Strategy and Performance

The right manufacturing strategy is vital to maintaining profitability and running an efficient business. Manufacturing, however, is a complex business, and it is often difficult to know where to start when reviewing and developing long term strategic plans. This industry guide explains in clear, simple stages how to review your current processes and procedures, and how to build on this information to develop, present and implement new manufacturing strategies. Based on a uniquely structured approach developed over many years with major industry clients, including Rolls-Royce and Federal Mogul, its holistic approach can be applied to every area of operations from the entire organization down to individual business units or processes. CD included.

Dr Mike Bourne joined the faculty at Cranfield School of Management in October 2000 and works on a number of projects involving assisting a number of blue chip companies with the development of their use of data and performance measures. Mike's career includes a research post at the Institute for Manufacturing, Cambridge and a wide variety of positions in industry, including periods in production management, business systems, strategy and acquisitions.

John Mills spent 20 years with Shell International and Philips Electronics, initially in consultancy roles and then in factory, development and business management, especially in electronics and mobile communications industries. He joined Cambridge University in 1992 and is based at the Institute for Manufacturing in Cambridge.

Andy Neely is Director of the Centre for Business Performance at Cranfield School of Management and Professor of Operations Strategy and Performance. He has consulted to and worked with numerous organisations including 3M, Andersen Consulting, Aventis, British Aerospace, British Airways, British Telecom, DHL, Diageo, KPMG, NatWest Bank, Pilkington, Reckitt and Colman, and Rolls Royce Aerospace.

Dr Ken Platts spent the first part of his career working in manufacturing engineering and manufacturing management with companies making shoe machinery, ac generators, bicycles and cranes. Following an 18 month Fellowship in Manufacturing Management at Cranfield University, he went on to head the Computer Aided Manufacturing Group at TI Research labs before joining the University of Cambridge where he has just completed a three year term as the Director of the Manufacturing Engineering Tripos BA and MEng programmes.

Huw Richards worked in a variety of roles before studying mechanical and production engineering. After more than 10 years as a freelance consultant in training and communications, he joined a research project at the University of Cambridge in 1992 to develop processes to help manufacturing companies formulate strategy and design appropriate performance measurement systems. He is currently based at the Institute for Manufacturing in Cambridge.