The Diffusion of Knowledge and the Role of Cognitions in Technology Design Available to Purchase

This paper provides an overview of a series of research projects investigating the diffusion and appropriation of technologies for production and inventory control (PIC). These technologies are referred to, collectively, as production and inventory control systems (PICS) though also appear under a number of other names (for example, computer‐aided production management). PICS are information technologies used, predominantly by operations management or logistics personnel in manufacturing industry, to plan and schedule production runs and materials handling so that materials are available when required for production without holding unnecessary inventory. Typically, though not always, the technologies are computer‐aided. Like other technologies, they involve a significant amount of organisational as well as technical innovation (c.f. Damanpour, et al, 1989).