The decline in US productivity growth is now well recognized. What is not so obvious is that this is at a time when expenditures for information technology (IT) have grown at a faster rate than ever before. Shows that for the period 1980‐89, labour productivity grew at an annual rate of 1.29...

American manufacturers are striving to regain a competitive position in the world market. The Company Quality Profile (CQP), based on Deming′s 14 points, can be an effective way of determining a company′s quality position and monitoring improvements. The CQP can also be useful in...

Over the past three decades, the Japanese information technology industry has been questing for global leadership. With the help of keiretsu , a special social organization, and government agencies, those giant information technology companies such as NEC, Fujitsu, etc. have become the leaders...

Several studies indicate that a JIT implementation process is contingent and a kind of “do‐it‐yourself‐procedure”. Addresses the issue of JIT implementation by integrating the findings from recently published articles from a number of professional journals. The conclusion strongly...

The hope that profitability can be increased or maximized with automation has been the driving force for computer integrated manufacturing (CIM). The CIM concept is a combination of all production‐related activities to be completely integrated by means of computer‐supported systems. Provides...

The computer is probably the single greatest innovation of the twentieth century. However, with all their awe‐inspiring capabilities, computers create a new set of problems. Seeks to explore the problems of the automation and computer age. Begins by highlighting numerous corporate woes and...

Decisions relating to adoption and use of just‐in‐time (JIT) are typically based on economic considerations. Experience with JIT systems indicates that certain non‐economic issues can arise which affect long‐term profitability. Suggests that stakeholder theory be used to consider JIT...

Discusses a new methodology for launching or expanding the commercialization of new under‐utilized technologies. The approach discussed involves the active participation of international industrial opinion leaders in the commercial development process, and the role they can play in: assessing...

Increasing utilization of expert systems in organizations has ecessitated development of large‐scale expert systems that deal with complex problem domains requiring handling of large knowledge bases. Adapts the concepts and structures of open information systems to outline a conceptual...

Addresses the need for re‐engineering information systems (IS) in a rapidly changing environment, and the urgency of doing this to meet current and future needs of organizations whose existence is dependent on coping with rapidly changing requirements. Implicit in this view is the need for...