Process-technology fit and its implications for manufacturing performance

This study investigates the issue of fit between process environment and ad vanced manufacturing technology, and its impact on manufacturing and busine ss performance. We find that different process environments tend to align a dvanced manufacturing technology investments in distinct profiles, which ar e associated with superior performance. Deviations from these 'ideal' profi les are shown to have a negative impact on manufacturing performance. The f indings also suggest that firms are not fully exploiting the potential affo rded by AMT investments to compete in off-diagonal positions in the Hayes-W heelwright framework. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.