Exploring Requirements and Implementation of Changeability and Reconfigurability in Danish Manufacturing

Abstract Changeability and reconfigurability can be considered decisive factors of competitiveness in high-wage countries with pressure for cost reduction, extensive relocation of manufacturing, and growing need for product variety and customization. Despite these promising potentials, their current state in industry remains rather unexplored. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to explore requirements and implementation of changeability and reconfigurability in Danish manufacturing through an exploratory descriptive survey. The findings indicate that changeability is both relevant and important in Danish manufacturing. However, the findings also indicate a mismatch between requirements and implementation of changeability, as enablers of reconfigurability are only rudimentarily existing.