Problems in the implementation process of advanced manufacturing technologies

Abstract

The investment in advanced manufacturing technologies provides great benefits to the enterprises that manage them correctly; however, when this process is not fulfilled in a proper way, it could generate the bankruptcy of the company. That is why the implementation process is considered as a complex problem. In this paper, the results of a survey made in some industrial plants in Juarez City, Chihuahua, Mexico were discussed. In such survey, it asked about the situation related to the 26 most commented and reported problems in the literature; the questionnaire was validated using the Cronbach’s alpha coefficient, and factorial analysis was applied to the obtained information from a 189 cases sample size. Results indicate that the main problems that the assembly plants have to confront when they implement advanced manufacturing technologies are related with maintenance, required special installations, suppliers are far away; there is no accomplishment of the production standards; there are no economic resources, fear risk to invest; and finally custom’s problems.