Cellular Manufacturing Implementation: An Exploration of the Implementation Benefits

This paper proffers a possible avenue of implementing Cellular Manufacturing (CM) and the possible benefits that can accrue from the same implementation. It uses the results of a study using questionnaires undertaken in the UK furniture industry in 1994 and also knowledge that has been acquired since then. From the companies that were studied and using the findings on CM in the furniture industry in particular, general solutions proposed by the industry to the problems encountered within CM are given. The paper further proposes specific recommendations on key areas that concern CM, taking into account, lessons learned from the companies using CM, knowledge gained from similar studies mainly in the engineering industry and knowledge gained from available literature on Group Technology.