Impact of marketing, information system, modularity and low cost solution on the implementation of CIM in SMEs

Globalization can have a dramatic impact on manufacturing sector due to the fact that the majority of establishments in this industry are small to medium manufacturing companies. The role of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the national economy has been emphasized all over the world, considering their contribution to the total manufacturing output and employment opportunities. The lack of marketing forces to regulate the operation of SMEs has been a fundamental cause of low efficiency for a long time. Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM) is emerging as one of the most promising opportunities for shrinking the time delays in information transfer and reducing manufacturing costs. CIM is the architecture for integrating the engineering, marketing and manufacturing functions through information system technologies. SMEs in general have not made full use of new technologies although their investments in CIM technology tended to be wider in scale and scope. Most of the SMEs only focus on the short-term benefit, but overlook a long-term and fundamental development on applications of new technologies. With the help of suitable information systems, modularity and low cost solutions, SMEs can compete in the global market. Considering the importance of marketing, information system, modularity and low cost solutions in the implementation of CIM in SMEs, a model has been developed and studied with the help of an empirical study conducted with British SMEs to facilitate the adoption of CIM. Finally, a summary of findings and recommendations are presented.