戰(zhàn)略柔性一個世界級制造業(yè)新的現(xiàn)實外文翻譯

1、<p><b>　　中文3845字</b></p><p>　　本科畢業(yè)論文（設計）</p><p>　　外 文 翻 譯</p><p><b>　　原文：</b></p><p>　　Strategic flexibility: a new reality for world-cl

2、ass manufacturing</p><p>　　The development of the concept of flexibility has been slow in the manufacturing literature because of the relatively stable market structure and minimal competitive pressure prior

3、 to the 1960s. In fact, manufacturing was not considered particularly important in the formulation of business strategy. As the competitiveness problems increased, practitioners and academicians began to recognize that m

4、anufacturing strategy was vital in supporting changes of corporate strategy. Consequently, a number </p><p>　　Flexibility is often regarded as one of the competitive priorities, along with cost, quality, and

5、 innovation. Just as low cost and high quality have already become a requirement for market entry, flexibility might ultimately be the key to enhancing a firm's competitive ability. While uncertainty can be a threat

6、to some firms, it provides opportunity to those with higher degrees of flexibility, either market-oriented or resources-oriented. Firms that are able to deal with uncertainties that their</p><p>　　By combini

7、ng these two concepts, Figure 1 shows the dominant competitive priorities corresponding to the firm's ability to cope with uncertainties. Not only can world-class manufacturing firms adapt to the changing environment

8、 swiftly, but they also can influence market demand (e.g., by creating uncertainties or customer expectations that competitors cannot deal with). Both reactive and proactive approaches have proved to be equally important

9、 and require different types of flexibility. Instead o</p><p>　　In a stable competitive environment like decades ago, a competitive strategy simply involved defining a competitive position and then defending

10、 it. Since the competitive environment has changed rapidly and unpredictably, however, new knowledge and capabilities are needed to support any strategy to create a sustainable competitive advantage. Therefore, the goal

11、of the latest developments in manufacturing strategy is to attain strategic flexibility. Competitive advantage commonly refers to the cre</p><p>　　Competitive advantage through economies of scale is best ill

12、ustrated by mass production. Furthermore, Henry Ford's dictum that "customers can have any color as long as it's black" still convinces many manufacturers that they must choose between standardization a

13、t low cost or flexibility at high cost. This has been disproved by Japanese automobile and electronics manufacturers who achieve an optimal balance of product standardization and manufacturing flexibility. </p>&l

14、t;p>　　The dynamics of today's competitive environment suggest that economies of scale and product or process technology will be a diminishing source of competitive advantage. As a result, manufacturers are turning

15、 their attention to building the skills and knowledge of their workforce. World-class manufacturers also realize that competitive advantage can be created only when the manufacturing strategy is well integrated with othe

16、r functional strategies, which together support the overall corporate str</p><p>　　Given the dynamic nature of the marketplace, flexibility has already become the most important competitive priority of the 1

17、990s. Flexibility is usually classified broadly as product or service-related (such as volume, product mix, and modification) and process technology-related (such as changeover, scheduling, and innovation). While these s

18、ources of flexibility are essential to provide competitive advantage to manufacturers, they tend to be operational or tactical in nature. To acquire a susta</p><p>　　Strategic flexibility allows a manufactur

19、ing firm to shift from one dominant strategy to another, from one competitive priority to another, but also implies a long-term commitment of resources and a plan of action. Progress, therefore, depends on the current st

20、ate of the firm's resources and capabilities. Generally, strategic flexibility is attained through a three-step process: awareness, understanding, and implementation.</p><p>　　Phase 1: Be aware that only

21、 strategic flexibility will provide sustainable competitive advantage over the long run. During the last two decades, quality improvement, automation, and advanced manufacturing techniques, to name a few, have often been

22、 perceived as a path to competitive advantage. While they may lead to positive outcomes, a number of empirical studies suggest that many firms found them ineffective. Many manufacturers focused too much on the form or me

23、chanics of such programs while ov</p><p>　　Phase 2: Understand that the manufacturing function's performance links directly to corporate performance and survival. Understanding the importance of the manu

24、facturing function and its link to corporate performance provides a focal point for management to think more proactively about building capabilities for the future. The poor performance of many major manufacturing firms

25、during the last two decades was no surprise to many researchers. Companies that develop a clear linkage between business</p><p>　　Phase 3: Formulate and implement strategies that center on the development of

