Information Technology Deployment and its Impact on Operations in a Large Manufacturing Company

Abstract

This article describes the architecture and implementation of a computer-based operations support system deployed in a specialty chemicals manufacturing company. The study produced two general sets of findings. The first entailed the identification of changes in human-computer operational roles resulting from the implementation, and the impact of those changes on overall system efficiency and effectiveness. The second involved the identification of factors facilitating adoption of the new system by each of the major stakeholders, i.e., operators, managers, and customers. These findings are potentially generalizable to other domains, particularly those that involve supply chain integration and communication of technical information between companies. The article concludes with a discussion of the implications of this research for both researchers and practitioners.