Manufacturing Strategy Examples

In recent decades, manufacturing strategy has become an increasingly popular approach in business. Apple, Zara, and other giants have been successfully using it to gain a competitive edge.

Want to know how? Keep reading this article, and don’t forget to check out our manufacturing strategy examples!

🔝 Top 5 Manufacturing Strategy Examples

1. Nestle, Cadbury and Mars Companies Strategic Operations
2. Lean Manufacturing and Management
3. Canada Innovations: Productivity in Canada and Impediments to Innovation
4. Process of Reengineering. Harley-Davidson Company
5. Car Manufacturing: The Strategy of BMW

🚀 What Is a Manufacturing Strategy?

A manufacturing strategy is a long-term approach to utilizing the production system’s resources to fulfill the company’s objectives. Successful implementation of the manufacturing strategy requires a series of precise decisions. This process considers the competitors, the products to make, and the necessary procedures and technology.

What Are the Different Types of Manufacturing Strategies?

There are 3 types of manufacturing strategies:

1. A Make-to-Stock (MTS) strategy is especially effective when a product is consistently popular.
2. A Make-to-Order (MTO) strategy is helpful for highly customized items.
3. A hybrid strategy called Make-to-Assemble (MTA) involves storing basic parts based on demand projections but assembling them only after clients place their orders.

What Are the Phases in Developing Manufacturing Strategies?

The framework of manufacturing strategy development has 8 phases.

⚪ Phases 1-4	The first 4 phases are about strategic roles that entail short-term internal and external problem-solving.
⚪ Phase 5	This phase is about long-term orientation.
⚪ Phase 6	This phase is the analysis of the strength of strategy production.
⚪ Phases 7-8	The final 2 stages involve formulating a formal strategic planning and communication strategy.

Why Is Manufacturing Strategy Important?

Addressing the manufacturing strategy early in the product development process brings benefits later on. A carefully calibrated product and manufacturing strategy helps make more confident decisions while preparing the product for the market. As a result, high-quality products are produced most efficiently.

💡 Manufacturing Strategy Template

All businesses approach their strategy uniquely, but there are some general manufacturing strategy guidelines that can help focus on what is important.

✔️	Firstly, the company needs to define its mission and objectives.
✔️	Then, it should analyze its competitive environment and evaluate its capabilities.
✔️	Based on the analysis, the company can develop a strategic plan with a clear roadmap, performance metrics, and key performance indicators (KPIs).
✔️	Afterward, the company needs to allocate resources and implement its strategy with the right team and tools.
✔️	Once implemented, it’s essential to monitor manufacturing performance and adjust the strategy as needed.

🔥 Manufacturing Strategy Examples: Zara & Apple

Zara Manufacturing Strategy

Zara leverages the supply chain to carry out its business model. It uses the just-in-time (JIT) production model, in which products are made to satisfy demand rather than in excess or ahead of demand. This allows Zara to be more flexible whenever the market changes, which is a common approach in the clothing industry.

Apple Manufacturing Strategy

Apple’s manufacturing strategy also revolves around manufacturing flexibility. Because of the short product life cycles, its factories must be able to reconfigure new products swiftly. Then, the factories need to be able to ramp up production from small-scale to maximum demand.

Other companies with great manufacturing strategies include:

• Sony,
• Home Depot,
• Ford.

We hope you enjoyed our examples and info about manufacturing strategy! Feel free to use this knowledge in your business studies.