26、 skills, manufacturing capabilities, and lean organizational structures. The outdated manufacturing strategy based on mass production is not responsive enough to cope with rapidly changing markets and shortened product l

27、ife cycles. In addition, production jobs have become more challenging and conceptual, as routine and repetitive tasks are performed by automated equipment. The full benefit of technology can be exploited</p><p

28、>　　* Skills and knowledge </p><p>　　A productive work force today must be highly skilled and flexible, characteristics that can only be developed through extensive training and experience in a variety of

29、job assignments. Therefore, the workplace must be reorganized to promote continuous learning, which must become a normal part of work life. Evidence suggests that not many manufacturers, particularly in the United States

30、, give high priority and commit sufficient resources to training their front-line workers. Management needs to r</p><p>　　Complex computer-based production systems are likely to prevail. Training people to c

31、onceptualize, design, and use new production technology is as crucial as adopting the technology itself. Technology is often perceived as a way to replace workers, it does not mean that human resources are no longer impo

32、rtant in achieving competitiveness. Indeed, the only way for manufacturers to maximize their investment in new technology is to upgrade the skill levels of their workforce. As production becomes </p><p>　　*

33、Manufacturing Capabilities </p><p>　　Strategic flexibility is not just about a flexible workforce; it requires an augmentation of the workforce with advanced process and information technologies to satisfy c

34、ustomer demands. Advanced process technology, such as flexible manufacturing systems (FMS) and computer-integrated manufacturing (CIM), is crucial for achieving mass customization. An FMS can manufacture assorted product

35、s using the same group of machines linked by automated materials handling systems and controlled by a computer</p><p>　　Ample evidence suggests that product designs can be significantly simplified if cross-f

36、unctional design teams are used. A cross-functional design team will help facilitate a modular approach to product design. This approach provides a viable product design strategy to meet changing demand with the advantag

37、e of standardization. Modular design is the creation of products from some combination of existing, standardized components; it requires much creativity and communication across the company. Ja</p><p>　　* Or

38、ganizational Transformation </p><p>　　The ultimate success of strategic flexibility requires a redefinition of traditional organizational functions, including links with suppliers and customers. Deep organiz

39、ational hierarchies, as found in major manufacturing firms, impede cooperation and communication. In recent years, many corporate restructuring efforts have moved to flatten organizational structures to focus on cross-fu

40、nctional integration and employee participation. Corporate communication is then facilitated by a structure tha</p><p>　　Mass production of standardized products is no longer a feasible way to meet the chall

41、enge of changing market demand and shortened product life cycles. In fact, the usual method of first identifying a fixed competitive priority, such as cost, quality, time, flexibility, or innovation, and then devoting al

42、l resources to meet it will no longer provide a sustainable competitive advantage. World-class manufacturers must obtain strategic flexibility to cope with more uncertainties than just changing </p><p>　　Sou

43、rce: Lau, R.S.M.“Strategic flexibility: a new reality for world-class manufacturing”. SAM Advanced Management Journal, 1996(3):P11-15.</p><p><b>　　譯文：</b></p><p>　　戰(zhàn)略柔性：一個世界級制造業(yè)新的現(xiàn)實&

44、lt;/p><p>　　由于20世紀60年代前期相對穩(wěn)定的市場結(jié)構和較小的競爭壓力，柔性概念的發(fā)展已經(jīng)逐漸運用到制造業(yè)文化中。事實上，制造業(yè)并沒有認為商業(yè)戰(zhàn)略的制定特別重要。隨著競爭力問題的增多，從業(yè)者和學者開始意識到制造業(yè)的戰(zhàn)略在支持企業(yè)戰(zhàn)略的變化上是至關重要的。因此，許多分析模型和實證研究開始發(fā)展起來，以提高制造柔性。據(jù)Suarez, Cusumano和Fine（1995）所說，絕大部分關于制造柔性的實證研究都服

45、務于下面的目標之一：（1）發(fā)展柔性的分類；（2）調(diào)查柔性與績效的關系；（3）涵蓋柔性的歷史與經(jīng)濟分析；（4）發(fā)展柔性戰(zhàn)略框架。Carlsson (1989)，Sethi (1990)，Hyun and Ahn (1992), 和 Upton (1994)的研究僅僅只是提供更多關于柔性的文學評論的研究作品。</p><p>　　柔性常常與成本、質(zhì)量和創(chuàng)新一起被認為是競爭優(yōu)先的標志之一。正如低成本，高品質(zhì)，已經(jīng)成為進

