Inside Virtual CIM

Virtual computer-integrated manufacturing (VCIM) is a promising manufacturing strategy in today’s global market because it is capable of exploiting distributed resources effectively, both locally as well as globally. Resource scheduling is critical to the operation of VCIM systems. In this article, a novel model for resource scheduling in VCIM systems is developed. By integrating collaborative transportation scheduling into manufacturing resource scheduling, the proposed model can provide a better solution because of reduction in the fixed transportation cost. Performance of the developed model is verified by computer simulation for a case study producing computer hard disks. The proposed model serves as a fundamental step towards global optimisation of VCIM systems.

Assembly plays an important role in any production system as it constitutes a significant portion of the lead time and cost of a product. Virtual computer-integrated manufacturing (VCIM) system is a modern production system being conceptually developed to extend the application of traditional computer-integrated manufacturing (CIM) system to global level. Assembly scheduling in VCIM systems is quite different from one in traditional production systems because of the difference in the working principles of the two systems. In this article, the assembly scheduling problem in VCIM systems is modeled and then an integrated approach based on genetic algorithm (GA) is proposed to search for a global optimised solution to the problem. Because of dynamic nature of the scheduling problem, a novel GA with unique chromosome representation and modified genetic operations is developed herein. Robustness of the proposed approach is verified by a numerical example.

Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) play an increasingly important role in all aspects of competitiveness e.g. for both products and production techniques, but also management methods, the organisation of the firm and human resource training. Obtaining and, just as importantly, mastering scientific and technological information is therefore essential to competitiveness of all SMEs. During the last two decades, several factors have forced global manufacturers to make dramatic changes in their products, markets, and manufacturing strategies. One of the ways by which SMEs can achieve a competitive advantage in manufacturing is through the implementation of computer integrated manufacturing (CIM). Realising the importance of SMEs, an attempt has been made in this paper to study the implementation of CIM in SMEs. First, the characteristics of CIM have been studied with reference to the application and infrastructure of SMEs. Secondly, a framework has been presented for the implementation of CIM in SMEs with the help of a conceptual model. Finally, future research directions on CIM in SMEs are indicated.

The government realizes that the development of micro and small enterprises is still hampered by financing that is more expensive than conventional financing. The potential of micro, small and medium enterprises in Indonesia is inseparable from banking support in lending to micro, small and medium enterprises. Access to Islamic banking is arguably still limited compared to conventional banking. This makes micro, small and medium enterprises players sometimes choose financing from conventional banks compared to Islamic financial institutions, this can be realized through continuous synergy between Islamic banks and Islamic cooperatives. Islamic cooperatives in various regions are financial inclusion locomotives to deepen sharia-based micro, small and medium enterprises in Malang. Sharia-based micro, small and medium enterprises are micro, small and medium enterprises that only want to be served by Islamic financial institutions. So that the need to empower sharia micro, small and medium enterprises is currently very important, through entrepreneurial orientation and financial inclusion it is expected that it will increase the empowerment of Sharia micro, small and medium enterprises based on Islamic boarding schools in the city of Malang. The research objective is to improve the role of Islamic Financial Inclusion and Entrepreneurship Orientation to empower Sharia micro, small and medium enterprises in Malang City. This study uses the path analysis model. And the type of data used are primary and secondary data taken from respondents, namely Sharia micro, small and medium enterprises and Sharia Cooperatives. Based on the results of the study it was explained that Financial Inclusion of Islamic Cooperatives did not influence the empowerment of micro, small and medium enterprises. While the entrepreneurial orientation affects the empowerment of Islamic micro, small and medium enterprises in Malang. If financial inclusion is carried out well, which is supported by high entrepreneurial orientation, this will increase the empowerment of micro, small and medium enterprises.

The economic justification of the sequential adoption of a new manufacturing system

The study examined social media marketing strategies adopted by SMEs for their business survival in Delta State, Nigeria. The research population consists of all 3,976 registered SMEs with the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria, Delta State office (SMEDAN). Three hundred and ninety-eight (398) registered Small and Medium Enterprises in Delta State were used as sample which represents ten percent (10%) of the total number of registered SMEs which is in line with keilinger recommendation of sample study. A self structured questionnaire was used for data collection titled "Social Media and SMEs Questionnaire" (SMAPSMEQ). Data were analyzed using the descriptive and inferential statistics. The simple percentage, frequency count, mean and standard deviation were used to analyze the data received via research questions. Pearson Product Moment Correlation was used to test the three hypotheses. Findings shows that there exists a significant relationship between the impact of cause marketing strategy and customer’s loyalty among Small and Medium Enterprises, as an increase in the cause marketing strategy of SMES also leads to a corresponding increase in their customer’s loyalty and vice versa. A statistically significant relationship exist between the adoption of relationship marketing as social media marketing strategy and customer’s patronage among Small and Medium Enterprises in Delta State, which implies that maintaining a good relationship with its customers will have positive influence on the customer’s patronage, encourage mutual relationship, cheaper customer acquisition of Small and Medium Enterprises. Findings also shows that there exist a significant relationship between the adoption of scarcity marketing as social media marketing strategy and the volume of sales among Small and Medium Enterprises in Delta State, which means that if a good scarcity marketing strategy is maintained by a Small and Medium Enterprises, their volume of sales would also be positively affected. Based on the findings, it was recommended that small and Medium Scale Enterprises should give adequate attention to improving their cause, relationship and scarcity marketing strategies by setting up unit committees in their organization to see that these objectives are achieved. Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria, Delta State office (SMEDAN) should continually encourage Small and Medium Scale Enterprises to uphold the use of these business strategies by using them as benchmark for raising the standard of their Enterprises across Delta State.
 Keywords: Social Media Marketing, SMEDAN, SMAPSMEQ, SMES, Strategies and Survival.

