Flexible Manufacturing Networks for Microenterprises

摘要

This study contributes a fresh prospective to the community economic developmentfield in several ways: First the topic of flexible manufacturing networks and their relevance to community development corporations (CDCs) engaged in microenterprise development is an uncharted area of practice and research. Second, much of the literature has focused on various facets of housing development, leaving other areas of community-based economic development unexplained. CDCs are now directing some of their energy to supporting the business ideas of their constituents. Third, the benefits to be gained from implementing the flexible manufacturing network (FMN) strategy among microenterprises have not been studied extensively because FMNs in the United States are relatively young and have primarily focused on small and medium-size manufacturing firms. Last, the study brings to light the fact that FMNs apply in both rural as well as urban areas. Neglected for so long, rural towns are in dire need of ideas that can be used to counteract outmigration, unemployment, business relocation, and infrastructure decay. The report has three major sections: The first is an overview of FMNs. It describes them and presents the Italian experience, often used as a model for American FMNa. The second section describes three U.S. FMNs that show how networking applies to diverse places. The last section focuses particularly on the application of FMNs to microenterprises.