A Flexible Partnership @ Birch

To be flexible means to have the ability to vary as you like, according to the needs. Flexibility is the ability to adapt, in a reversible manner, to an existing situation, as opposed to evolution, which is irreversible. This notion reflects the ability to stay operational in changing conditions, whether they are predictable or not, completely different or not from conditions known in advance. This adaptability is required from firms that, for economic reasons, are currently turning to efficient techniques of organization and management of the zero stock, just-in-time and tight-flow type which can make them fragile. Competition amplifies the development of the market by creating new situations. This aspect, combined with the above mentioned techniques of organization, reduces the stability of the firm. The impact of an unexpected event immediately spreads across the structure because of the increased tension in the coordination links.