Direct value added and economic weight factors in economic analysis of CIM

Throughout manufacturing history, management has searched for tools to help it set product prices accurately. Traditionally, manufacturing managers have analysed efficiency by cost makeup with the basic elements: materials, labour, overheads. Overhead costs are allocated to units of production based on a theorical correlation with labour costs. With automation, direct labour has come to be only 1 to 20% of the total manufactured costs of products. The CIM infrastructure must incorporate a wide range of management facilities. It is now time to focus on an integrative approach which embraces design, planning, process and product costing. With the direct value approach we describe a concept which gives pertinent information to adapt strategy speedily for a better profitability. In addition an economic weighting coefficient for the analysis of job contribution in the creation of added value, it is possible to control product pricing. In this way, economic information can be an element of the product and process database and thus build up an operational decision support system by means of sharing common information.