Planning, justifying and installing advanced manufacturing technology: a managerial framework

摘要

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to present the results of an investigation of advanced manufacturing technology (AMT) implementation practices and performance at 82 discrete-parts durable goods manufacturing plants in the USA. Design/methodology/approach - A mail survey was used to gather information about: the types of AMT that the plants were using; the planning, justification and installation activities that were used to support the adoption of these technologies; and changes in plant performance that could be attributed to the AMT adoptions. Several propositions that were derived from the AMT literature are tested. Findings - Our results indicate that firms that are desirous of adopting integrated technologies should be prepared to exert considerable effort on: fostering a supportive planning environment; integrating investment justification; engendering human and technology resource consistency; and promoting team-based project planning and installation. Additionally, our analysis indicates that effort on three of these components contribute to explaining improvements in firm performance. Research limitations/implications - Although this research unveiled some significant findings, there is a need for testing of the propositions on a larger scale. Practical implications - The managerial framework that is developed in this paper will be particularly useful to firms that are in the pre-planning stages of AMT adoption or that are considering adding new AMT to their existing technology portfolio. Originality/value - While most AMT research studies simply report, discuss and explain their findings, this paper goes further by harnessing the findings into a simple managerial framework for the adoption of AMT that is easy to understand and implement.