Manufacturing flow management is the supply chain management process that includes all activities necessary to move products through the plants and to obtain, implement and manage manufacturing flexibility in the supply chain.  Manufacturing flexibility reflects the ability to make a wide variety of products in a timely manner at the lowest possible cost.  To achieve the desired level of manufacturing flexibility, planning and execution must extend beyond the four walls of the manufacturer in the supply chain.

cf. Douglas M. Lambert and Terrance L. Pohlen, "Supply Chain Metrics," The International Journal of Logistics Management, Vol. 12, No. 1, (2001), pp. 1-19.