Linking market factors to manufacturing designs

This paper presents a heuristic method for designing manufacturing focus in batch manufacturing facilities. Although the benefits of manufacturing focus have been articulated in the literature, methods of implementation with the consideration of resource requirements have not been previously developed. This study discusses the importance of including resource aspect, and proposes a methodology that can help managers arrive at a focus design with minimum resource needs. The methodology translates the strategic concept of competitive priorities into management parameters, thereby allowing incorporation of market factors into manufacturing process design. The results of the numerical example demonstrates that the methodology offers managers the opportunity to generate and assess alternative manufacturing designs which are otherwise unavailable. The use of the methodology is straightforward in practical situations and should greatly enhance the linkage between marketing and manufacturing design.