Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
Innovation in operations equipment and process technology can be used strategically as a powerful competitive weapon. It can bring to bear many other strategic factors besides achieving low costs—superior quality, shorter delivery cycles, lower inventories, lower investment in equipment, shorter new product development cycles, and new production economics.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Wickham Skinner (1984) studied this question.
Synapse has enriched 10 related papers. Consider them for comparative context: