Production Systems Flexibility: Theory and Practice

The current, unstable market environment promotes flexibility as a valuable attribute of manufacturing systems. This paper discusses the concept of production system flexibility and its evolution over the years in the academic literature as well as in the industrial practice. The main flexibility types and the respective quantification approaches are introduced. The development of flexibility metrics allows the consideration of flexibility in the stakeholders' day-to-day decisions for the efficient design and operation of manufacturing systems. Selected paradigms, regarding the introduction of the flexibility concept to industrial practice, are also provided and their results are discussed. An outlook of the future requirements in terms of flexibility, based on the current market environment and the latest trends in manufacturing, has been also provided.