The information systems environment of time-based competitors

Abstract

Abstract:Time-based competitors create product development and manufacturing practices that reduce response-time and enhance customization capabilities. These practices require an informationrich, internal environment capable of flexible resource deployment and direct and continuous feedback. These firms should have enhanced information systems planning capabilities, crossfunctional involvement in information systems related activities, responsiveness to organizational computing demands, high levels of end-user development, and high levels of information systems performance. Data were collected from 265 manufacturers to develop measures for these information systems variables and to determine if there are relationships between the use of time-based practices and the levels of these variables. Results indicate that firms with high levels of time-based product development practices and time-based manufacturing practices have significantly higher scores across these information systems variables than firms with low levels of these time-based practices.

Time‐based competition

“…TBC companies have several common factors: a shorter total cycle time (Stalk and Webber, 1993); flexibility and speed (Willis, 1998); an ability to introduce a large number of product improvements; less lead times, fast distribution and deliveries (Vickery et al , 1995); high productivity; good customer and post‐sales service (Abdinnour‐Helm, 2000); integration, supplier partnerships and customer proximity relationships (Dröge et al , 2004); richness in information and knowledge sharing (Rondeau et al , 2003); quality (Reiner and Ericksen, 1990); and efficient logistics (Hise, 1995; Zacharia and Mentzer, 2004).…”

Fadotomy – anatomy of the transformation of a fad into a management paradigm

“…Some light may be shed by studying the results of the horizontal survey into the application of time based management (TBM), the name given by Stalk and Hout (1990) to organisation, leadership and motivation to apply TCTC to all core business activities. Using an information system approach Rondeau et al (2003) surveyed 265 companies via postal/telephone questionnaires followed by Lickert scale codification. Subsequent statistical analysis has resulted in the (2 × 2) matrix shown in Figure 2.…”

“…The cells are based around the consequential perceived usage of time based manufacturing practices ranked high/low and time based product development practices also ranked high/low. In Figure 2 each cell also contains the company characteristics which Rondeau et al (2003) suggest are appropriate to activities falling into the corresponding H/H; H/L. L/H; and L/L classifications.…”