Reconfigurable Manufacturing Systems: A Systematic Review and Classification Framework with Implications for Supply Chain Resilience

Background: Reconfigurable Manufacturing Systems (RMSs) address the deficiencies of previous manufacturing systems with expandable capacity and capability to respond to dynamic demand. While research on RMSs has been ongoing for decades, comprehensive classifications and categorizations of RMS research and their supply chain implications are sparse. Methods: The PRISMA 2020 guidelines were used for a systematic literature review on the Scopus database covering peer-reviewed publications from 1990 to 2025, and 247 papers were analyzed based on a four-stream classification framework (research scope, industry sectors, type of research, and RMS characteristics) that was inductively derived. Furthermore, a three-level conceptual model connecting RMS characteristics with manufacturing capabilities and supply chain resilience was established. Results: RMS research, particularly post 2020, has seen significant growth. However, RMSs are mainly oriented to heavy industries, while process industries and supply chain implications have been understudied. The dominance of theoretical research over experimental/practical research points to a theory-practice gap. Modularity is the most frequent RMS characteristic, underpinning the others, while diagnosability, despite its operational importance, is the least studied one. Conclusions: RMSs have significant potential as a supply chain resilience enabler through their characteristics. Nevertheless, this relationship is mostly theoretical and untested in practice, requiring interdisciplinary and application-oriented research.