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The purpose of this article is to introduce an innovative methodology to support manufacturing changes in the foundation of flexibility measurements and evaluations and to integrate this in the companies' internal as well as companies' cross‐organisational processes of change management.

The approach consists of two phases: first, a consistent systematics for the production systems flexibility evaluation is presented; second, the change processes are analysed and quantified flexibility indicators are integrated to support the decision – making process.

The application of the methodology in manufacturing environments has demonstrated that consideration of flexibility in the production and its integration into the manufacturing change processes has a great potential.

The originality of this work is in the integrated approach to consider flexibility as support for the change management. In particular the integration of quantified flexibility measurements into the change processes comes out to be the real innovation of the project.

Many research studies in operations management (OM) and strategic management (SM) investigate how different kinds of firm decisions regarding business relationships can positively affect a firm's operations performance, resource endowment, and competitive position. Very few studies exist, however, that have attempted to illuminate the actual behaviors of managers when making strategic decisions about their intercompany relationships; rather, most existing studies focus on normative theory. The purpose of this paper is to explore linkages between the “set” of strategic objectives that managers are willing to pursue, the “set” of networking decisions they make, and the “set” of business agreements they sign.

In order to investigate and explore actual managerial behaviors with respect to networking strategy, the study adopts a field research approach based on multiple case studies. Data were collected on 13 business agreements from three manufacturing firms in the mechatronics industry in Italy. Within‐case and cross‐case analyses are used for theory‐building purposes.

The empirical data allow identification four different archetypes of networking strategy. The archetypes capture different connections between the “set” of strategic objectives that managers are willing to pursue, the “set” of networking decisions that they consider, and the “set” of strategic agreements that they actually adopt. Specifically, the identified archetypes are named multi‐alignment, multi‐agreement (diversification), multi‐objective, and mono‐alignment (focus), and these are related to different association multiplicities among objectives, decisions, and agreements. The implications related to these archetypes are three‐fold. First, the multi‐alignment archetype suggests a focus not just on one kind of agreement, but also on the firm's overall portfolio of agreements, in order to facilitate understanding of how different kinds of agreements and networking decisions can play a complementary role in achieving a firm's predetermined business objective/s. Second, the multi‐agreement (diversification) archetype suggests that managers can minimize the risk of losing the potentiality of network collaboration by undertaking different kinds of agreements for the same strategic objective. Third, the mono‐alignment (focus) and multi‐objective archetypes suggest that just one agreement can potentially pursue one or multiple strategic objectives, and thus can allow managers to minimize the cost of managing several networking relationships.

The originality of this study lies in its exploration of linkages between objectives, decisions and networking agreements. Unlike most of the existing papers in OM and SM, however, it does not specifically focus on: vertical or horizontal relationships; operations performance (positioning school) or resource endowment (resource‐based view) strategic objectives; or any specific kind of agreement contract (outsourcing, alliance, joint venture, etc.). This paper presents four different networking strategy archetypes that represent different ways of matching a “set” of networking decisions, strategic objectives and business agreements. These are not related to either vertical or horizontal relationships, operations performance or resource endowment objectives, or any specific contract agreement form.

This chapter explores the importance of the multifaceted levels of Aboriginal Being through my personal story. I, as the author will not only be the Researcher but also will be the researched. It is my journey that exposes me as the student, researcher, and teacher. By drawing on my life’s journey I narrate who I am and where I come from through both autoethnographical methodology and self-reflexivity. It is through this that I open up a space for wholistic education. It is envisaged that this work will uncover some of the complexities associated with Connection and Disconnection that has contributed to my personal growth and educational journey, connected to my Being. It is this experience I now transition onto my students. I am working with like-minded Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People, towards the vision and mission for my College. We as a collective continue to elaborate on the extremity and prevalence in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People, and their need for a safe space. It is within this space that we as a College understand the importance of flexibility, ensuring healing, decolonisation, and transitioning in allowing for the development of a culturally appropriate wholistic education in the vocational and education sector.

