The impact of computer-aided manufacturing on total productivity

Labor productivity and the rate of return on investment techniques have been used to justify the application of computer-aided manufacturing. These techniques are partial measures and do not consider the total cost of doing business. This paper presents a step-by-step procedure for assessing the impact of computer-aided manufacturing on total productivity. Two case studies are presented. The first case study deals with the comparison of the total and partial productivities of the manual and computer-aided method of manufacturing printed circuit boards. The second case shows a comparison of the productivities of two types of computer-aided method of assembling printed circuit boards. Both case studies were conducted for a period of ten weeks. Computer system design problems encountered during implementation are discussed as well as ways to correct these problems.