Today, manufacturing is about more than the mighty machine and measuring the performance of individual plants. It has become a much broader strategic lever, integral and critical to a company's success.

Within a comprehensive manufacturing strategy, manufacturing can encompass everything from innovation and talent management to cross-functional coordination and alignment. Having a manufacturing strategy means aligning with overall company goals and objectives. It also means bringing a flexible, customer-centric approach to new product development and delivery that exceeds customer expectations and generates the best cost position possible.

To meet the ever-changing needs of an increasingly fast-paced, connected and competitive world, organizations must be able to innovate quickly. And enjoying a long-term competitive advantage depends as much on identifying, hiring, developing and retaining talent as it does on product. Having a product that is unique and can be delivered safely and effectively to customers are no longer separate concerns. Rather, they are intertwined: If a product is designed without all functions involved, its release can be delayed and the costs increased. Building a manufacturing team that has confirmed customer-facing and cross-functional experience is critical.

Implementing an effective manufacturing strategy that aligns tactics and resources includes:

• Creating a product roadmap.
• Conducting an organizational design exercise to understand how resources should be deployed.
• Deciding how and where to build a product: in-house, with an outsourced contract manufacturer, or by producing a hybrid model.
• Creating a balanced scorecard with ambitious goals and driving the manufacturing team toward the continuous improvement of key metrics.
• Determining how the manufacturing team can actively promote and contribute to customer satisfaction.
• Combining best-in-class supply management with the right mix of correctly deployed resources.
  

Companies that recognize that manufacturing is a key component of any business equation and include it in all strategic discussions from the very beginning will be more efficient and better aligned. They will also enjoy faster time to market, improved customer satisfaction, accelerated growth and greater profitability.