46、入市場的要求，柔性很可能成為公司提高競爭能力的關鍵。雖然不確定性對許多公司來說是一種威脅，但是它也能為那些具有高標準柔性的公司提供機會，無論是以市場為導向還是以資源為導向。這些公司有能力處理不確定性，然而，他們的競爭者卻沒有市場導向的靈活性。通過減少市場的不確定性或增加對顧客的期望的影響，企業(yè)有更多的戰(zhàn)略選擇和可以采取更主動的方式來競爭。擁有高度靈活的生產(chǎn)系統(tǒng)的公司具有資源導向柔性，并且可以更好地響應不斷變化的市場。</p>

47、<p>　　通過結(jié)合這兩個概念，圖1顯示了含有不確定性的競爭優(yōu)勢相對應的重點企業(yè)的應對能力。世界一流的制造企業(yè)不僅能夠適應迅速變化的環(huán)境，而且他們可以影響市場需求（如通過創(chuàng)建競爭對手不能處理的不確定性或顧客的期望）。無論被動和主動方法都已經(jīng)被證明是同樣重要的，需要不同類型的柔性。代替?zhèn)戎赜谌嵝缘囊粋€特定的層面，世界級的制造企業(yè)需要的是戰(zhàn)略角度的柔性—能夠迅速調(diào)整自己的競爭目標，以滿足新的業(yè)務條件。</p>&

48、lt;p>　　在一個穩(wěn)定的競爭環(huán)境，比如十年前，一種競爭戰(zhàn)略僅僅涉及競爭位置的確定，然后捍衛(wèi)它，但是，由于競爭環(huán)境發(fā)生了迅速、難以預測的變化，新的知識和能力被需要來支持任何戰(zhàn)略以創(chuàng)造一個可持續(xù)的競爭優(yōu)勢。因此，在制造業(yè)的最終發(fā)展目標是實現(xiàn)戰(zhàn)略柔性。競爭優(yōu)勢一般是指競爭者創(chuàng)造一個具有獨特的優(yōu)勢的生產(chǎn)分配系統(tǒng)，。 實現(xiàn)競爭優(yōu)勢并不意味著公司必須始終做到在各個領域都比競爭者好。 關鍵是要在大多數(shù)領域中做好某一件事。決定哪個領域作為目標是

49、競爭優(yōu)先的一個中心問題。</p><p>　　規(guī)模經(jīng)濟的競爭優(yōu)勢最好是通過大規(guī)模生產(chǎn)說明的。此外，亨利福特的名言“客戶可以有任何顏色，只要它是黑色的”仍然說服了許多制造商，他們必須在標準化的低成本和柔性化的高成本之間做出選擇。這一直是被那些實現(xiàn)了產(chǎn)品標準和制造柔性的最佳平衡的日本汽車和電子制造商所否定的。</p><p>　　現(xiàn)今競爭環(huán)境的動態(tài)變化表明經(jīng)濟規(guī)模和產(chǎn)品或技術流程將會是競爭優(yōu)勢

50、削弱的一個因素。因此，制造商正在把注意力轉(zhuǎn)移到建筑工人的技能和知識上。世界級的制造商也認識到，競爭優(yōu)勢只有在生產(chǎn)戰(zhàn)略與其他職能戰(zhàn)略相協(xié)調(diào)，以支持整個企業(yè)戰(zhàn)略時才能建立。它表明戰(zhàn)略轉(zhuǎn)變對于適應競爭環(huán)境的變化和組織本身是必須的。因此，沒有最好的制造戰(zhàn)略，所有相互競爭的制造商應該根據(jù)需要為實現(xiàn)從一種戰(zhàn)略轉(zhuǎn)變?yōu)榱硪环N戰(zhàn)略做好準備。相應的策略取決于企業(yè)的長處和弱點。兩家制造公司可能會發(fā)展出不同的競爭策略，即使雙方都在同樣的市場成功。相反，堅持用一

51、種戰(zhàn)略（無論成功與否）往往會在基礎條件改變時產(chǎn)生問題。</p><p>　　由于市場的動態(tài)性質(zhì)，柔性已經(jīng)成為20世紀90年代最重要的競爭優(yōu)先權。柔性經(jīng)常被歸類為與產(chǎn)品或者服務相關的（如數(shù)量、產(chǎn)品組合和更改）和工藝技術有關的（如轉(zhuǎn)換，調(diào)度和創(chuàng)新）。這些資源的靈活性為制造商提供了必不可少競爭優(yōu)勢同時，使他們更傾向于具體操作和戰(zhàn)術的性質(zhì)的研究。為了獲得持續(xù)的競爭優(yōu)勢，管理部門必須制定戰(zhàn)略的柔性，這需要長期的承諾和重要資

