ABSTRACT
There are a number of different views on what manufacturing strategy actually consists of. For example Hayes and Wheelwright (1979) suggest that a business’ manufacturing strategy is the “pattern of structural and infrastructural decisions… a sequence of decisions that, over time, enable a business unit to achieve a desired manufacturing structure, infrastructure, and set of specific capabilities”. Gupta et al (1991) proposes the view that a manufacturing strategy is how manufacturing ‘supports the overall business objectives through the appropriate
design and utilisation of manufacturing resources and capacities’. Hill (1985) points out that “The purpose of thinking and managing strategically is not to just improve operational performance or to defend market share. It is to gain competitive advantage and it implies an attempt to mobilise manufacturing capability to help gain this competitive edge”.
