The Role of Agile Manufacturing in Cost Management and Enhancing Differentiation Strategy
Keywords:
Agile Manufacturing, Cost Management, Differentiation Strategy, Costing-System Design, Target costingAbstract
This study aims to investigate the impact of applying Agile Manufacturing principles on rationalizing cost management and enhancing the differentiation strategy in Iraqi economic units, focusing on the Wasit Spinning and Weaving Factory as a case study. To achieve this goal, a descriptive–analytical approach was adopted using a closed, five-point Likert questionnaire developed from rigorously validated academic scales; 55 questionnaires were distributed to factory employees, five incomplete responses were discarded, and a statistically valid sample of 50 was analyzed. Content validity was confirmed by an expert panel, and reliability reached Cronbach’s α = 0.932, indicating high internal consistency. Data were processed with SPSS (version 28) using descriptive statistics, a one-sample t-test, and correlation and regression analyses. The results showed that implementing Agile Manufacturing contributes, at a high level of significance (p < 0.001), to reducing operating, logistics, and development costs while simultaneously strengthening differentiation elements such as response speed, product customization, and brand image; the tests also revealed notable homogeneity in respondents’ views, underscoring the reliability of the conclusions. Accordingly, the study recommends developing digital infrastructure and linking production lines to Internet-of-Things technologies, alongside integrating Lean and Six Sigma methodologies within the Agile Manufacturing framework to maximize their combined effect on cost and quality.
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