52、源開發(fā)。請注意，沒有特定的制造技術或改善計劃均包括在內(nèi)。相反的，重點是發(fā)展技能，如知識，能力，以及組織結(jié)構的柔性。這些都是適應需要允許未來變化的戰(zhàn)略柔性的基礎；最重要的是，他們獨特的性質(zhì)意味著沒有其他人能輕易地“復制”他們。</p><p>　　戰(zhàn)略柔性允許制造公司從一個優(yōu)勢戰(zhàn)略轉(zhuǎn)移到另一個戰(zhàn)略，從一個競爭力優(yōu)先到另一個，同時也意味著資源的長期承諾和行動計劃。因此，進步取決于企業(yè)資源和能力的當前狀態(tài)。一般來說，戰(zhàn)

53、略柔性是通過三個步驟實現(xiàn)的：認識，理解和執(zhí)行。</p><p>　　第一階段：認識到戰(zhàn)略柔性將會提供長期穩(wěn)定的競爭優(yōu)勢。在過去的二十年，質(zhì)量改進，自動化，先進制造技術等等，往往被視為競爭優(yōu)勢的路徑。雖然他們可能會導致積極的結(jié)果，然而許多實證研究表明，許多公司發(fā)現(xiàn)它們失效。許多制造商過度地關注這些項目的形式或結(jié)構，而忽略了技能和能力的發(fā)展需要適應變化。如果管理層忽視了變化的必要性，改革的阻力就越大。只有管理層充分認

54、識到長期競爭優(yōu)勢的需要，才能明確的投入時間、人力和費用，發(fā)展戰(zhàn)略柔性。</p><p>　　第二階段：理解制造函數(shù)的性能直接鏈接到企業(yè)的業(yè)績和生存。理解制造函數(shù)的重要性以及它與公司業(yè)績的聯(lián)系為管理層提供了一個關注點以更加主動地考慮關于未來的建設能力。在過去的20年間，許多主要的制造業(yè)企業(yè)業(yè)績表現(xiàn)不佳并不使一些研究者感到吃驚。那些明確商業(yè)與生產(chǎn)戰(zhàn)略聯(lián)系的企業(yè)往往更加成功，獲得更多利潤。這一發(fā)現(xiàn)證實了一個說法，制造業(yè)

55、是一個關鍵的競爭變量，尤其是那些顧客逐漸提高成本和質(zhì)量意識的行業(yè)。</p><p>　　第三階段，制定和實施以技能、生產(chǎn)能力和依賴組織結(jié)構為中心的各種戰(zhàn)略。基于大量生產(chǎn)的過時的制造戰(zhàn)略不足以應付瞬息萬變的市場和產(chǎn)品生命周期的縮短。此外，生產(chǎn)工作變得更加具有挑戰(zhàn)性和概念性，而常規(guī)和重復作業(yè)則用自動機器來執(zhí)行。只有當工人理解和控制大部分的生產(chǎn)流程時，科技的巨大收益才能被利用。</p><p>

56、<b>　　*技能和知識</b></p><p>　　今天一個富有成效的工作力量必須是高度熟練和靈活的，只能在不同種類的工作任務中通過廣泛的培訓和經(jīng)驗來形成某種作業(yè)特點。因此，工作場所必須進行改組以鼓勵持續(xù)學習，它必須成為一個正常的工作生活的一部分。有證據(jù)表明，很多制造商并不會高度重視和投入足夠的資源來培養(yǎng)他們的前線員工，尤其是在美國。管理部門需要認識到的是，維護和升級他們的勞動力的技能是至

57、關重要的競爭策略。管理必須著眼于多技能工人的培養(yǎng)，停止把他們訓練成為可更換的部件或者是被控制的成本。在試圖找出為什么柔性的提高變得如此難以捉摸的嘗試中，阿普頓（1995）指出“大多數(shù)經(jīng)理把太多的信心放在機器和技術上，而沒有日常管理的信仰”（第75頁）。技能發(fā)展項目的基本主題是鼓勵整個公司不斷地學習。應制定培訓方案的方式是精心確定的目標和資源情況相一致。更重要的是，管理層應該能預見未來的技術需要，而不僅僅是眼前的。</p>

