The bulk of this work took place between 1987 and 1990 in the Department of Computer Science (1987 - 1989) and the Business School (1989 - 1990) of the University of Northumbria at Newcastle (then known as Newcastle Polytechnic).
The research began in October 1986 and run until October 1988. The aims were (a) to clarify the nature of Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM) (b) to investigate the manner of its implementation among manufacturers in the North East of England. 40 companies selected at random from a representative sample frame of 521 local manufacturers. 37 questionnaires and telephone interviews were completed. This work lead to a number of publications, e.g. CIM and Manufacturing Industry in the North East of England: A survey of some current issues.
Two main issues for manufacturers were raised during the research. The first was the problem of justifying investment in CIM; the second concerned the problems of adequately managing such a profound change.
The first issue, concerning the problems of planning CIM projects and justifying their investment, became the focus of the work below. The second issue, the expectation that CIM would squeeze the "sophisticated post boys" of middle management and, for a select few, lead to the emergence of a new class of "professionals" with less rigid work roles, more power and more responsibility, formed the focus of later work with Kevin McLoughlin.
The broad focus of the work was techniques for evaluating the competitive impact of Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM). This quickly became an examination of the shortcomings of traditional accounting and auditing techniques. This work lead to a paper on the challenges to accounting techniques posed by new approaches to manufacturing that was presented to the British Accounting Association conference at Durham, 1989.
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| V.B. Prabhu and C. Kimble. | Implementing CIM: A Managerial Perspective. Integration and the Management of Technology for Manufacturing. E. H. Robson, H. M. Ryan and D. Wilcock, Institution of Engineering and Technology, pp 136 - 148, 1991. | ISBN: 0863412068 |
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| C. Kimble. | The Challenges to Accounting Techniques Posed by New Approaches to Manufacturing.. Annual BAA NAG Conference, (Sept 1989), Durham, 1989. | ISBN: |
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| C. Kimble and V.B. Prabhu. | The response to CIM of Manufacturing Industry in the North East of England. Common Issues Common Approaches: Operations Management in Advanced Manufacture and Services. D. Macbeth and G. Southern, IFS publications, pp 227 - 243, 1989. | ISBN: 1854230379 |
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| C. Kimble and V.B. Prabhu. | CIM and Manufacturing Industry in the North East of England: a Survey of some Current Issues. Ergonomics of Advanced Manufacturing Systems I. H. R. Parsaei and W. Karwowski, Elsevier publications, pp 133 - 140, 1988. | ISBN: 0444704868 |
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