Flexible Manufacturing, Integrating Technological and Social Innovation (Manufacturing Research and Technology, Vol 4)

Changing market demands, the increased pace of technological developments, and fiercer competition all make it increasingly necessary for production organisations to meet the requirements not only of efficiency but of flexibility and quality. This book, now also available in paperback, shows how an organisation can meet these demands. It integrates technological innovation and social innovation, business-economic and socio-technical aspects, as well as theory and practice. The book is the result of a long period of cooperation between the members of a group, from different backgrounds and positions, who are all engaged in the process of adapting Philips' manufacturing systems to the challenges of the eighties and nineties. It discusses the complexity of modern production systems, showing the interrelations between market demands, socio-organisational criteria and technological possibilities. It takes the form of separate studies, each analysing existing production organisations to ensure the necessary link-up between theory and practice.