Abstract :
During the later half of the 1980s the management team running the UK operations of Cincinnati Milacron based in Birmingham realised that there were significant problems facing the company if it were to survive into the next century as a leading manufacturer of CNC machine tools. The management team realised what was necessary-a complete re-design of both the companies´ product range and the methods used to introduce, develop, and produce equipment in high volumes at low cost. The methodology which it was decided to adopt was based on that used successfully by the Japanese motor manufacturers, which had enabled them to dramatically reduce design, development and pre-production phases of new car introduction. This coupled with high quality and aggressive pricing had, as with the Japanese machine tool industry, led to massive penetration of world export markets
