The Internet as a Catalyst for Decision Making in Manufacturing Industry (A Review Article)

The decision on what to produce, how to produce, when to produce and at which cost to produce is fundamental and critical to the success and survival of any manufacturing industry. The decision making process hitherto the evolution of information technology was complex. The complexity could be seen from difficulties and financial burden associated with data gathering, analysis, communication and manpower hours. The evolution of global connectivity is indeed a remarkable technological breakthrough that has contributed immensely to shorten the longevity of time, human and material resources and procedures associated w ith decision-making. This has propelled most organizations to brace up and refocuses their attention to embrace information technology as a catalytic tool in decision-making process. This paper takes a critical view of Internet as an effective tool in the decision making process and lays bare its various facilities and their imperativeness in taking decisions in the manufacturing industry.