Cellular manufacturing at Scania-Vabis; continuity and discontinuity in management thought

Abstract

Purpose This paper aims to document the development of cellular manufacturing at Scania-Vabis, thereby contributing to the history of an organizational idea. Design/methodology/approach The authors draw on published sources and interviews to reconstruct the development of cellular manufacturing at Scania-Vabis and its traces. Findings Cellular manufacturing was applied and further developed at Scania-Vabis in the 1940s and 1950s. Nevertheless, it seems to have fallen into oblivion. The key idea resurfaced in the 1970s. Practical implications The authors argue that such “proven technology” should be considered a classical insight in organization design rather than old and thus outdated. Originality/value The authors demonstrate that this form of flow-based organizing is much older than commonly assumed and point to barriers in accumulating knowledge on organizing.