58、<p>　　復雜的計算機為基礎的生產(chǎn)系統(tǒng)很可能占有優(yōu)勢。訓練人們概念化，設計，使用新的生產(chǎn)技術和采用這項技術本身一樣關鍵。技術通常被作為一種取代工人的方式，這并不意味著，人力資源在實現(xiàn)競爭力上不再重要。事實上，制造商最大限度地提高他們在新技術上的投資的唯一方法是提升其員工的技能水平。由于生產(chǎn)變得越來越具有挑戰(zhàn)性和觀念性，因為自動化機械執(zhí)行了大多數(shù)例行和重復性的任務，在勞動力技能發(fā)展上的投資也就日益重要了。</p>

59、<p><b>　　*制造能力</b></p><p>　　戰(zhàn)略柔性不只是有關于靈活的勞動力，它需要一個具有先進的工藝和信息技術的勞動力，以滿足客戶的需求增強。先進的工藝技術，如柔性制造系統(tǒng)（FMS）和計算機集成制造（CIM）是實現(xiàn)大規(guī)模定制的關鍵。一個柔性制造系統(tǒng)可以生產(chǎn)使用由處理系統(tǒng)和由計算機系統(tǒng)控制的自動機的材料的配套產(chǎn)品。自動和預先工作站是為不同的操作而相連，以確保零件的

60、所有家庭成員無論何時需要都可以生產(chǎn)。隨著柔性制造系統(tǒng)的安裝，通用電氣可以在三天而不是三個星期內(nèi)提出一個定制電路盒。同樣的，摩托羅拉公司生產(chǎn)定制設計的電子傳呼機只要三個小時不到。</p><p>　　充足的證據(jù)表明如果使用跨功能的設計團隊，產(chǎn)品的設計可以大大的簡化。一個跨功能的設計團隊將有助于促進這個模塊化方法來進行產(chǎn)品設計。這種方法提供了一個可行的產(chǎn)品設計策略以滿足隨著標準化優(yōu)勢而不斷變化的需求。模塊化設計是一些

61、從現(xiàn)有的，標準化的部件組合的產(chǎn)品創(chuàng)造，它需要大量的創(chuàng)造力和整個公司的溝通交流。日本汽車制造商們已經(jīng)投入巨資到設計部件，這些部件在許多模型中能夠用不同的方法組合并可交替使用。雖然模塊化設計可能會增加工具和模具的成本，但是它也有利于更快地推出新汽車模型，并大幅度降低了產(chǎn)品開發(fā)成本。</p><p><b>　　*組織變革</b></p><p>　　戰(zhàn)略柔性的最終成功要求

62、對傳統(tǒng)的組織職能進行重新定義，包括與供應商和消費者的聯(lián)系。深層次的組織，就像從主要的制造業(yè)企業(yè)中發(fā)現(xiàn)的，會阻礙合作與交流。近年來，許多企業(yè)重組的努力已經(jīng)轉(zhuǎn)向從組織結(jié)構扁平化到集中于跨功能整合和員工參與。公司交流是由從部門界限和限制中解脫出來的結(jié)構中得到促進。最終目的是把整個生產(chǎn)流程轉(zhuǎn)變成模塊，并創(chuàng)造一個具有技能和能力的動態(tài)網(wǎng)絡，使資源快速整合來定制產(chǎn)品或服務。</p><p>　　大眾產(chǎn)品生產(chǎn)的標準化已不再是滿足

63、不斷變化的市場需求的挑戰(zhàn)，縮短產(chǎn)品生命周期的可行辦法。事實上，通常的方法即首先確定一個固定的競爭優(yōu)勢，如成本，質(zhì)量，時間，靈活性，或創(chuàng)新，然后投入所有資源來實現(xiàn)這一目標，將不會再提供一個可持續(xù)的競爭優(yōu)勢。世界級的制造商必須實施戰(zhàn)略柔性，以應付更多的不確定性，而不僅僅是改變需求模式和產(chǎn)品產(chǎn)量。戰(zhàn)略柔性不是一個改善方案，而是適應能力和變革準備度。戰(zhàn)略柔性的目標是提供更多的選擇，以便企業(yè)能夠從當前的制造戰(zhàn)略向另一個具有成本、時間、業(yè)績最小損失