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Hard and soft approaches to manufacturing: which is the most important?

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Abstract

This paper briefly reviews hard and soft approaches to manufacturing in the context of both industrial needs and the historical evolution of approaches to manufacturing problem solving including more recent fashions. The paper recognises that practice requires a mixture of hard and soft approaches to problems, but that it is vital to understand which and when each should be applied. This requires people who are “comfortable” with both approaches and that are capable of interacting with colleagues from general management backgrounds. This presents a significant challenge for academia and requires continued debate between industry and academia to ensure that their respective contributions remain valid for both sides. The paper also makes further contributions to the discussion of research and teaching methods in support of practice.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Manufacturing Technology Director, Bespak Europe Ltd and Bespak Inc., UK

    D.J. Williams Professor

  2. University of Cambridge and UMIST, UK

    W. Johnson Emeritus Professor

Authors
  1. D.J. Williams Professor
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  2. W. Johnson Emeritus Professor
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Williams, D., Johnson, W. Hard and soft approaches to manufacturing: which is the most important?. AMT 24, 533–540 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00170-003-1955-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00170-003-1955-9

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