Advanced Manufacturing Industry Study Group Paper 'Getting Agile & Fast - A 2003 Overture to Pre-Eminence'

摘要

The central question addressed in this paper is the status of advanced manufacturing in the United States, its important role in the economy and its critical contribution to the defense industry. Simply stated, a robust advanced manufacturing sector is essential to support national defense and to provide a balanced, diversified economy. While the observation of manufacturing operations in the United States, Sweden and Ireland were the highlight of our year, academic research, and a full curriculum of national resource policy informed our view. This mix helped us conduct an educated analysis of the manufacturing industry as a whole. What we discovered is a highly competitive environment that favors brains over brawn. Manufacturing has become a sprint to identify customer requirements, and in turn, produce products that meet them faster than the competition. In this environment, competitive prices, precise operations, and quality products are entry criteria. What differentiates certain companies is a unique ability to create a competitive advantage in this environment these manufacturers think and do faster and by definition, these advantages make them advanced. Manufacturing is the engine that has driven our national economy for decades, and it will continue to do so. The ability of American manufacturers to remain competitive and keep advancing in today's environment is a national imperative. While other nations are racing to overtake some of our advantages, we are in the unenviable position of running a marathon at a sprinter's pace.