Organisation, people and technology: advanced manufacturing in the 1990s

This article addresses the issue of organisation and people in advanced manufacturing. It is argued that market demands for greater flexibility, improved quality and reduced costs can not be met by technology alone. There is a need to abandon the technology-led approach and to adopt a balanced method based on organisation, people and technology. The need is to develop manufacturing strategies based on these three elements. This is not, however, a question of human factors in advanced manufacturing. It is about using people, working in advanced organisations, supported by technology, to meet business needs. Instead of addressing the human factors of advanced manufacturing technology, engineers and managers should be addressing the technical factors of organisation and people