Modelling the social implications of flexible manufacturing system through ISM: a case of India

Abstract

Flexible manufacturing systems offer many advantages over conventional manufacturing systems to enable different organisations to compete in global markets. Despite these benefits, FMSs have some important impacts on the social life. Through this paper an attempt has been made to study the social implications of this high technology related manufacturing on Indian society. For this purpose, interpretive structural modelling (ISM) technique has been utilised to identify the driving and dependent social implications of flexible manufacturing system (FMS). Moreover, ISM technique has been used in finding the mutual relations of these social implications by developing a frame work model. This ISM model may be utilised to identify the key social implications which will be helpful in the area of FMS. In the present work, factor affecting the social implication of FMS have been recognised through literature study and an ISM model has also been prepared based on ranking of questionnaire-survey and opinion of experts.