This paper presents the concerns in manufacturing supply chain. Further this study investigates the role of information technology (IT) and information sharing (IS) in manufacturing supply chain and determines its impact towards supply chain integration (SCI), supply chain performance (SCP), and manufacturing firm performance (FP) in Malaysia. The theoretical framework was proposed for the study on the basis of existing literature. The study administered a survey questionnaire to collect data from manufacturing firms in Malaysia with 112 respondents. A multiple regression analysis is conducted to establish the relationship between IT, IS, SCI, and FP. The study finds that IT and sharing has significant positive effect towards and performance. Firms that use IT and practice IS across partners in the supply chain are more likely to integrate their internal and external value chain for better performance both within and across the manufacturing firms in the supply chain. This study can be of interest to the manufacturing industry as well as other industry practitioners interested in improving the performance of the organization and supply chain in total. For supply chain practitioners, this results indicate that the firms should adopt IT and IS practices to strategically improve SCI. This in turn will also improve the supply chain network and firm’s performance. This study employs a newly developed framework which depicts the causal relationship between IT, IS, SCI, Supply Chain Performance, and FP in Malaysia. Furthermore, it closes a gap in existing literature by examining the effect IT and communication (ICT) practices toward manufacturing firms’ performance and SCP in a single setting. In addition, the current study attempted to construct a model which would estimate and interpret SCP and FP simultaneously, and to evaluate this model in an empirical fashion.

This paper deals with the subject of “Lean Normalization.” The purpose of this paper is to propose a comprehensive methodology which combines the benefits of both International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standards and Lean Management. The application of this methodology leads manufacturing or service companies to certification without creating more documentation. It guarantees agility and flexibility in the day-to-day management of the company, and induces lower costs and reduced times. This methodology provides a new way of tackling the implementation of ISO standards in a company.

This methodology is based on the synergistic combination of both ISO standards (Quality Management System) and the key concepts of Lean Management. After a short presentation of ISO standards and Lean Management, the possibility of implementing a synergy between these two different approaches will be discussed. At this point, ISO 9001 standards will be focused on. The proposed methodology will be introduced step by step. Each step of the model will be formalized using the Structured Analysis and Design Technique graphic representation tool. Moreover, each step is associated with a key concept of Lean Management. In order to illustrate the proposed method, an example of implementation will also be presented.

To show the feasibility of this methodology, this paper finishes with a summary of the results achieved in a company and draws some interesting conclusions. Companies have the possibility of achieving certification in combination with a Lean Quality Management System (LQMS): a one-page quality manual, only ten records, no major non-conformities and no customer complaints over a two-year period.

The methodology may have to be adapted to better suit the needs of companies seeking to implement the latest version of the ISO 9001 standards.

This paper presents the deployment of ISO 9001 standards whilst simultaneously respecting key Lean Management concepts. The practical results for enterprises are the implementation of an LQMS leading to a certification.

This paper presents a new method combining both ISO standards and Lean Management concepts to achieve certification with an LQMS.

Due to its simplicity and the relevance of its steps, the proposed methodology can be applied to companies with a guaranteed success of certification.

In the present era of Industry 4.0, the manufacturing automation is moving toward mass production and mass customization through human–robot collaboration. The purpose of this paper is to describe various human–robot collaborative (HRC) techniques and their applicability for various manufacturing methods along with key challenges.

Numerous recent relevant research literature has been analyzed, and various human–robot interaction methods have been identified, and detailed discussions are made on one- and two-way human–robot collaboration.

The challenges in implementing human–robot collaboration for various manufacturing process and the challenges in one- and two-way collaboration between human and robot are found and discussed.

The authors have attempted to classify the HRC techniques and demonstrated the challenges in different modes.

This paper aims to provide a service-based integrated prototype framework for the design of reusable modular assembly systems (RMAS) incorporating reusability of equipment into the process. It extends AutomationML (AML) developments for an engineering data exchange to integrate and standardize the data formats that support the design of RMAS.

The approach provides a set of systematic procedures and support tools for the design of RMAS. This includes enhanced domain knowledge models that facilitate the interpretation and integration of information across the design phases.

The inclusion of reusability aspects in the design phase improves the sustainability of future assembly systems, by ensuring equipment use until its end-of-life. Moreover, the integrated support tools reduce the design time, while improving the quality/performance of the system design solution, as it enables the exploration of a larger solution space. This will result in a better response to dynamic and rapidly changing system requirements.

