Future R&D directions for CIM deployment

The manufacturing world is always in mutation, at this time shifting from economy of scale to globalization and customer satisfaction leading to economy of scope. While this enforces the need for more integration, it has severe implications on the deployment of computer integrated manufacturing (CIM) in manufacturing enterprises. The paper reviews some CIM technical issues requiring further research, especially the information technology (IT) issue, to better address user requirements in designing and manufacturing their products.<
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