On the assessment of enterprise agility: issues from two case studies

In this paper, we explore the main issues arising when attempting to quantitatively assess the agility level of a company. More precisely, the key questions of this study concern the suitability of available agility metrics to: (1) assess the agility level reached by companies; (2) assess the agility level of companies operating in different market segments; and (3) capture all aspects of agility. To answer those questions, two manufacturing companies, operating in the mechanical engineering and food processing industries, are examined through site visits and direct interviews, and detailed pieces of information are derived about their perception of agility drivers, attributes and enablers, and the corresponding degree of implementation. The results of the case studies show that available metrics of agility suffer from several limitations and do not consider all aspects of agility. Based on these outcomes, gaps for further research are identified and suggested.