Improving responsiveness in SMEs through changeable and reconfigurable manufacturing

Abstract

Many Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are facing challenges in their manufacturing systems due to rapidly evolving and unpredictable customer requirements. To meet these challenges ensuring both responsiveness and cost-efficiency, SMEs may increase changeability by embedding appropriate levels of flexibility and reconfigurability in the design of manufacturing systems. In addition, the rapid diffusion of digital and smart technologies due to Industry 4.0, provides SMEs with new opportunities to increase changeability. This chapter details how flexibility and reconfigurability could be used to meet different change drivers; moreover, the related benefits are described and associated to Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). Finally, three industrial examples from SMEs are provided. The three cases highlight that changeability can indeed create benefits in SMEs, especially for adjusting manufacturing towards frequent variants changes, mix changes, volume changes, and new product introductions.