Manufacturing must continue to transform in order to remain competitive. Leadership, strategies and support systems must change as well to help organizations become world-class manufacturers.

The 2011 Next Generation Manufacturing (NGM) Study provides a framework for understanding Next Generation Manufacturing by identifying competitive performances and corporate best practices for achieving world-class status in the 21st century.

The six Next Generation Strategies measured in the Study are:

Customer-focused innovation: Develop, make, and market new products and services that meet customers’ needs at a pace faster than the competition.

Engaged people/human capital acquisition, development and retention: Secure a competitive performance advantage by having superior systems in place to recruit, hire, develop, and retain talent.

Superior processes/improvement focus: Record annual productivity and quality gains that exceed the competition through a companywide commitment to continuous improvement.

Supply-chain management and collaboration: Develop and manage supply chains and partnerships that provide flexibility, response time, and delivery performance that exceeds the competition.

Sustainability: Design and implement waste and energy-use reductions at a level that provides superior cost performance and recognizable customer value.

Global engagement: Secure business advantages by having people, partnerships, and systems in place capable of engaging global markets and talents better than the competition.

Click here to see the 2011 NGM Study Executive Summary.