Exploring the manufacturing flexibility issues to build a framework to implement the manufacturing flexibility of a supply chain: a review

Manufacturing flexibility is considered one of the most in-demand properties for manufacturing firms in the present highly competitive markets and uncertain business environment. Implementation of manufacturing flexibility is also difficult. This study aimed to minimise the difficulties in understanding the manufacturing flexibility issues through a review of highly cited scientific articles. The period of the selected articles was from the foundation of the topic (1980) to up-to-date (2021). This study explored and organised manufacturing flexibility components; manufacturing flexibility types, their interrelationships, drivers, sources, and relationship with various exogenous and endogenous issues. Finally, the study suggested a generalised framework for implementing and managing manufacturing flexibility for a homogeneous industry, which would be an easy and systematic approach for decision-makers. The study concluded that to implement the manufacturing flexibility, researchers and practitioners should take a single firm or homogeneous industries of a specific supply chain as an entity rather than heterogeneous industries.