The Usage of Computer‐Integrated Manufacturing Technology within Manufacturing Organisations in the North East of England

This article presents the results of a survey of the manufacturing activities of 60 engineering companies located in the North East of England. The survey was carried out in order to identify the extent to which companies in the region are currently using or planning to invest in Computer Integrated Manufacturing technology. Particular emphasis is placed on the usage of computer‐based decision support tools within the production management function. Usage of JIT production management techniques is also considered. Previous investigations have suggested that commercially available decision support tools have some serious limitations which may prevent their widespread use within manufacturing organisations. The survey sought to investigate the nature of these problems and to identify the requirements for more sophisticated decision support tools based on expert system and simulation modelling techniques.