The strategic issues in implementation of CIM technology in PRC/HK enterprises

Since the 1980s, CIM concepts and technologies have been applied by many ma nufacturing enterprises to remain competitive in the keen market environmen t. Faced with so many new technologies, entrepreneurs of PRC/HK enterprises sometimes feel ill at ease and even bewildered, although the PRC governmen t has been supporting a number of CIM development initiatives since 1986. T his paper sketches the development trends of modern manufacturing technolog ies and their applications in PRC/HK industries. The findings are based on a series of survey visits carried out in PRC/HK. The implementation strateg ies and methodologies appropriate for manufacturing automation and computer isation are put forward, taking into account the opportunities and challeng es faced by these PRC/HK enterprises.