The application of cellular manufacturing: a regional small to medium enterprise perspective

Cellular manufacturing has been advocated as the preferred approach to the organization of a company's manufacturing system for moderate volume and moderate variety parts. In addition, the use of cells is central to just-in-time (JIT) production and lean manufacture. Although the merits of cells in comparison with a traditional functional arrangement continue to be debated, it remains to be seen as to the actual extent of adoption of cells by the discrete-batch manufacturing community. This short communication presents a review of recent UK-based studies which concludes that cellular manufacturing is not as widespread as might be expected. In this context, the present authors undertook a regional study investigating the application of cellular manufacturing within Merseyside, and with a specific focus on small to medium enterprises (SMEs). The results of this study are presented. The implications of the adoption of cells with respect to the SME community, including support for their implementation, are also discussed.