Process-technology fit and its implications for manufacturing performance

This study investigates the issue of fit between process environment and advanced manufacturing technology, and its impact on manufacturing and business performance. We find that different process environments tend to align advanced manufacturing technology investments in distinct profiles, which are associated with superior performance. Deviations from these 'ideal' profiles are shown to have a negative impact on manufacturing performance. The findings also suggest that firms are not fully exploiting the potential afforded by AMT investments to compete in off-diagonal positions in the Hayes-Wheelwright framework. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.