processes or methodologies by which such strategies are developed are not well understood. The research de scribed in this article identifies and describes four common character istics of methodologies used successfully in the formulation of strate gy. The results of this research can be applied by both industrialists and academics. Industrialists thinking of reformulating their manufac turing strategy could use the characteristics as a 'checklist' to help them in determining the methodology to be used; and academics could u se the work as a framework to aid further research into manufacturing strategy formulation.