Manufacturing Strategy in the Value System

This article examines the current relationship between Swedish manufacturers and their suppliers. Emphasis is put on the demands placed on the suppliers by the manufacturers, on the internal suppliers′ activities causing this demand, and on the future plans and programmes pursued by the suppliers in order to meet this situation. The empirical data suggest that the major interface problem of today is the supplier inability to deliver on time, and that the reasons for this have to do with suppliers′ insufficient material control systems and their inability to produce quality products. Suppliers′ action plans for the future do not, however, include any quality improvement programmes but only actions related to internal material flow, such as lead time reduction programmes and the development of product workshops.