Information systems support for CNC machinists: Evaluating the impact of information technology at the shop floor

✍ Scribed by Tim Butcher; Richard M. Greenough

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2007
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 134 KB
• Volume: 17
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1090-8471
• DOI: 10.1002/hfm.20073

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

As information technology (IT) capabilities increase, manufacturing businesses are realigning their information systems infrastructure to remain competitive. This has resulted in substantial increases in IT use in technical areas of the business. Nevertheless, conventional paper‐based information systems are still common at the shop floor. Hence, manufacturers need to understand whether there is benefit in extending IT functionality to the shop floor. By evaluating the impact of hypermedia information systems on the independent decision‐making and communication capabilities of computer numerical control (CNC) machinists, this research aims to identify the shop floor benefits of replacing existing paper‐based systems with this relatively new technology in this context. The research findings have wide‐ranging implications for further research into the strategic implementation of shop floor IT and for future work structures in the metal cutting industry. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Hum Factors Man 17: 299–314, 2007.