ABSTRACT
This chapter begins in the early 1960s when the commercial availability of computers provided a breakthrough in data processing capability. This was readily exploited through the development of inventory management systems for manufacturing. The 1980s were also a period for the development of the concept of Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM). Underlying this was the philosophy of the fully automated and integrated factory. Hardware and software developments enabled integration between product design (Computer Aided Design, CAD) and manufacturing equipment Computer Aided Manufacturing. However, this application captured only one aspect of the dimensions of CIM. The main distinctions between MRPII and ERP are arguably technology focused rather than concerned with significant changes in functionality. The main innovation appears to have been the shift to a client-server architecture. The 1980s saw the emergence of Executive Information Systems (EIS). These attempted to provide top-level views of the business focusing on key performance measures. They were user friendly and offered exception reporting and trend analysis.
