TOOLS/PROCEDURES FOR CONTINUOUS INNOVATION IN NEXT GENERATION MANUFACTURING SYSTEMS

Next Generation Manufacturing Systems (NGMS) will require continuous innovation to sustain and enhance the agile, virtual (fractal) organization. What is needed are tools and procedures (T/Ps) that enable the easy generation, enhancement, evaluation, storage, extraction, and networking of ideas in all their various forms.

Two T/P's are available to help in idea generation and pricing. CyberQuest (CQ) is a multimedia "Problem Solving and Innovation Support System." Quantitative CyberQuest (QCQ) is a T/P under development that focuses on the "discovery" of analytic relationships. The intent is for QCQ to be utilized to help quantify the costs, benefits, revenues, etc. from proposed new ideas.

The purpose of this paper is both to introduce Quantitative CyberQuest and to demonstrate its use in analysing the future of the fractal organization as part of Next Generation Manufacturing Systems (NGMS).