Performance and evaluation of manufacturing systems

The monitoring and control of the input and output of manufacturing systems is an essential task for the system optimisation. Performance of manufacturing systems covers a wide spectrum of technology and management activities. This paper reviews the historical evolution of and modern developments in manufacturing performance measurement within a systems framework based on five metrics and five levels from single workstation to the entire manufacturing network. A summary of an industrial survey in the aerospace industry is also included to provide an industrial perspective. The implications of emerging topics of growing importance in sustainability, agility, e-manufacturing, complexity and biomimetics are also discussed.