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A methodology for implementing CAPM systems is described. The research was motivated by evidence of dissatisfaction with the performance of current systems, and the existence of no generic methodology. A superposition process was employed. Areas of functional management were explored for sources of implementation methodologies and yielded a number of attributes for successful implementation. The emergent structure was then validated against field studies. The result, a methodology for improving control, is a three‐level hierarchy. The first level assesses the ability of the organisation to absorb change. The next considers the options for better control. The lowest level is concerned with implementation.

This monograph examines research needs in computer aided production management (CAPM). Recommendations for future research and its organisation are made. The monograph is based on an in‐depth study of current CAPM practice in a varied sample of 33 companies. The study conclusions confirm many existing beliefs. Many companies are paying inadequate attention to the necessary prerequisites for successful CAPM implementation. The prerequisites change as the extent of CAPM system integration increases. Organisational rather than implementation issues dominate as integration increases. The proposed research would bring together existing knowledge of best CAPM practice to form methodologies for the audit, design and implementation of CAPM systems. The aim is to reduce the time‐span of the learning curve required for successful CAPM integration. The methodologies need to be specific to particular industrial sectors.

Implementation is a key process in the effective development of Advanced Manufacturing Systems. Specifically, implementation should not be confused with installation of the technology for it involves change in companies on a much wider front than mere technological change. Change has to be pursued, not only in terms of technology, but also in terms of the associated organisational and business dimensions. Failure to do this can severely limit the impact and success of the application to the business in question. These three dimensions constitute conceptually different aspects of the technological innovation process, and in developing a normative implementation methodology for Advanced Manufacturing Systems drawn partly from extensive empirical work in manufacturing companies, it is useful to represent these as three orthogonal dimensions from which at least eight logical positions can be explored. An argument is presented therefore for the development of a strategy containing all three dimensions considered in the order: business first, technology and organisation afterwards, which aims to bring about radical change on a wide variety of fronts to support the effective implementation of Advanced Manufacturing Systems.

In 1986 a study was carried out in a number of small companies in the UK that manufacture to customer requirements. The primary objective was to assess the relevance and importance to industry of ideas developed in earlier research at Lancaster University, relating the order quotation process to production and sales. However, in the course of the study a great deal was learnt about the industrial sectors examined.

Based on detailed analysis of seven case studies, involving consideration of approximately 300 parameters and face to face interviews with senior managers, identifies key characteristics which should be taken into account during the selection and effective implementation of different types of manufacturing control systems in individual manufacturing environments. These key characteristics help identify the need for particular functions of manufacturing control systems, as well as the impact on effective implementation and operation. They are grouped under the headings of complexity, uncertainty and flexibility. Concludes with a discussion of a structured approach which may be used to take account of key characteristics during the selection of a manufacturing control system.

This paper describes the use of a set of manufacturing planning and control (MPC) system activities for assessing the functionality suitable in individual companies. Field studies were carried out in medium‐sized batch manufacturing companies and the set of activities was used to investigate the functionality and level of computer support suitable in each case. The field studies verified the set of activities and the findings were used to refine the activities and identify additional activities to be included in the set. The field studies were also used to develop detailed reasons why each activity was considered relevant or not relevant. From the field studies it was possible to conclude that the overall type of company (i.e. make‐to‐order (MTO), make‐to‐stock (MTS), etc.) was not in itself sufficient to predict which activity would be relevant to a particular company. It is proposed that there are numerous reasons why an activity is relevant or not relevant and that it is the detailed characteristics of the individual company which are important in reaching this decision.

This article presents the results of a survey of the manufacturing activities of 60 engineering companies located in the North East of England. The survey was carried out in order to identify the extent to which companies in the region are currently using or planning to invest in Computer Integrated Manufacturing technology. Particular emphasis is placed on the usage of computer‐based decision support tools within the production management function. Usage of JIT production management techniques is also considered. Previous investigations have suggested that commercially available decision support tools have some serious limitations which may prevent their widespread use within manufacturing organisations. The survey sought to investigate the nature of these problems and to identify the requirements for more sophisticated decision support tools based on expert system and simulation modelling techniques.

Computer production management systems are far more common than they were even five years ago, as a result of reductions in the costs of computer hardware and the growing use of package software by both large and small firms. However, there are still many problems associated with such computer systems. Though the symptoms are somewhat different depending on whether we are concerned with large or small companies, the root cause is the same: a lack of any clear philosophy of what production management systems do and how they should be designed. In addition companies face a need to integrate hardware from many different suppliers and the ability to do this would also be helpful to smaller firms. At the moment such integration is difficult to carry out.

Addresses the implementation of business process re‐engineering (BPR) programmes in 33 public and private organisations wishing to improve performance. By reviewing the existing literature, the research presented here began by identifying ten dimensions along which BPR projects might be measured. This research then uses these dimensions to investigate two research questions. Uses factor analysis based on quantitative data to address these questions. The factor analysis identified three independent aspects of BPR implementation: strategy, process and cost. These terms were then used in labelling three characteristic approaches, strategic BPR, process‐focused BPR and cost‐focused BPR. To investigate causality we re‐visited seven of the original organisations which had been in the early stages of implementation. Preliminary results indicate that managers might avoid the naturalistic tendency towards slow or stalled BPR maturity by intervening in a strategic sense at an earlier stage of implementation, thus bringing an organisation to a mature BPR programme more quickly.

The article argues that many of the difficulties encountered in exploiting computer‐integrated technologies result from their being implemented as part of an attempt to change from a mass production to a flexible manufacturing paradigm. It is further argued that this also requires changes in the organisational paradigm in order to create a social system capable of supporting flexible manufacturing. Results of a study of 28 companies and 46 applications of computer‐integrated technologies are reported showing that there are widespread changes in organisation at the levels of work, management and inter‐organisational relationships. The empirical findings support the argument of a paradigm shift and detail the organisational dimensions on which this is taking place.