An evaluation of agile manufacturing initiatives in the Indian manufacturing industry

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the contribution of agile manufacturing (AM) initiatives in the Indian manufacturing industry and their influence on the business performance enhancement. Design/methodology/approach A survey questionnaire was designed to attain the research objectives. The variables included in the questionnaire were adapted from the elaborated literature review and validated through discussion held with practitioners, academicians and the industry experts. AM questionnaire was sent to approximately 500 randomly selected manufacturing organizations in the northern spectrum of India through e-mails and posts, out of which 154 usable responses were received. Findings The study identified that the Indian manufacturing industry has been reasonably successful in improving the business performance by implementing AM initiatives and has successfully reaped the benefits of AM implementation. Originality/value The present work develops an insight into the prevailing AM practices adopted by Indian manufacturing organizations. The study calculated the percent point score for each issue of AM initiative with respect to the Indian manufacturing industry and highlighted its impact on the enhancement of business performance.