طراحی سیستم اطلاعاتی تولید و تجزیه و تحلیل استراتژی تولید: فرآیند و کاربرد

This paper specifies the structure of a manufacturing strategy analysis (MSA) to manufacturing system design (MSD) interfacing model. In particular, it addresses the link between manufacturing strategic initiatives and the requirements of manufacturing information system (MIS), and proposes a structured approach to help a company identify the key MIS requirements that are needed to effectively support the company's future manufacturing strategic aims. The proposed method has been successfully applied in a precision engineering company, resulting in an integrated MIS that was given The UK Machinery Award for Innovation in Production Engineering, for being “the most innovative application of computer technology in the manufacturing environment”.

A unified framework has been proposed that aims to set systems thinking into the context of manufacturing systems management [1]. Manufacturing systems management (MSM) here is defined as a functional domain that involves all of the activities, such as design, implementation, operations and monitoring, etc., that are needed to regulate and optimise a manufacturing system as it progresses through its life cycle. Following the key principles of systems theory, this framework provides a unified framework which identifies the main MSM functional areas, specifies their generic functionality and contents, and then logically integrates them into a closed loop to provide the basis for effective systems management. This paper focuses on the manufacturing strategy analysis (MSA) and manufacturing system design (MSD) interfacing function within this framework at the information and control level. It will first provide a brief overview of the structure of this MSM framework. Then, following a description of the structure, processes and tools specified along its MSA/MSD cycle, various new features regarding the specification of information system requirements will be discussed. Various approaches have been developed to enable companies to identify manufacturing strategic direction, with the aim of satisfying corporate objectives. The implementation of a manufacturing information system (MIS) within a manufacturing organisation often forms part of the strategic approach to satisfying these objectives. This paper first introduces the concept of manufacturing strategically driven analysis of MIS system requirements. It is pointed out that in order for a MIS to be able to satisfy manufacturing strategic needs, a structured approach needs to be followed which provides the system's development with a strategic direction. A framework with a set of procedures is specified for such purposes, starting from the initial identification of objectives, through to the “develop-or-buy” decisions, and system design and implementation. The paper also describes how the proposed approach has been effectively applied to the case of a typical modern precision engineering company, which heavily utilises computer numerically controlled (CNC) facilities and specialises in the making of aerospace and telecommunication components. Through an analysis of the company's manufacturing strategic requirements, the proposed procedures revealed a number of MIS related issues and features that helped to ensure a competitive edge.

Demands on manufacturing industry to provide quality, flexibility and to reduce costs have put pressures on manufacturing companies to improve productivity. These demands, coupled with computer hardware and software advances, have encouraged MIS development. As a result, the role and importance of MIS within the manufacturing environment have changed dramatically in recent years. However, the initial design of such a system must be very carefully considered, because the way in which it is structured and organised will have a profound effect on the way in which information can be delivered and utilised to support the company's strategic aims. This paper has attempted to address the key question of how to logically link the strategic and MIS requirements. The application of the proposed approach has helped the case company to develop an integrated system to effectively support its strategic intentions, which has enabled the company to: improve prototyping quality and lead time, by down-loading directly engineering information from customer's CAD system to be used to generate cutter paths ready for postprocessing; improve cost control by providing on-line data collection and real-time analysis; and increase operational efficiency by providing operators with job-related information in a focused and user-friendly manner. Due to its success, the system was given the UK Machinery Award for Innovation in Production Engineering, for being “the most innovative application of computer technology in the manufacturing environment [14]”.