Cellular Manufacturing Integrating Technology and Management (Engineering Management Series, 2)

Using an extremely wide range of source material, the central message of this text is that organisational change in manufacturing systems can only be achieved if technology and management are integrated, and that this is only possible if it is recognized that the manufacturing enterprise is closely coupled into a complex set of political, social and economic systems. Implementation of new technologies demands both management commitment and understanding of the technology. All too often management enthusiasm wanes before sufficient experience has been gained to benefit from the introduction of the new technology, leading to a premature declaration of the failure of the strategy. Examining the origins and effects of this mismatch of technological capability and management planning, the book also presents case studies that typify incompatibilities in phasing of management expectation and technology capability.

J.A. Brandon, University of Wales, Cardiff, UK