DERIVING ADVANTAGES FROM ADVANCED MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY - AN ORGANIZING PARADIGM

The reputed advantages of advanced manufacturing technology (AMT) are not easily harnessed. A significant shift in organizational interaction is entailed in its acquisition and implementation. Consequently, aspirations as to the benefits of AMT are blended with doubts and insecurity over the risks, costs and appropriateness of its elements. Premised on the acceptance of AMT as competitive assets to be exploited as instruments of business strategy, an organizing approach is advocated to set the issues in managerial perspective. The underlying rationale is to obtain the best returns while minimizing the risks, and to achieve organizational efficiency and reinforce organizational development. Together they imply a need to internalize a learning capability. This essay concludes that the enhancement of the value of a firm and the gains of productivity are not independent. And, beyond the mere balancing of benefits against costs, creativeness in the application of AMT is called for.