Critical implementation decisions for advanced manufacturing technologies

Abstract

A three-year longitudinal field study of ten advanced manufacturing technology (AMT) projects revealed that critical choices face companies during the implementation stage. Those that used a two-tiered transitional structure and those that planned for integration were more likely to meet their AMT goals.Over a three-year period, we made an intensive study of the implementation of AMT systems in ten manufacturing facilities ranging in size from a small startup plant of 80 employees to a division of a large multinational firm employing over 4000. The facilities represented diverse industries including automotive parts, telecommunications, aerospace, industrial equipment, mould making, and assembly operations. The AMT applications ranged from small integrated CAD/CAM systems to a full-blown CIM (computer integrated manufacturing) factory. Only sites planning full integration of the

Mediating effects of computer‐aided design usage: From concurrent engineering to product development performance

“…Typical performance measures are the achievement of pre-set goals for product development (Adler, 1990;Beatty, 1992Beatty, , 1993Symon and Clegg, 1991). Several studies evaluate the impact of CAD on workforce changes (Lee, 1989;Lefebvre and Lefebvre, 1988).…”

“…Typically, CAD research focuses on adoption (Beatty and Gordon, 1988) and implementation (Adler, 1990;Beatty, 1992Beatty, , 1993Buxey, 1990;McDermott and Marucheck, 1995;Robertson and Allen, 1992;Symon and Clegg, 1991;Twigg et al, 1992). Prior research has used case studies that focus on prime users of CAD, such as manufacturers of printed circuit boards (Adler, 1990;Lee, 1989;McDermott and Marucheck, 1995) or field research involving a small number of firms (Beatty, 1992(Beatty, , 1993Buxey, 1990;Scarso and Bolisani, 1996;Symon and Clegg, 1991). Few studies have employed large-scale survey methods to assess CAD usage and to investigate its impact on product development.…”

Effects of Operational Employee Skills on Advanced Manufacturing Technology Performance

“…In applying criteria by Boer, Hill, and Krabbendam (1990), Boer and Krabbendam (1992) and Beatty (1993), performance is measured as level of goal achievement. The measure is operationalized as follows.…”