Use of computer aided management information systems in the food and beverage industry in Germany

ESPRIT Project 595 was concerned with the application of computer integrated manufacturing (CIM) to the heavy welded fabrication industry which typically manufactures products which are very large and required in small batch quantities, often only one off, e.g. ships, power stations, bridges, boilers, and offshore structures. The main objective of the project was to identify and validate CIM strategies that will enable European welded fabrication industries to restructure themselves and become competitive in world markets. This was approached by the formal analysis of industrial collaborators manufacturing systems using a recognized methodology and the subsequent synthesis of a generalized manufacturing system architecture for automated robotic welding and associated subsystems. The project work programme has followed the concept of top-down analysis matched to bottom-up implementation. The application of CIM lo welded fabrication has not been a simplistic acquisition of information technology su...

تعد المشروعات الصغيرة والمتوسطة من أهم الركائز للتنمية الاقتصادية فى مصر وهدف استراتيجي تتبناه الدولة المصرية لما لها من دور حيوي فى التنمية الاقتصادية ومعالجة مشكلتي الفقر والبطالة فأصبح التوجه للمشروعات الصغيرة والمتوسطة ومتناهية الصغر أكبر محرك للاقتصاديات لتحقيق التنمية المستدامة، وتعمل مؤسسات الدولة على تبنى استراتيجية متكاملة لتحقيق نهضة حقيقية من خلال هذه المشروعات ودفع الشباب باتجاه إقامة المشروعات الصغيرة والمتوسطة. وتناولنا من خلال هذا البحث أثر الدور الحكومي في تنمية المشروعات الصغيرة والمتوسطة في مصر بالتطبيق على محافظة دمياط لما بها من عدد كبير من المشروعات الصغيرة والمتوسطة في مجالات عدة فمشكلة البحث تتلخص في أنه كلما غاب أو قل الدور الحكومي الداعم لهذه للمشروعات الصغيرة والمتوسطة كلما أثر ذلك سلبا على تنمية هذه المشروعات. وقد قام البحث على عدة فرضيات تمثلت في الدور الحكومي في كل من التمويل وسن التشريعات والدعم الفني والتسويق في تنمية المشروعات الصغيرة والمتوسطة. كما أظهر البحث اهم التوصيات التي يوصي بها الباحث في هذه الرسالة متمثلة في توصيات تقوم بتنفيذها الجهات المختلفة بالدولة ومنها توصيات على المدى الزمنى القصير وأخرى على المدى الزمنى الطويل محددا بها جهة تنفيذ كل جهة للتوصية سواء تمويلية، أو تشريعية، أو تسويقية، أو دعم فني.

A pragmatic alternative to approaches to the CIM (computer-integrated manufacturing) concept involving plant-wide control layers as part of the control hierarchy is discussed. The alternative approach embraces a plant-wide control system and business planning, communication software, standard interfaces, real-time operational control, and a phasing-in approach that addresses human needs and cultural issues. The authors consider that their method does not risk obsolescence or require large initial capital investment, yet focuses on manufacturing objectives. An example of automation implementation using the method is described.< <ETX xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">&gt;</ETX>

During the last decade (from the late 1970s to the beginning of the 1990s), manufacturing systems have significantly changed. Their function and performance have altered in a period of rapid development, mainly as a result of the application of the techniques of computer science. The new systems are termed either flexible manufacturing systems (FMS) or computer- integrated manufacturing (CIM). The advance of flexible manufacturing and its related technologies has been accompanied by a number of related developments, such as flexible manufacturing of a global network type, CIM incorporating personnel functions, skill-based manufacturing, and compact flexible manufacturing cells (FMC). These all have notable influences on the system configuration and operational technologies of flexible manufacturing: perhaps as a result, there is some confusion about their terminology. A number of differing nomenclatures are used (such as FMC, FMS, flexible or factory automation (FA), CIM and enterprise automation (EA), for the same fundamental technology.

In recent years, there has been an increasing interest in the implementation of computer integrated manufacturing (CIM). Since many manufacturing organisations compete in international markets, a company strategy should be justified before making any major advanced technology-related investment decisions. The bottleneck for realising CIM systems in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) is often the lack of inhouse knowledge about how to design a CIM system and how to implement the existing technological components to improve the manufacturing performance. It is necessary to develop a framework for the design and implementation of CIM in SMEs. The literature on the design and implementation of CIM is reviewed, a framework for the design and implementation of CIM in SMEs is developed, and a case study is conducted which involves collecting and analysing data from a small company * , Company A, to develop a practical framework for the implementation of CIM in SMEs.

A conceptual methodology to screen and adopt circular business models in small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs): A case study on child safety seats as a product service system

A small or local computer-integrated manufacturing (CIM) system that makes products in a shorter time and with small inventory was implemented. With this experience, a local CIM software package was developed for OMRON factories, and there are now 21 local CIM systems in the OMRON group. The hardware and software of local CIM systems are described.< <ETX xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">&gt;</ETX>

Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM) provides a structured basis for establishing connectivity between sub-systems to facilitate product data delivery and control from the conceptual design stage through the many intermediate stages in producing the finished product. In this paper we focus on a CIM architecture applicable to electronics manufacturing for printed circuit boards based on studies completed by the authors under the sponsorship of the Northern Telecom University Interaction Program. Our presentation commences with the conceptual considerations of Computer Integrated Manufacturing and the special process characteristics of printed circuit board manufacture which must be considered in formulating the appropriate CIM architecture. We then address the system design issues and problems involved in implementing a viable CIM framework for integrating the many islands of automation in all areas of the manufacturing enterprise.