A framework of justification criteria for advanced manufacturing technology implementation in small and medium enterprises

Today in order to stay in businesses and prosper, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are seeking higher electiveness and competitiveness across the entire cycle of marketing, product design, manufacture, test and sales. SMEs play an increasingly important role in all aspects of competitiveness: both products and production techniques, but also management methods, the organization of the firm and human resources training. One of the ways by which SMEs can achieve a competitive advantage in manufacturing is through the implementation of Advanced Manufacturing Technology (AMT). An increasing number of them have chosen and are choosing various levels of AMT as the solution. Realizing the importance of SMEs, an attempt has been made in this paper to review the application of AMT in SMEs. Also, a framework has been offered for the implementation of AMT in SMEs. Finally, a summary of findings and conclusions are presented

Data Processing and Information Management in the City of Omaha, Nebraska: Analysis and Recommendations

The city of Omaha has an extensive and complex data processing system. It is so large, in fact, that no single person inside or out of city government is fully knowledgeable about it. The system as it exists today cannot be described as an information management system as it is neither coordinated nor comprehensive. It consists instead of numerous components that have come together over time without the benefit of an overall plan or clear policy direction. The system is rarely viewed from a citywide perspective or from the perspective of providing information required by management for operational and planning purposes. Rather, it is viewed from the perspective of individual departments or divisions as a component of city operations that collects something called data and produces something called reports

Design and development of flexible manufacturing cells - a case study

This paper covers the typical ills of American manufacturing companies and provides steps to selecting a flexible manufacturing cell(s) or system as a remedy. For that reason various definition of different types of flexibilities in manufacturing and the interrelationships between the several types have been examined. In addition, their purposes, means of obtaining them and some measurement and evaluations has been discussed. This was done to cover the basic but necessary requirements for understanding and selecting a flexible manufacturing system. Finally, the design process of a flexible system and its intuitive justification were discussed

Numerical Control: A Decision Model for Small Manufacturer Guidance

Much has been written about numerical control (N/C) and its various benefits and limitations, but there is a definite lack of and need for a unifying decision concept, particularly one oriented to small machine shops. Numerically controlled machining operations can be a major investment for a small shop and therefore management needs good guidance for sound decision making when it comes to deciding whether or not to introduce N/C to his operations. This study examines the various aspects of N/C and categorizes them under three general areas: (1) technical aspects, advantages and disadvantages, (2) economic aspects, and (3) intangible aspects. The findings in each of these areas are then analyzed for applicability to small shop operations. This was done in an attempt to synthesize the data into a unified set of criteria in the form of a model that the management of a small company can use to evaluate whether their products or operations are suitable to N/C machining This analysis indicates that N/C can be a profitable innovation for a small manufacturer, but before implementing N/C he must base his decision on certain key criteria. Numerical control is a powerful management tool and can be a valuable asset to most small plants where the decision criteria can be satisfie

Factors shaping the evolution of electronic documentation systems

The main goal is to prepare the space station technical and managerial structure for likely changes in the creation, capture, transfer, and utilization of knowledge. By anticipating advances, the design of Space Station Project (SSP) information systems can be tailored to facilitate a progression of increasingly sophisticated strategies as the space station evolves. Future generations of advanced information systems will use increases in power to deliver environmentally meaningful, contextually targeted, interconnected data (knowledge). The concept of a Knowledge Base Management System is emerging when the problem is focused on how information systems can perform such a conversion of raw data. Such a system would include traditional management functions for large space databases. Added artificial intelligence features might encompass co-existing knowledge representation schemes; effective control structures for deductive, plausible, and inductive reasoning; means for knowledge acquisition, refinement, and validation; explanation facilities; and dynamic human intervention. The major areas covered include: alternative knowledge representation approaches; advanced user interface capabilities; computer-supported cooperative work; the evolution of information system hardware; standardization, compatibility, and connectivity; and organizational impacts of information intensive environments

Tools for the design of flexible manufacturind systems

Flexibility in manufacturing systems can broaden the horizons for a company. But the means for achieving it are far more critical. This trend is created by the increase in competitiveness, growth of technology along with demand variations, more customization, and short product life cycles. But Flexible Manufacturing Systems to most of the manufacturers sounds like a synonym for automation. A real Flexible Manufacturing System is designed when every unit of the company is synchronized in such a way to respond in a harmony to any changes that come against it. Fine-tuning of each and every part of the company is essential to make the company profitably sustainable to any internal or external changes. This research aims at realizing real flexibility in the company. It aims at bringing out the bottlenecks, the issues that a company owns and tries to solve them in a feasible way so as to make the company more and more self-reliant, countering all the external and internal changes that occur during its time. A process of conducting Flexibility audit is described in thesis, which is a powerful tool when, used methodically with the FM design process (Figure 3.1), The data gathered from audit is analyzed to identify factors contributing to inflexibility and to resolve them in a feasible innovative way. This philosophy when applied continuously over a period of time can build immunity against the change shock or the adjustment time