Linking of Manufacturing Strategy, Market Requirements and Manufacturing Attributes In Technology Choice: An Expert System Approach

ABSTRACT

This paper suggests a framework for acquisition of new manufacturing technology that links the manufacturing strategy, market requirements and manufacturing attributes using an expert system approach. This paper takes a closer took at traditional notion of manufacturing-marketing coordination and attempts to find its links with manufacturing capabilities provided by recent evolving new manufacturing technology. For this purpose we deal with different steps involved in the strategic evaluation process beginning with the choice of a suitable competitive strategy by a firm. Then the chosen competitive strategy is linked with the market requirements, system attributes and appropriate manufacturing technology choices. The proposed model is integrated by an expert system approach that includes strategic factors of both a tangible and an intangible nature and is implemented by using the VP-Expert shell.