Analysis of available software products in the North American cabinet industry. (1st January 2013) - Hewitt, Richard
The effective use of information technology (IT) is increasingly important to remain competitive in modern manufacturing. In general, wood products industries are slower in adopting IT, which may erode their long-term competitiveness. Using cluster analysis, this study evaluates the functionalities of software products currently available in the North American cabinet industry. Association rule learning is also used to determine how functionalities are coupled together to achieve integrated business tasks. Design and manufacturing functionalities are well represented in software products available for the industry. However, marketing and sales functionalities are poorly represented. Industry research indicates that these capabilities may become more important in the future. Therefore, an increased emphasis on sales and marketing functionalities in future cabinet industry software products is prudent. Also, many products automate the design-related activities, but not necessarily the production-related ones. This has negative implications for the industry's productivity and future competitiveness.