Final answer:
The category 'revenue generation' is not typically considered a critical success factor for manufacturing companies; instead, it is the outcome of excelling in areas such as product quality, customer service, and resource management.
Step-by-step explanation:
The category not considered a critical success factor in most manufacturing companies among the options provided is revenue generation. Critical success factors in manufacturing typically include product quality, which ensures that the products meet certain standards and meet customer expectations; customer service, which involves providing support and services to meet the needs of customers; and resource management, which is the efficient and effective deployment of an organization's resources when they are needed.
While revenue generation is a goal for most companies, it is the outcome of performing well in various critical success factors rather than a category itself. Critical success factors are areas that must be given special focus to achieve success in any industry, including manufacturing.