Relation between Contract Manufacturing Positions and Flexibility Levels of Ready Wear Enterprises

Abstract

This paper investigates relation between contract manufacturing positions and flexibility levels of ready wear enterprises. In determination of flexibility levels in ready wear enterprises performance indicators are used in terms of product flexibility, volume flexibility, machine flexibility, material flexibility and process flexibility. These performance indicators are numbers of product and style produced in the enterprise at the same time, product change times, the least and the most amount of production batches, easily adaptation to different demands, transition periods to the production of new products, calibration levels of machines mentioned in production system to the product change, average numbers of procedures on a machine and etc. Research data are supplied from 85 ready wear enterprises (small and medium enterprises) which have employers over 50 and work in Turkey. Data are evaluated with statistical operations; the relation between contract manufacturing positions and product flexibility, volume flexibility, machine flexibility, material flexibility, process flexibility of ready wear enterprises is studied. In conclusion, flexibility performance levels of enterprises are presented to contract manufacturing positions of ready wear enterprises in Turkey. So this study is concluded that flexibility performance of enterprises which make contract manufacturing is higher than flexibility performance of others not making contract manufacturing.