This book grew out of the belief that, although the potential of CIM is widely recognised, there is little understanding and great nervousness concerning the practical matter of its implementation. Are you confident that your company will find the right answers to these questions: - In which areas can CIM most significantly influence the competitive position of your company? - What information is it essential to include within a CIM plan? - How can each phase of your CIM plan be cost justified, and how should it be audited for success? - How should you set priorities for implementing the various phases of a CIM plan? - What is the significance of networking to CIM? Every company investing in CIM faces these questions but too frequently they are left unanswered. Our experience is that the implementation of CIM is primarily a management challenge not a technical one. The greatest challenge is how to make the organisational changes needed to obtain the benefits from CIM. This book is a valuable guide to anyone planning to invest in CIM. The Need for Business Integration.- Management of Factory Information.- A Practical Way to Begin.- Defining User Requirements.- Developing a Systems Architecture.- The Role of Factory Networks.- Building Open Factory Networks.- Integrating Manufacturing Applications.- Costs and Cost Justification.
