"This book provides a comprehensive collection of research on current technological developments and organizational perspectives on the scale of small and medium enterprises"--Provided by publisher.

Study conducted at fifty small scale enterprises in Hyderabad and Secunderabad, two cities of Andhra Pradesh, India.

The managed flow of goods and information from raw material to final sale also known as a "supply chain" affects everythingâ€"from the U.S. gross domestic product to where you can buy your jeans. The nature of a company's supply chain has a significant effect on its success or failureâ€"as in the success of Dell Computer's make-to-order system and the failure of General Motor's vertical integration during the 1998 United Auto Workers strike. Supply Chain Integration looks at this crucial component of business at a time when product design, manufacture, and delivery are changing radically and globally. This book explores the benefits of continuously improving the relationship between the firm, its suppliers, and its customers to ensure the highest added value. This book identifies the state-of-the-art developments that contribute to the success of vertical tiers of suppliers and relates these developments to the capabilities that small and medium-sized manufacturers must have to be viable participants in this system. Strategies for attaining these capabilities through manufacturing extension centers and other technical assistance providers at the national, state, and local level are suggested. This book identifies action steps for small and medium-sized manufacturersâ€"the "seed corn" of business start-up and developmentâ€"to improve supply chain management. The book examines supply chain models from consultant firms, universities, manufacturers, and associations. Topics include the roles of suppliers and other supply chain participants, the rise of outsourcing, the importance of information management, the natural tension between buyer and seller, sources of assistance to small and medium-sized firms, and a host of other issues. Supply Chain Integration will be of interest to industry policymakers, economists, researchers, business leaders, and forward-thinking executives.

This detailed study focuses on the metalworking and food processing industries of Columbia and analyzes the determinants of economic efficiency in small and medium scale firms and the technological changes that took place within them.

Micro and small enterprises (MSEs) have been recognized as a major contemporary source of employment and income in a growing number of developing countries. Yet, relatively little is known about the characteristics and patterns of change in these enterprises. This volume examines the dynamics of MSEs in the development process. Drawing on a unique set of surveys conducted in twelve countries in Africa and Latin America the authors map the patterns of change in MSEs in the developing world. Subjects covered include: * significance of new start and closure rates of MSEs * factors involved in expansion rates and growth patterns of MSEs * the role of gender in MSEs evolution.

Dr. Dr. Schneider analyses the opportunities, economic problems and internal weak points of middle-sized enterprises, especially from the point of view and the experience of a practitioner on the basis of enterprise analyses and interviews. Success factors of the SME are high flexibility, innovation, reliability, motivation of employees and customer loyalty as well as customer specific goods and services, which are last but not least determined by the strong influence of the enterpriser. The main problems of the SME are: too high costs for duties and bureaucracy, low capital facilities, often too little management potential; this prevents that good innovations from the markets, from the enterprise, are implemented consequently and profitably in products, methods and new market offers. This investigation gives further help and exemplars for a successful SME-management especially for the leisure time market horse management and wants to provide a scientific and experience-oriented contribution to motivate young elites to carry out their business and personal targets with a sense of proportion. Dr. Dr. Bernd Schneider is for years familiar with SME-problems: as a young business manager, enterpriser and now as head of the study focus "Entrepreneurship" of an academy. He teaches and advises both at home and abroad.