IT Enabled Global Manufacturing Strategy: Objectives, Considerations, and Implementation Issues

The new global competitive environment requires U.S. manufacturers to move beyond quality revolution to address growth in overseas markets. A global manufacturing strategy can be defined as one that enables a firm to maximize the utilization of global manufacturing resources for competitive advantage. But how do firms go about formulating, implementing and monitoring their global manufacturing strategy? This paper first addresses the major goals and considerations when manufacturing firms try to go global. The important implementation issues of global manufacturing strategy are then discusses with emphasis on the role of information technology