Agilitätsmanagement: Steigerung der Reaktionsfähigkeit von Fertigungsunternehmen durch Quick Response Manufacturing

Initial point of this paper was an observation of a logistics company which faces an ex-tremely dynamic market. Market dynamics for this company are caused not only by fluctuat-ing demand of a defined production program, but also by a permanently altering demand of product types. Die fluctuations of qualitative and quantitative manner showed the logistics company more and more that those company features which were requested by the sales market (customer responsiveness, adaptability) could not be attained with a traditional or-ganizational structure or existing methods and business processes. The result of this obser-vation was the research question which concepts, methods and technologies could be ap-plied to increase the companys agility. In particular, the company was interested in an ex-tensive corporate concept to reach agile behaviour in diverse parts of the company and the supply chain. Beside the description of such an approach, practical instructions should be given how to introduce the discussed business concept in the company. The objective of this paper is to describe how agile behaviour can be reached in a manufacturing company. Struc-tures, technologies and methods are introduced which are not restricted to certain industries or company sizes, and which where developed in reaction to changing market forces in the twenty-first century.