Automating the factory: theory versus practice

Considerable attention has been given to the problems associated with acquiring and implementing many of the advanced manufacturing technologies currently available to firms. Much of the information being published, however, is based on individual experiences under conditions that are frequently not reported, as is common in the trade journals and public media. Fifteen such generally-accepted ‘postulates’ for managing factory automation are identified here and analysed in terms of five in-depth case studies involving advanced manufacturing systems. In a few cases, the postulates are rejected. In some cases they are qualified, and in many cases they are reinforced with substantially more detail.