Performance implications of assembly work teams

Manufacturing flexibility is a source of sustainable competitive advantage. The capability for flexibility provides operations with the potential to realign itself with the needs of the marketplace as they change. Ideally, this capability for manufacturing flexibility should result in realignment that is rapid, efficient, and cost effective. A key approach to realizing manufacturing's potential for flexibility is through development and effective utilization of the workforce. This paper links decisions on the configuration of work teams, the extent of cross training, and the deployment of workers to the manufacturing tasks imposed by various product environments. Inspired by real manufacturing environments, a series of experiments were conducted revealing that the benefits of teaming are contingent on product environments and the methods by which workers share tasks.