PRODUCTION/OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES IN SINGAPORE MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES : USAGE AND BARRIERS TO ACCEPTANCE

Abstract

The challenge to manufacturing in today's highly competitive environment is to carve out a competitive edge in the world marketplace. It is essential to take a more holistic view of manufacturing by recognizing and adopting an integrated manufacturing management system. However, there is an issue that is more fundamental than the call for a systems approach to manufacturing. Considerable inefficiency occurs in business because of the lack of appropriate use of even the most mundane and simple production/operations management (P/OM) techniques [Gallagher (1983)]. Usage of P/OM techniques is thus the focus of this Academic Exercise. In particular, the Singapore manufacturing industries are studied, by conducting a postal questionnaire survey to investigate the extent of usage of P/OM techniques and the barriers to acceptance. The findings of this research highlight the disturbingly low usage of P/OM techniqu s especially in local manufacturing companies. This study also identifies factors that influence the extent of usage of P/OM techniques like the size of companies, nationalities of ownership, the production system and the knowledge of production/operations managers. The section on barriers to usage of P/OM techniques addresses the shortcomings of the users, problems of the techniques and implementation obstacles. The findings suggest that there is a lack of knowledge on the part of production/operations managers as well as resistance to change among the companies. Finally, the implications to practitioners and academics are discussed with an objective to encourage more research focusing on the application and implementation of P/OM techniques as well as to motivate local practitioners to upgrade and improve their manufacturing units.