Modelling of a systematic for the determination and categorisation of critical performance measures in manufacturing companies : a hybrid model

Abstract

As suggested by the title, the aim of this work is to establish an effective and flexible methodology for the determination of performance measures in manufacturing companies. The focus of this work resides in particular in the determination of Performance Measures of low hierarchical levels, strictly connected with the shop floor and which have to answer to executive, operational and at maximum tactical needs. The objective is also trying to avoid direct strategic influences: in fact our aim is to develop performance measures for the production level (or shop floor) using a brand new bottom-up systematic, which can allow us to integrate the measures design at the lower level, with a strategy-based framework. This approach in the process of measures design is quite new and it has found few previews attempts. Therefore this work can be considered a newness in this field and it can be considered a starting point for a new focus in the performance measurements research. However, as the following pages will show, in order to develop an effective performance measurement system, coherent with the overall objectives (mission and vision) of the company, the strategy, even in small part, has to be considered even at the lower levels. The results of this work will show that, instead of avoiding the strategy influence at executive and operational levels, an effective systematic for performance design at these hierarchical levels should try to integrate the -instructions- coming from the management, with the -needs- coming from the shop floor. The most difficult part is therefore trying to keep an effective equilibrium between these two dimensions with the aim of producing an efficient, flexible and reliable Performance Measurement System (PMS). A PMS that nowadays is no more just a control tool (see chapter 2.3), but it is a fundamental part of the company management. It is therefore important to remark that this work is to be seen as the basis for the developing of a system for decision-making support.