The introduction of cellular manufacturing at Bomford Turner

This paper examines the actions taken by a small company to achieve an advantageous position in a very competitive market. These actions relate to changes in the manufacturing strategy, resulting in a cellular manufacturing implementation that led to a change of culture within a very traditional mechanical engineering environment. The changes were centred around: cellular layout; production and material control system; supplier development; and human resource development. These changes were wrought and substantial gains made with no investment in new plant, no new robotics or CAD/CAM installation, no sophisticated computerized production control system, but with detailed attention being paid to improving the effectiveness of the existing resources, both plant and people. The company, Bomford Turner, is an international supplier of grass hedge cutters and agricultural equipment based at Salford Priors near Evesham, UK.