Suchergebnisse

The transformation of US manufacturing, led by computer‐integrated
manufacturing (CIM) systems, has already begun to take root. This
article examines the potential benefits to firms which understand and
can exploit CIM technology to its fullest extent. Because CIM
simultaneously provides high product variety with low costs,
conventional assumptions about competitive strategy and organisation
design need reevaluation. As companies must work with increasingly
scarce capital, human resources and time, CIM becomes an attractive
option not only for highly capital‐intensive industries such as
automobiles, but also for fast‐changing areas such as textiles, fashion
design, and consumer appliances. CIM combines the benefits of economies
of scope with the scale economies traditionally garnered only with
large, rigid and dedicated factories. Success with CIM and other new
manufacturing technologies depends on new organisational designs and
incentives that foster fast innovation and cross‐functional integration.
CIM′s promising role in transforming the manufacturing firm into a
service business across many different industries will spur many US
firms′ efforts to enter a global marketplace.

Recent advances in product design and manufacturing technologies allow for high levels of product variety at low cost, leading to economies of scope. Economies of scope allow for multiple product operations without the cost penalty of traditional economy‐of‐scale‐based technology. Examines the implications of flexible manufacturing for marketing strategy and organization. Shortening of product life cycles, re‐acceleration of product differentiation strategies and more customer involvement in the entire manufacturing‐to‐marketing process are some of the effects of advanced manufacturing technology on the marketplace.