Problems in CIM implementation: a case study of nine CIM firms

Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM) is emerging as one of the most promising opportunities for shrinking the time delays in information transfer within a firm and reducing manufacturing costs. The term Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM) has been used for nearly two decades to describe a variety of manufacturing programs and technology. Over this time period, a number of different definitions have emerged, none of which has received universal acceptance. In a narrow sense, CIM is the architecture for the integrating the engineering, marketing, and manufacturing functions through information system technologies. Some of these technologies include computer aided design (CAD), computer aided manufacturing (CAM), computer aided engineering (CAE), manufacturing resource planning (MRPII), and data base management systems (DBMS). In the broadest view, CIM involves the integration of all the business processes from supplier to the end consumer. Recently, the term Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) (Gale 1993) has also been used to describe this business-wide level of integration. It is this broader view of CIM that this study addresses. Ettlie (1988, page 10) defines CIM as the integration of design, manufacturing, and business functions through computer technology so that information is sent where it is needed and the manufacturing process moves from raw material to finished product without disruption.