Authorised by Academic Registrar, April 1996
Objectives On completion of this subject, students will be able to define manufacturing as a total system and describe its major business purpose; list major factors that tend to integrate and disintegrate manufacturing together with the benefits and disadvantages; explain the interaction between advanced manufacturing technologies and their impact on system integration; compare management styles, organisation structures, roles and attitudes of people in traditional manufacturing environments with those in fully integrated manufacturing environments; summarise world competition in manufacturing and the benefits of integration in world competitiveness; describe information management strategies and uses of information in integrated manufacturing companies; propose various approaches to implementing integrated manufacturing in companies at different stages of development and world competitiveness.
Synopsis This subject both consolidates the understanding gained through the earlier subjects and provides signposts to the future for the manufacturing industry through database technology for manufacturing and computer-integrated manufacturing systems (CIM) technology development forecasting leads on to management information systems and their design and implementation; systems specification and performance measures.
Assessment Group presentation: 30% + Group assignment: 50% + Individual assignment: 20%