Manufacturing and Supply Chain Flexibility: Building an Integrative Conceptual Model Through Systematic Literature Review and Bibliometric Analysis

The purpose of this study is twofold: first, to establish the current themes on the topic of manufacturing and supply chain flexibility (MSCF), assess their level of maturity in relation to each other, identify the emerging ones and reflect on how they can inform each other, and second, to develop a conceptual model of MSCF that links different themes connect and highlight future research opportunities. The study builds on a sample of 222 articles published from 1996 to 2018 in international, peer-reviewed journals. The analysis of the sample involves two complementary approaches: the co-word technique to identify the thematic clusters as well as their relative standing and a critical reflection on the papers to explain the intellectual content of these thematic clusters. The results of the co-word analysis show that MSCF is a dynamic topic with a rich and complex structure that comprises five thematic clusters. The value chain, capability and volatility clusters showed research topics that were taking a central role in the discussion on MSCF but were not mature yet. The SC purchasing practices and SC planning clusters involved work that was more focused and could be considered more mature. These clusters were then integrated in a framework that built on the competence–capability perspective and identified the major structural and infrastructural elements of MSCF as well as its antecedents and consequences. This paper proposes an integrative framework helping managers keep track the various decisions they need to make to increase flexibility from the viewpoint of the entire value chain

The impact of various dimensions of manufacturing capability on commercialization performance: Evidence from Canadian manufacturing sector

This paper investigates the complex relationships between the three dimensions of manufacturing capability (quality, flexibility, and cost) and commercialization performance (CP) in Canadian manufacturing environment. An empirical study of 238 Canadian manufacturing companies, using the Maximum likelihood estimate (MLE) technique, reveals that only cost is positively correlated with CP whereas flexibility is negatively correlated with CP. The results suggest that the ability to lower manufacturing cost without paying due attention to other dimensions of manufacturing capability, such as quality and manufacturing flexibility, leads to an unsatisfactory CP. Based on these findings, we suggest managerial implications and further research study

Agile software development practices: Evolution, principles, and criticisms

Agile software development is an emerging approach in software engineering, initially proposed and promoted by a group of 17 software professionals who practice a set of “lightweight” methods, and share a common set of values of software development. They consolidated their thoughts, and defined these methods as “agile”. The approaches are based on experiences and best practices from the past by the above-mentioned group of 17 software professionals. The purpose of this article is to outline the history and evolution of agile software development practices, their principles, and the criticisms as reported by the software development community. A comprehensive literature review was undertaken to do this research. Based on the literature review, this paper provides a comprehensive document that helps the practitioners working in the area of the agile software development. This article will provide comprehensive material for the researchers in the area of agile software development. It will also be very useful for the practitioners practicing software development in the area of agile software development. © 2012, Emerald Group Publishing Limite