یک مدل کامپیوتری کردن از سیستم های تولید : یک مطالعه بین المللی

This paper introduces a model of best practice in the computerization of manufacturing systems, by drawing on the practical experience of senior managers of both manufacturing and information management in Taiwan and the UK. The design used both qualitative and quantitative data analysis techniques to examine the implementation and integration of information systems support for manufacturing (ISSM). The investigation was conducted in three main phases. A series of qualitative case studies was conducted on the use of ISSM in 21 Taiwanese companies and 3 government organizations. Within-case and cross-case analysis showed that the six most important elements of ISSM implementation and integration are: the nature of manufacturing systems, ISSM and related software subsystems, barriers to ISSM, facilitators to ISSM, measured benefits from ISSM investment, and the level of ISSM integration. A preliminary development of a model of ISSM was then used to design a questionnaire for case studies analysis to examine ISSM in Taiwan and the UK. A comparison of ISSM in the two countries suggests that Taiwanese manufacturers have created platforms on which to build advanced manufacturing systems, are aware of the problems, and have plans to overcome them. UK firms had more experience with ISSM, and more organizations had achieved highly integrated manufacturing systems. Both countries appear to be moving toward similar designs for their enterprise resource planning and supply chain management systems.

Integration of manufacturing systems and supply chain systems in modern industrial enterprises embody complex decisions and systematic actions. In order to operate successfully and profitably in rapidly changing global markets, highly flexible manufacturing systems (FMS), build to order (BTO), configure to order (CTO), optimized distribution modeling (ODM), enterprise resource planning (ERP) and supply chain management (SCM) techniques must be implemented. ISSM involves the application of IT to support these complicated manufacturing and organizational decisions. It systematically tracks relevant attributes, such as speed, response time, accuracy, and customer relationships. This is facilitated through an analysis matrix that relates data units and various system components. Measures of these attributes can then be used to analyze potential improvements to the system under consideration. This paper is a comparative study of the implementation and integration of ISSM in Taiwan (one of the emerging “little dragons” of southeast Asia) and the UK. The manufacturing performance of southeast Asian economies, where firms appear to be rapidly developing sophisticated manufacturing systems, is of strategic competitive importance to Western manufacturers. The research involved preliminary case study development followed by a postal survey in both Taiwan and the UK, and was conducted in the following phases. 1. An analysis and tentative theory development based on a series of case studies on ISSM development, in 21 Taiwan companies and 3 government organizations. 2. Within-case and cross-case analysis showing that the six most important elements of ISSM implementation and integration are: the nature of production systems, ISSM and related software subsystems, barriers to ISSM, facilitators of ISSM, measured benefits from ISSM investment, and the level of ISSM integration. 3. A model of ISSM implementation was developed from the case study findings, and this model was used to design a questionnaire to examine integration in Taiwan and the UK. 4. A comparison of implementation and integration related to ISSM in Taiwan and the UK, and a refinement of a model of the ISSM implementation process.

Data analysis confirms that integration is positively related to practical benefits in terms of improved manufacturing performance. Overall, this study has identified as prerequisites to full integration, the implementation of CIM, ERP, and SCM systems. The above analyses suggest that in both Taiwan and the UK there are still serious barriers to overcome before ISSM is fully and successfully integrated into manufacturing systems. The analysis of the perceptions of senior managers of MIS and manufacturing, suggests that Taiwanese and UK manufacturers have a very similar view of the benefits and facilitators for ISSM integration, but perceive the barriers to ISSM integration differently. Taiwanese and UK manufacturers have set in place the platform on which to build manufacturing systems, are aware of the problems ahead and have plans in place to overcome them. Barriers and facilitators represent a mixture of both the IT and organizational views of ISSM, and the most important barriers and facilitators are predominantly organizational aspects of ISSM. This suggests that the IT view is underpinned by the organizational view, and that integration of systems is dependent upon good management of departments and structural planning, not just upon technical abilities. Barriers perhaps relate more to lower levels of ISSM integration than the facilitators do. This may explain why they were perceived to be significantly related to the level of integration, whilst facilitators were not. The majority of respondent organizations have achieved a level of integration reflecting the nature of the relationships within the proposed model of ISSM implementation and integration.