This work provides a sustainable approach for the design of modular assembly systems (MAS), which will ensure better resource utilization. Additionally, the standardization of the data and the support of low cost tools is expected to benefit industrial companies, particularly the small- and medium-sized enterprises.

This approach offers a service-based platform which uses production data to incorporate reusability aspects into the design process of modular assembly system. Moreover, it provides a framework for modular assembly system design by extending the current design processes and interactions between stakeholders. To support this, a standardized method for information representation and exchange across the several phases of the RMAS design activity is briefly illustrated with an industrial case study.

This study aims to discuss the state-of-the-art digital factory (DF) development combining digital twins (DTs), sensing devices, laser additive manufacturing (LAM) and subtractive manufacturing (SM) processes. The current shortcomings and outlook of the DF also have been highlighted. A DF is a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility that uses innovative technologies, including automation, artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things, additive manufacturing (AM), SM, hybrid manufacturing (HM), sensors for real-time feedback and control, and a DT, to streamline and improve manufacturing operations.

This study presents a novel perspective on DF development using laser-based AM, SM, sensors and DTs. Recent developments in laser-based AM, SM, sensors and DTs have been compiled. This study has been developed using systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, discussing literature on the DTs for laser-based AM, particularly laser powder bed fusion and direct energy deposition, in-situ monitoring and control equipment, SM and HM. The principal goal of this study is to highlight the aspects of DF and its development using existing techniques.

A comprehensive literature review finds a substantial lack of complete techniques that incorporate cyber-physical systems, advanced data analytics, AI, standardized interoperability, human–machine cooperation and scalable adaptability. The suggested DF effectively fills this void by integrating cyber-physical system components, including DT, AM, SM and sensors into the manufacturing process. Using sophisticated data analytics and AI algorithms, the DF facilitates real-time data analysis, predictive maintenance, quality control and optimal resource allocation. In addition, the suggested DF ensures interoperability between diverse devices and systems by emphasizing standardized communication protocols and interfaces. The modular and adaptable architecture of the DF enables scalability and adaptation, allowing for rapid reaction to market conditions.

Based on the need of DF, this review presents a comprehensive approach to DF development using DTs, sensing devices, LAM and SM processes and provides current progress in this domain.

This study aims to explore how instructors and trainees perceive value generation within companies through Lean learning conducted in an industrial context. It specifically examines the influence of this learning on decision-making, issue resolution, opportunities for continuous improvement, waste reduction and alignment with corporate goals.

This research adopts a survey method, using two online questionnaires targeted at Lean instructors and trainees from companies in Northern Portugal. It included sample selection and questionnaire development based on literature and objectives. The data analysis techniques encompass descriptive statistics and coding for open-ended responses.

Instructors and trainees emphasize the effectiveness of experiential learning techniques, such as games and simulations, in facilitating the understanding and application of Lean principles. This transformative approach enhances corporate efficiency, decision-making and problem-solving capabilities. However, the study reveals that despite the widespread adoption of Lean learning in the analyzed companies, a structured framework to measure its added value is lacking. The findings underscore the need for metrics that capture Lean’s true impact: individuals who challenge the status quo and actively drive transformative solutions, positioning Lean as both a technical methodology and a human-centered driver of growth.

The primary limitations of this study are the small sample size and its geographical focus on Northern Portugal. While the sample size is relatively limited, the selected companies’ extensive experience with Lean practices ensures that the data collected remains valuable and insightful. In addition, the regional scope may limit the generalizability of the findings to other contexts or regions. Future research should aim to address these limitations by expanding both the sample size and geographical coverage, which would provide a broader understanding of Lean learning’s impact and improve the applicability of the results to different industrial settings.

This study distinguishes itself through its human-centered approach to Lean learning, shifting the focus from traditional tools and techniques to the experiences of individuals. Addressing a critical gap in Portuguese research – where operational outcomes often take precedence over human factors like motivation and development – underscores Lean’s broader potential to cultivate systems thinking, sustainability and ethics.