Delivery reliability, manufacturing
capabilities and new models of
manufacturing efficiency
Roberto Sarmiento
Innovative Manufacturing Research Centre, Cardiff Business School,
Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
Mike Byrne
Operations Management Division, Nottingham University Business School,
University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
Luis Rene Contreras
College of Engineering, The University of Texas at El Paso,
El Paso, Texas, USA, and
Nick Rich
Innovative Manufacturing Research Centre, Cardiff Business School,
Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
Abstract
Purpose – To provide a selective bibliography on reported empirical evidence regarding the
compatibility/trade-offs relationships between delivery reliability and other manufacturing
capabilities, and also identify specific areas for future research.
Design/methodology/approach – The paper conceptually examines published studies which have
reported a trade-off/compatibility situation between delivery reliability and other manufacturing
capabilities such as internal quality, external quality, manufacturing costs, inventory costs, etc. Some
different aspects of delivery reliability are also discussed.
Findings – Principally, the paper identifies a need to study in more detail the different variables
(manufacturing capabilities, contextual variables and manufacturing practices) that could be
potentially associated with the achievement of high manufacturing efficiency (high levels of
outputs/low levels of inputs) in terms of delivery reliability, materials inventory and safety resources.
Research limitations/implications – The literature review in the paper is intended to be
exhaustive. Nevertheless, it is probable that scientific papers that report related/relevant material are
involuntarily omitted.
Practical implications – By means of a detailed review of the literature, the paper identifies specific
themes for future research. The paper also should be of help to practitioners as it gathers the empirical
evidence regarding the compatibility/trade-off situation between delivery reliability and other areas of
manufacturing.
Originality/value – Some papers have dealt with literature reviews on manufacturing strategy as a
whole. Nevertheless, to the best of our knowledge, this is the first paper that offers a literature review
on delivery reliability. This paper also suggests a novel model of manufacturing efficiency and also
proposes a methodology (data envelopment analysis) with which this approach can be examined in
more detail.
Keywords Delivery, Operations management, Process efficiency, Plant efficiency
Paper type Literature review
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at
www.emeraldinsight.com/1741-038X.htm
New models of
manufacturing
efficiency
367
Received August 2005
Revised February 2006
Accepted April 2006
Journal of Manufacturing Technology
Management
Vol. 18 No. 4, 2007
pp. 367-386
q Emerald Group Publishing Limited
1741-038X
DOI 10.1108/17410380710743761