An Introduction to computer‐aided production management

Citation

Slack, N. (1999), "An Introduction to computer‐aided production management", International Journal of Operations & Production Management, Vol. 19 No. 3, pp. 113-115. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijopm.1999.19.3.113.1

Ever since the advent, of computer technology it has been difficult to disentangle the capabilities of the computer‐based hardware and software itself and the practice of day to day production management. As computer‐based technologies and systems become more sophisticated, and sometimes more useful, it is also increasingly difficult to ignore their impact. Only in the most backward of manufacturing operations (if then) could one find a production manager who does not depend on computer‐based assistance for at least some of his or her decision making. For educators the message is obvious. No student of production management should be let loose on their unsuspecting employers without a least a rudimentary grasp of how computer systems are integrated into modern manufacturing operations. What better time then to launch an introductory textbook on computer‐aided production management.

Timeliness though is not this book’s only virtue. It is also well written. Some of the topics are potentially complex (such as the minefield that is MRP for example). Other topics are subtle beyond their obvious messages (such as th lessons contained within the theory of constraints). Childe manages to get over the gist of most of the issues covered in a readable, informative and straight forward manner. Chapters cover the basic rationale for computer‐aided production management and the role of the manufacturing function in achieving competitive success. At a more detailed level, there are chapters on stock control (not as interesting as most other chapters), Just‐in‐Time, MRP (with its further developments), the Theory Of Constraints (one of the best summaries of the topic I have read, though somewhat uncritical), process organisation, group technology and Period Batch Control. This last chapter is unusual in so much as the topic is often omitted from similar books. Finally there is an excellent overview of the development of new computer‐aided production management systems. Appendices on flow charts (much too short, given the popularity of such topics as business process re‐engineering), IDEFo (useful) and Paired Comparisons (bizarre choice!) are also included.

So far so good. No one who wanted a straight forward and concise (260 pages) explanation of … “the concepts of computer‐aided production management” … or “…those who may be looking for new ideas” … would be wasting their £19.99. Two criticisms however mar an otherwise competent work. Which of these is the more important will depend on how you intend to use the book. If the book is to be used in a broad operations management or production management course, the main criticism would be that is coverage is slightly odd, or at least incomplete. Far more emphasis is given to planning and control of the operation that is devoted to its design and maintenance. So, although group‐technology type facility design issues are covered, other process layout and flow concepts are omitted. At other times the author chooses not to stress the computer assisted aspects of the topic. For example, the chapter on Just‐in‐Time and planning and control, although adequate in itself, barely mentions computer assistance; which may be is not surprising given the core philosophy of JIT. Likewise the chapter on group technology product clustering only covers computer‐based approaches briefly and then comes to the conclusion that they are not particularly useful. Yet some other areas are neglected. Computer‐based flow monitoring through bar‐code recognition for example, or, surprisingly, computer‐assisted maintenance techniques. On the other hand if the book is to b used for a course which intends to give more of a “computer systems” perspective of production management we come to a second criticism. For a book on computer‐aided production management the emphasis is far more on the 2production management” than the “computer‐aided”. This is a great shame because the two chapters which deal with the nature of computer systems, especially the final chapter, are very good. An alternative structure would have used the author’s approach to developing computer‐aided management systems as the overall structure for the book and fitted in the other chapters as illustrations., It would have kept the reader’s mind on the computer system perspective of the subject. It would also have made this book that bit more distinctive from previous similar publications.

However let us not get away from the overall qualities of the book. It is a good book, nicely written which does its job in a straight forward manner and gives good value.