The lack of in-depth understanding and measurement of manufacturing complexity continues to be problematic for multinational manufacturing organisations. The dynamics of constantly changing customer requirements, a causative agent of manufacturing complexity, challenge existing manufacturing systems to adapt and respond to the changing functional requirements time-cost-effectively. In this paper, we present a theoretical model as an entropic measure of complexity applicable to manufacturing operations and an investigation of the feasibility of adapting a hydraulic cam to a conventional system for optimal machining of high strength steel in the category of automotive grades. In order to establish a conclusive economic index for reconfiguration of conventional systems as a competitive advantage for the agile-centric global manufacturing environment, the surface topography of sheared edges of machined parts and piercing force were analysed using Zygo New View 200 scanning white light interferometer and MATLAB respectively.