CIM-a manufacturing paradigm

The Industrial Revolution was based on the paradigm of the division of labour into areas of specialization. This 'specialist' model has reached its limit for improvement in productivity. CIM, a new paradigm, promotes the integration of organization, planning and control as a solution to improved productivity by maintenance of a single, information record. The CIM paradigm, the integration of information, promises greatly to reduce the largest component of present day manufacturing costs, indirect or support costs. The CIM paradigm is presented along with several of its concepts. A prognosis for the future of manufacturing as effected by CIM is also discussed.