Barriers to Successful Implementation of Advanced Manufacturing Technologies Within Small and Medium Industries in Kenya

Bidgoli, H. 2010. The Handbook of Technology Management, Supply Chain Management, Marketing and Advertising, and Global Management. London: John Wiley & Sons.

To what extent is embracing technological change the most significant factor in the future success of UK manufacturing businesses? Justify your answer with reference to your own research and the item above. (40 marks)

Belonging to the information era, it has become almost inevitable to strive without a proper information system. Additionally, advances in computing have allowed small-scale to large-scale organizations to provide high quality, diversified, and personalized services, more easily and affordable than ever before. Furthermore, the right information system can also improve an organization’s efficiency and effectiveness. Therefore, it is very important to strategically plan and evaluate before implementing an information technology platform. Similarly, Information Machine and Tool (IMT) Company at USA faced a major challenge as they lacked a strategic direction for their current IS (CSU-Global, 2015). As a result, it faced a major dilemma to choose a viable solution for its problem.

CIBA Vision had difficulties in catching up with J&J after adapting the new DSM manufacturing technology, not only because of its higher required levels of process control, but also J&J had exclusive contracts from the best supplier. Therefore, it was inevitable for the company to spend additional costs in developing equipments and employing new workers in Atlanta factory.

Paul Strassmann mentions in his model of information management superiority that the key to management effectiveness is productivity. His starting point in the progress of a number of challenging measures of the information within an organization is that: "without productivity objectives a business does not have direction; without productivity measurements it does not have control." His argument is that in order for an organization to accomplish information superiority the company must have a complete understanding of their assets, the value of the companies’ information, how the information is being put into practice and the realistic cost of its information technology (Stassmann, 1996).

The fascination with IT-enabled business innovation comes at a time of significant uncertainty and change as entrenched players and new entrants struggle to define a sustainable proprietary position for success in the turbulent twenty-first century. While most agree that Internet-based technologies have progressed at lightning speed since they were introduced to the business world in the early to mid-1990s, developing common standards and robust commercial technologies usually takes time. The challenge of integrating new technologies into the "legacy" of computers, networks, and systems already in place within companies adds to the problem. To achieve the

Technology has being one of the key things that entrepreneurs can use to guide their new companies and products through the small stage and growth stages. Small business marketing, communication have been replaced by advances in computers, and communications technology, and businesses in a range of industries continues to change and take full advantage of technology.

Paul Desmarais Professor in the Management of Technological Enterprises, School of Management, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ont. K1N 6N5, Canada b Ivey School of Management, University of Western Ontario, London, Ont., Canada c Department of Management, School of Business, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, USA

We are aiming to focus on product differentiate as while as lowering costsat same time. Increase automation in first round will result decreasing labor costs in following rounds. We are not selling products at very high prices but we always set size and performance better than the ideal spot

Tom Peters teaches the benefits of SMEs “small and medium enterprises” (SME), you don’t have to be in a traditional competitive market, just well understood business ideas, which have a possibility of failure (Peters, Building a Culture of Innovation, 1999).

Integration of technology and strategy has become increasingly important for successful business operations over the last decade. More competitors in a given market reduces the ability for consumers to differentiate one product over a substitute product and sales are diluted for all market players. Successful start-ups that do develop a differentiated product and achieve success in their infancy, struggle to sustain their product quality as they compete on a larger scale. However, if implemented strategically, information technology (IT) can be a saving grace. Technology can relieve the stress of the fierce competition through creation of an imitation-resistant value chain that competitors cannot copy. At the same time,

This case paper presents the business analysis of Zara, the leading and the profitable brand of Inditex. The case paper’s objective is to discuss whether to update the current DOS/IT infrastructure and evaluate the effects of the upgrade. It presents the IS implementation opportunities and evaluating the effectiveness of the implementation. It concludes by providing recommendations for updating the current OS along with its advantages.

1991; Rishel and Burns, 1997; Mechling Pearce and Busbin1995). Properly executed this improved capability results in greater customers satisfaction and lower manufacturing operating costs (Cleland, Bidanda and Chung,1995). Godwin et al. (1995) emphasizes that these manufacturing technologies have the potential to improve production performance dramatically and create vital business opportunities for companies capable of successfully implementing and managing them. Further, they can provide distinctive advantages in cost and process leadership. It may be argues that for the small and medium scale industries (SMIs) in Kenya , the implementation of AMT is necessary if they are to face the challenges of globalization and to ensure their future survival.

Successful strategy implementation is critical to the success of TATI. If the overall strategy does not work with TATI’s current structure,

The manufacturing company is an input-output system where the elements and components of the manufacturing process are consolidated and operated in a manner in which the materials and resources are transformed into semi-products or products in reference to the target market and market needs (Tan et al., 2011, p. 1391). De Felice, Petrillo & Monfreda (2015, p. 1) notes that in the recent past, the manufacturing industries have increasingly experienced a competitive environment ensuing from the globalization and technology. Therefore, it is imperative for the industries to deploy coherent strategies worth equally enhancing productivity output and