Current status and future trends of CIM in the Japanese steel industry

Abstract

The growth of the Japanese steel industry has been supported by three factors: operation, equipment, and management technology. Computer-integrated manufacturing (CIM) is the core of management technology. CIM's purpose is to improve production efficiency through computer integration of data covering the staff (design and production control) and management department as well as the production line process department (order entry, manufacturing, and shipment). In this paper, an overview of the Japanese steel industry's system development process is given and the steps taken in order to establish the CIM system are described. The organization, operation, and improvement of operational capability, along with marketing and production-related systems, are integrated. Furthermore, an integrated system model is given as a CIM conceptual model. In closing, reference is also made to the challenges facing CIM in the Japanese steel industry as well as future directions to be taken.