Best practices in manufacturing - exploration and replication

There is an abundance of best practice literature. Yet, the phenomenon is still not fully

understood. In this paper, we raise the question how individual and (selected) bundles of

practices affect operational performance. Based on IMSS IV (2005) data, we identify

four categories of practices: best, promising, qualifying, and supportive practices. A

comparison of these practices with the ones identified using the IMSS III (2001) data

shows that best practices may lose that status in the course of time to become supportive

or qualifying practices, while previous best practices may reappear as best practices.