This article is a sequel to the Manufacturing 2000 Executive Report 'Manufacturing Strategies in Western Europe'1 which described how manufacturing companies were modifying their manufacturing strategies and practices within the region. The present article focuses on the ways in which some...

Many executives are currently striving to develop world-class manufacturing operations to ensure that they remain competitive in increasingly global markets. To do this, they are adopting a range of practices, from organisational changes such as empowerment and teamwork to the use of techniques...

The Modular Consortia approach to production being implemented by such leading-edge automotive manufacturers as Skoda and Volkswagen, is one of the latest experiments in manufacturer-supplier relationships. Competitive pressures and the on-going search for increased efficiencies and greater...