Model development to predict the success of advanced manufacturing implementation

This quest for lower cost,increase competitiveness, flexibility and quality has forced a large number of manufacturing firms to implement advanced manufacturing technologies in their companies. Though firms have reported the benefits that they have achieved through AMT implementation, many have failed. These failures have been identified by most researches as caused by the lack of fit between technology and organixation.Much of the literature holds that the implementation of AMT must be supported by other 'softer' programs suc as quality leadership,training,worker empowerment and the use of small,cross functional groups in order to be successful. A theoretical based model for the implementation based on certain criteria. The institutionalization, acceptance,routinization and infusion modules of the implementation process have been used to predict the outcomes at each stage using Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP). The attributes for each module were identified and pair-wise comparisons were made. The model was successfully tried on 4 companies. The model serves as a framework to help companies identify problems and weaknessesin the organization before embarking on AMT implementation. Since this model is in its preliminary stages,further improvements are requireed to capture more of the attributes in each module.

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