Changes In Manufacturing Strategies: Competitive Priorities and Market Aims in Australian Manufacturing Firms

With substantial natural resources and a strong manufacturing history inherited from its European colonists, Australia has a reasonably healthy manufacturing sector. However the development of this sector in Australia has differed from that in Europe due to a number of important influences such as geographical separation from large markets, population density and government policies, particularly those concerning industry protection. This paper investigates manufacturing strategies adopted in the Australian metal engineering sector, how these strategies differ from those observed elsewhere in the world (predominantly Europe), and how such strategies have changed over the last 6 to 8 years. The research examines data collected through the second and third rounds of the International Manufacturing Strategies Survey (IMSS) and particularly considers the competitive priorities and market aims of the responding firms. Analyses presented in this paper attempt to answers two questions i.e. what is necessary for winning a major customer and how do manufacturing firms describe the market aims of their businesses. Overall, the paper highlights that the Australian manufacturers are perhaps bridging the gap between themselves and overseas competitors, over several parameters relevant to the overall success of a manufacturing firm in a competitive world