Flexible manufacturing definitionThe general definition of flexibility is: being responsive to change, adaptable. In fact, being flexible in terms of automated manufacturing is basically being able to adapt your process to different options. The best way to describe flexibility would be to describe the total opposite of it, rigidity. Having a rigid manufacturing process consists of having a single product that can be produced in a given operation. If the process needs to be modified, it can not be quickly adapted. Most of the time, rigid processes need a complete changeover when another kind of product must be produced.