There's a flip side, however. Mass. The entire factory has to be in sync to successfully exploit its methods. This is an area where the Internet could improve existing processes, say analysts. The Web permits very intimate contact between supplier and manufacturer. For instance, Cisco shares its manufacturing schedules with suppliers so they'll know how much inventory they need to have on hand.
Human intervention is required to do the data translation, which slows the process.
Someone's stalking your directory. Computerworld Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of Computerworld Inc. is prohibited.