Reviewing the role of technology change management in implementing advance manufacturing technology: Automating the shop floor

Abstract

The industrial manufacturing revolution has shown a rapid growth in past two decades and the future is expected to be characterized by more innovative and advanced manufacturing technology (AMT) growth. The advanced manufacturing technology did not only change manufacturing process techniques but also changed the role of engineers and management in an automated shop floor. The automation has improved the quality and productivity by reducing man power intervention. This paper will discuss some important trends in industrial manufacturing and the role of AMT. Furthermore, this paper will present a conceptual framework to link shop floor automation directly to the different operational departments of the firm. The concept is helpful to take immediate action for occurring of any criticality or error in the advance manufacturing technology. To achieve high manufacturing prosperity, active and proper intervention of management is quite important and if the management is linked well to the shop floor, it makes the shop floor fully automated. © 2014 Penerbit UTM Press. All rights reserved.