While 72 percent of information technology (IT) managers at build-to-order and engineer-to-order manufacturers rank becoming customer value-driven as their highest priority, only 25 percent have plans to evaluate the front-office infrastructure and processes often crucial to customer value. This is according to a research report released by software maker Cincom Systems.
Best Practices in IT Front Office for Build-to-Order Products discusses findings of a report from a technology perspective on the state of mass customization and build-to-order practices.
Of the IT managers surveyed, about 85 percent ranked becoming customer value-driven, reducing costs, and introducing new technology as their highest priorities. Many of these priorities could be met with a knowledge-management system. However, knowledge management ranked last in priority with only 34 percent ranking it as “important” or “very important.”
In addition, many IT managers at these manufacturing companies considered a number of measures highly important in their organization. However, seven of these important metrics were seldom tracked despite being eminently trackable, especially if front-office and back-office systems are automated and integrated.
Cincom Systems targeted the survey at senior IT managers at 1,840 manufacturers of complex industrial, electrical, and transportation equipment and systems.
Visit www.cincom.com/ITreport for a copy of the report.