Selection and Evaluation of Advanced Manufacturing Technologies

This book provides a unified treatment of the current state of knowledge concerning the evaluation and selection of advanced manufacturing technologies. A multifunctional perspective is presented, and contributions from management science, accounting, technological innovation, strategic planning, economics, and organizational behavior are included so that a broad-based understanding of the topic can be achieved by the reader. The book is organized into three sections: innovation issues, methods and applications, and performance measurement. The book contains thoughtful reviews and critiques of current selection and evaluation methods and trends. New ideas, methods and approaches are offered as well. Applications and case studies are incorporated throughout the text, and illustrate the concepts and techniques presented. Specific topics include new studies on the adoption, diffusion and evaluation of specific technologies; the manager's role in the evaluation process; new multicriteria evaluation methods linked to the strategic plan of the firm; developments in performance measurement and management accounting, such as activity-based costing; and the measurement of flexibility.