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Session 3263

A Business School Offering in CIM

F. C. ‘Ted’ Weston, Jr. CIS Department, Colorado State University

Abstract

The literature on computer integrated manufacturing or CIM largely follows the disciplines of engineering, information systems, and/or operations management. Coursework at various universities and in various disciplines is presumed to follow the literature. This paper will describe a graduate course in CIM within a business school. This course is designed to attract students from any discipline who have an interest in major issues related to manufacturing, including change management and global considerations. The structure of the course is primarily three-fold: 1) lecture and discussion on various topics within the domain of CIM, 2) field trips to eleven sites locally to view manufacturing and related operations, and 3) projects of the students choosing related to CIM, often with one of the firms visited. Exams and an extensive reading list are also included in the course. An underlying theme of the course is integration of CIM-type functions within a manufacturing organization, including the most important element of business communications within and between functional areas. The course is housed and taught in a department of computer information systems (college of business) and cross-listed with the production/operations management department, also college of business.

Introduction

Approximately in 1986, a graduate course focusing on MRP II was restructured to focus on the more functional aspects of computer integrated manufacturing or CIM. The course was intended to be of interest to students from business, engineering, and industrial sciences. Within business, interest was strongest with students from computer information systems (CIS), and MBAs with an interest in manufacturing, quality, and/or technology management. Mechanical engineering and industrial technology were the two areas outside business most frequently represented after CIS and MBAs. The course was offered at the ‘500’ level meaning both undergraduate and graduate students may take the course but the course could not be required of undergraduate students. Undergraduate students are rare but most likely come from either CIS or production/operations management. The course is currently not required of any major in any discipline. Registration is restricted to approximately twenty students per semester with one offering per academic year. Possibly exhibiting a content bias, students are informed that the instructor does not necessarily like the term ‘CIM’ but in fact prefers the term ‘cIMS’ representing computer integrated manufacturing systems with an emphasis on both integration and systems, and a lesser emphasis on the ‘computer.’ The MES (manufacturing execution systems) acronym is also employed. No text is used in the course. Instead, readings are provided each student. The course is a regular three credit class meeting twice per week, with the second

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Weston, F. C. T. (1997, June), A Business School Offering In Cim Paper presented at 1997 Annual Conference, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 10.18260/1-2--6439