Special Issue: Modularity: implications for strategy and operations

My interest in the field of modular production was first developed toward the end of my PhD research in 1999. I was visiting a supplier that provided seating solutions on a synchronous basis to Nissan Manufacturing UK and wanted to explore the operational dimensions of synchronous supply. What struck me at the time was that the supplier was charged with providing complex seating modules that included a variety of seating material options, plug and play electronics, lumbar support and a variety of airbag options with associated ignitors. This modular approach required the supplier to manage over 60 upstream suppliers and necessitated the development of lean operations that could deliver faultless products to Six Sigma levels. It was clear at the time of my visit that delivering on a synchronous basis was accommodated by modular production and that this method of production had implications for supply chain management, the configuration of supplier operations and the changing role played by OEMs who were increasingly seeking modular solutions in an environment characterized by high risk and low cost.